Michael Smith

Level 347

Maureen Withey on 29th January 2025

TO MURDER, AND TO BREAK OUT OF THE COUNTY GAOL, KILMAINHAM. Within these few days an alarming system of correspondence has been discovered the active exertions Mr. George Dunn, Governor of Kilmainham gaol, in progress between eighteen convicts (against whom sentence of death was recorded at the last commission) and seven of their accomplices, who still evade the arm ot the law. These men belonged to a desperate gang of house-breakers that infested the city and its suburbs, for many months past. Many of them were recognised in the dock as resurrection men, hardened in the path of nightly outrage, and all notoriously bad characters. While the condemned eighteen awaited in Kilmainham  their committal to the hulk at Kingstown, from whence they were to be transported for life, their comrades still at liberty, contrived to engage two individuals confined for debt in the upper rooms, to communicate plan of escape to the convicts. The sister of one, named Griffin, undertook visit a debtor, and bringing him dozen small saw blades  which would all fit into the same small handle; also a couple of iron (bit and brace boaring tools) hid in her stays, time after time ; these the debtor engaged to hide in pieces of bacon, and lower by strings into  the day-yard of the felons’ range. With these tools they were at night to cut through the iron bars of one window. Those who escaped thence into the open range, were to break open the locks of their fellows’ cells with the ranters ; all were then to arm themselves with stones and with broken up staves, and hoops of the water tubs, rush upon the turnkeys and murder them. Smith, the chief conspirator, entertained particular  spite against Allison and Gilhogly, and had obtained from the debtors, by means of the string, a cannister of snuff, wherewith, if possible, to blind the turnkeys on the first assault. The tools, bacon, snuff, &e. were purchased   by one of the debtors, who was allowed twopence in the shilling for all the articles he took the trouble of purchasing and conveying thus to the convicts below.  This man is a pauper, who experienced particular kindness from the governor during his confinement. His treachery is  is now justly punished by solitary confinement, with bread and water diet. The plan had proceeded some length at the time of detection. An iron window bar was found nearly sawed across, and nine saw blades, with their common handle, were found hid in one of the chimneys two of them broke in the work. Smith became furious when detected, and broke up the tins, buckets, tubs, &c. could lay his hands on. He had strong hopes of escape  and had formed plan after plan to act on, if the first, second, or third should fail. If the debtors had not succeeded in conveying to him, one of the outstanding gang was ready to convey the materials for escape to the convicts during prayers at the Chapel, on a Sunday. If watched too closely, it was arranged that a forcible rescue should be attempted from without. The plan was that their seven associates at large were to proceed to the house of Mr  Smith, overseer of the public works at Kingstown, with which it appears they were well acquainted, rob it, and with the proceeds purchase tools, ladders, and clothes, then attire themselves as officers of the police guard, and at midnight, walk Separately up to the two guards on duty at Kilmainham, (one before the prison and one behind,) and stab or shoot them. They had calculated all the chances, and feared no detection from the first shot, if it were necessary, the remaining guard  would naturally imagine it had been fired by bis comrade. Four or five of them were to scale the outer wall by rope ladders, descend into the yard by means of the ladders, get into the range, break open the locks of the prisoners’ cells with their ranters, and so liberate them. During this attempt two of them were to remain  without on the watch, personate the prison guards, and cry the hour. If all these schemes on land were thwarted, it appears the leader (Smith) had three others, on which he intended to act seriatim till he succeeded.  After their removal to the hulk at Kingstown harbour, he had arranged to provide new brogues for his comrades, between the soles of which similar saw blades were to be sewed, to enable them to cut one or two window bars, drop into boat kept on the watch to receive them, and escape to land. If baffled in this also, Smith had sworn all the convicts to attack the crew of the transport the instant they were put on board for the voyage. If any of their attempts succeeded, it was proposed to seize a small cutter lying in the harbour, and sail for Holyhead—three of the eighteen being sailors  and able to manage for the rest. However, the landsmen wished to remain on shore, and if observed breaking out, to  separate instantly and save themselves the best way they could. If on the contrary they escaped securely,  they intended to proceed instantly to rob the house of Mr. H——, the private entree to which, one of them declared, was quite familiar to him. Finally, if all the previous plan failed, the master ruffian of the band” had also hound them by oath to mutiny on the passage. If prosperous, he intended to run off with the ship to the United States. We understand that full informations of the conspiracy have been laid before Sir Wm. Go-sett, the High Sheriff of the county. The affair has undergone a thorough investigation, and great credit is given to Mr. Dunn, whose vigilance and sagacity anticipated the incessant ingenuity and desperate views of the felons entrusted to his safe keeping. They are now confined in separate cells, with every precaution that experience can suggest, until their transmission to the hulk and the convict ship, where no clemency will be shewn them, which any of their diabolical schemes  could be carried into effect.— Saunders News-Letter.  Dublin Observer, 29 Jan 1832. Resurrection Men specialised in grave robbing, sometimes just taking any valuables buried with the deceased, and sometimes taking the body to sell and deliver to Medical schools to supply doctors and medical students for the study of human anatomy.

Level 347

Maureen Withey on 28th January 2025

Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry. Michael Smith, age on arrival, 22, per City of Edinburgh (2), 1832. Tried 1832 at Dublin, Life for Burglary. DOB, 1810, native place, Dublin Co. Single. Catholic. Trade, Milkman. Remarks: Iron gang. ---------------------------------------------------------------- County Calendar. … Michael Smith, Francis and James Londregan, John Walsh, John Stokes, and Peter Farrell, several burglaries and felonies. ... Warder and Dublin Weekly Mail, 7 Jan 1832. The COMMISSION COURT Yesterday. Michael Smith, Francis Lendrican, John Walsh, and John Stokes were convicted of robbery of plate, at the house Mr. Mathews, Rathfarnham. The prisoners were stated to resurrectionists by profession. Smith, Lendrican, Stokes, and Walsh, with James Lendrican, and Peter Farrell, were also put on their trial for a similar robbery the house of Mr. Conlan, near Rathfarnham, when one of them, who could not be identified, fired pistol shot at the man servant, the contents of which lodged in the door before which he had been standing but an instant before. The evidence was imperfect, and the prisoners were acquitted. ... Dublin Morning Register, 12 Jan 1832. The High Sheriff has received instruction from the Government to have the following eight convicts, Patrick Fitzgerald, Michael Smith, Francis Londregan, John Walsh, John Stokes, Alfred Shaw, John Murphy, and John Dixon, transmitted to the Hulk without delay. These are the leaders in the late attempt to break out of Kilmainham prison a few weeks since. Dublin Evening Packet, 7 Feb 1832.

Level 43

Old School on 23rd June 2020

See John Stokes same ship 1832