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 entrusted with the task of procuring arms for the revolutionary movement.  It speaks much for his sagacity that a man of his impulsive and generous temperament should so long have escaped arrest in connection with such hazardous undertakings.  Hogan, however, like Shemus O’Brien, “was taken at last.”

Some of the revolvers brought from Birmingham by Daniel Darragh, which had been used at the Hyde Road action, had been picked up from the ground afterwards by the police.  It was for supplying these that Hogan was put upon his trial.  The maker of the revolvers was brought from Birmingham, and put in the witness box.  He swore that a revolver produced was one of his own make, which he had sold to the prisoner.  Thus, fortunately for Hogan, the whole case against him turned on this point—­not a very strong one, as it was obviously possible for the Crown witness to be mistaken.