for the necessaries of life, while funds
that had been appropriated by a local committee of the Clan-na-Gael,
which labored under the belief that the missing brother was in an
English dungeon, had been withheld, and another, that Sullivan had gone
to Paris, while Patrick Egan was an exile in the French capital, and
demanded the sum of $100,000 of Land League funds to carry out the aims
of the physical force men in America. According to this charge, the
money was demanded to meet certain expenditures that had been planned in
a convention of representative members of the Clan. Mr. Egan, so it was
claimed, after a good deal of consideration, refused to turn over the
money, and then Sullivan threatened to disrupt every Irish society in
America unless his demand was speedily complied with. He pointed to the
fact that there was a large and growing element among Irish-Americans
that was dissatisfied with the management of national affairs, and was
ready to revolt as soon as a leader turned up to direct them. A whole
week was consumed in discussing the demand of the American emissary, and
in the end Mr. Egan was convinced that it would be wiser to take counsel
with some of his confreres before rendering a final decision. He told
Mr. Sullivan plainly that he was opposed to granting so large a sum of
money for any purpose whatever, but he was willing to abide by the
decision of other men who had as close a knowledge as himself of the
needs of the order at home and abroad. He offered to submit Sullivan's
proposition to Sheridan, the famous No. 1 of the Phoenix Park
Invincibles, and the leader of the physical force men in Ireland. Mr.
Sullivan agreed to this offer, and Sheridan was called to Paris from
Ireland by telegraph. Within a week after all the facts had been laid
before him, he decided that the money demanded by Sullivan had better be
paid than withheld to conciliate all factions of the Clan-na-Gael in
America. In result it was claimed that Egan paid Sullivan $100,000 in
cash, from the funds of the Irish National League, of which he was
treasurer, and that the then chief of the Triangle brought the full
amount with him when he returned home. Instead, however, of turning it
into the treasury of the Clan-na-Gael, it was contended that only
$18,000 was accounted for, and the balance of $82,000 was deposited in
the Traders' Bank, to the credit of "Alexander Sullivan, agent," the
full amount being subsequently withdrawn on accoun