Memoirs of Connie Francis Neenan 1916-1920s, 1939-1940

money were fruitless, in view of the fact that the Clan maintained that the money belonged to them and since Joe McG. was dead, the money was left in the custody of this lady to do what ever she wanted with it. It is a fact that this lady refused to hand over any of the money which could not have been of any substantial consequence. After witnessing the appalling attitude of the Clan in the Federal Court of Philadelphia, I was naturally very pleased that I was not put on the witness stand because their attorney would definitely have attempted to blacken my character in every possible way, particularly in relation to my association with Joe McG. and his business enterprises. To prove the outstanding character of and stability of the same Jim McGrannery, who was then a Federal Judge, he was subsequently raised to the position of Attorney General for the United States. This promotion was well deserved and it clearly indicated the great esteem in which this man was held. In addition [Belt No. 6 Page 3] to his success and activities as a lawyer, he and all members of his family were also a very close friends of the late Joe McG. and his family as of Bill Carroll and of myself. The McGarrity family could have brought a case against the Clan for the return of that money but decided that they did not want to have anything further to do with that particular body. All the more so since that same body had the impertinence to criticise the publication of Joe McG.'s poems. As I stated before, it was good that poor Joe had departed and, thus, not have to experience the frightful ingratitude displayed by many members of the Clan, as also their appalling conduct in that Federal Court of Philadelphia. To prove all this a Copy of the Minutes of that particular case in Philadelphia was made by the Court Reporter. This copy is in our possession ever since. It is also sad to relate that people, like myself, Jim McGrannery, and Bill Carroll who spent so much time on the Sean Russell case, had been asked to do so by the very members of the Clan who claimed the Russell Bond money later. In some cases, I had to go to Washington on several occasions after the ...??.. of these Clan members ... ?... into the aftermath of the Joe McG. case and the Bond issue, by him to Mr. Chalk(??) in Detroit. In addition to this Congressman McSweeney of Cleveland, Ohio and Jim McGrannery made a very strong protest to President Roosevelt, at that time, against the presence of Scotland Yard men in Detroit and the arrest of Sean Russell. This particular incident displayed a tremendous amount of moral courage in view of the fact that at the time the Americans were preparing to enter WW11 [Belt No 6 Page 4] Accordingly, the country, at that time, was brainwashed to the necessity of entering the war which was proved later by the falsity of the Lend-Lease Act, the Loaning of the Cruises (Cruses??) to Britain, also the hypocritical policy or statements of so-called `Four Freedoms' (.?. or For Freedom??) [Belt No. 7 Page 1] During my conversations with the late ?? McGuire and Frank Thornton in 1920, or rather in 1921, in London I got the information that there was an order out against Sir Henry Wilson. At the same time in different company I met Reggie Dunne in Hover (?). The following December I was back in London and again I happened to meet Reggie Dunne and Joe Sullivan. We discussed matters in general; by that time the Treaty had been signed and they were anxious to learn what in the impressions in Ireland were. I enlightened them only as far as I knew concerning our own Brigade area or Division which at that time was anti the Treaty. Sir Henry Wilson was plainly responsible for the programme of murders of so many Catholics in Ireland in 1922. Following the capture of Reggie Dunne and Joe Sullivan, they were tortured in the most barbarous fashion. Later on in a book on these happening, written by Rex Taylor, he published a letter which was supposedly the last written by Reggie Dunne. When I read this I knew right away that Reggie would never had written such a letter. Reggie was definitely one of the most courageous men ever to face execution. Subsequently, I was able to obtain a copy of Reggie Dunne's last letter Quickly I found out that Rex Taylor had believed the statements of a certain Irish man from Cork, who "quoted” to Taylor "from memory" regarding that last letter. It surprised me how any serious author writing on historical facts, could accept such a statement in view of the fact that he was not given documentary evidence of any kind - and certainly not the last letter of Reggie Dunne. From time to time there have been various opinions given as to the shooting of Sir Henry Wilson. In my opinion I feel that the original [Belt No. 7 Page 2] order was never cancelled. I also believe that Reggie Dunne and Joe Sullivan made no plan to escape after the shooting. This was born out by the fact that neither of them had made any preparation of any kind, not even for a car, or any type of help, to get away safely. It Is my opinion that both these men made up their minds one night, on account of the frightful murders in Belfast, to deal with Wilson. This they successfully

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