In vain Judge Blackburn threatened to commit the rebellious solicitor: "These men's lives are at stake, my lord," was his indignant plea.

"Remove that man!" cried the angry judge, but as the officers of the court came forward very slowly--for all poor men loved and honoured the sturdy fighter--he changed his mind and let him stay.

Despite all his efforts, the jury contained a man who had declared that he "didn't care what the evidence was, he would hang every d----d Irishman of the lot." And the result showed that he was not alone in his view, for evidence of the most disreputable kind was admitted; women of the lowest type were put into the box as witnesses, and their word taken as unchallengeable; thus was destroyed an _alibi_ for Maguire, afterwards accepted by the Crown, a free pardon being issued on the strength of it.

Nothing could save the doomed men from the determined verdict, and I could see from where I was sitting into a little room behind the bench, where an official was quietly preparing the black caps before the verdict had been delivered.
The foregone "Guilty" was duly repeated as verdict on each of the five cases, and the prisoners asked if they had anything to say why sentence of death should not be passed on them.

Allen, boy as he was, made a very brave and manly speech; he had not fired, save in the air--if he had done so he might have escaped; he had helped to free Kelly and Deasy, and did not regret it; he was willing to die for Ireland.
Maguire and Condon (he also was reprieved) declared they were not present, but, like Allen, were ready to die for their country.