closely watched, and as, like his
brother John, he was a fine handsome man, of splendid physique, and well
known, of course, to the Irish police, it required all his caution
successfully to run the gauntlet; but this eventually he did.

The next I heard from him was that he was coming to Paris to a
conference between the representatives of the two parties of American
Fenians--what were known as the Stephens and Roberts wings. Michael
Breslin was sent as a representative of the Stephens party. There were
prominent members of the I.R.B. in this country, also friends of
Breslin, who were anxious that the two parties should join. I wrote to
him on their behalf, asking him to work towards that end. For greater
safety the letters for Breslin were sent under cover through my cousin,
Father Bernard O'Loughlin, Superior of the Passionist Fathers in Paris.
He, of course, knew nothing of the nature of the communications he was
handing to Breslin, who did his best to bring about the desired unity;
but his action was repudiated by his principals in America.

He came over to England, and had a narrow escape from falling into the
hands of the police. When William Hogan was arrested in Birmingham,
charged with supplying the arms used in the Manchester Rescue, Michael
Breslin was in the house at the time. Questioned by the police, he
described himself as a traveller in the tea trade for Mr. James Lysaght
Finigan, of Liverpool. As he had his proper credentials (samples, etc.,
from James Finigan, who, anticipating an emergency of this kind, had
given them for this express purpose), he was allowed by the police to go
on his way.

James Lysaght Finigan was a good type of the Liverpool-born Irishman,
educated by the Christian Brothers. With other members of his family he
was at the time engaged in the tea trade; but he was of an adventurous
disposition, and afterwards served in the French Foreign Legion in the
Franco-Prussian War. Later still he became a member of the Irish Party
in the House of Commons.

In connection with Breslin's narrow escape, the sequel, as regards our
friend Hogan, is worth relating. Those who ever met William Hogan will
agree with me that a more warm-hearted and enthusiastic Irishman never
lived. He was a good-looking man, of imposing presence--a director of an
Insurance Company, for which he was also the resident manager in
Birmingham. Living in that town, he was of great assistance to the
various agents entrus