Wolf Tone. Trial. Attempt at Suicide.

Chapter XXIII.

Wolf Tone.

Counsellor Theobald Wolf Tone - His resemblance to Mr. Croker - He is ordered to be hanged by a military court - General Craig attached in Court of Common Pleas - Tone’s attempt at suicide - Cruel suggestion respecting him.

Theobald Wolf Tone was one of the most remarkable of the persons who lost their lives in consequence of that wild democratic mania which, at the period treated of in the former sketch, had seized upon the reason of so many otherwise sensible individuals. His catastrophe cannot fail to be interesting.

This gentleman’s enthusiastic mind was eternally surrounded by the mist of visionary speculation: it was a fine sailer, but wanted ballast. He had distinguished himself somewhat in the University as a desultory declaimer; but in my judgment that was the full extent of his powers. He was neither high-born nor wealthy: in fact, I fear even a steady competency was not at his command, and hence his spirit, naturally restless, was additionally goaded and inflamed.

It is a curious* *circumstance that Mr. Tone, a decided revolutionist and rebel, married improvidently enough one sister, whilst Mr. Thomas, who betrayed the friends of Tone and of himself, espoused another.

Tone was called to the Irish bar, but had been previously over-rated, and did not succeed. I thought it a pity, as he was really a good-hearted person, that he should not be fairly tried, and if possible, pushed forward; and being myself high on the circuit, I took him round in my carriage three times, and then thought well of him; but he was too light and visionary, and as for law, was quite incapable of imbibing that species of science. His person was unfavourable, his countenance thin and slow, and he had in his speech a harsh guttural pronunciation of the letter P, a defect shared by him in common with Mr. Croker, of the Admiralty, who indeed resembled him in personal appearance greatly, but was somewhat Tone’s inferior in elocution.

It is my belief that Tone could not have succeeded in any steady civil profession. He was not worldly enough, nor had he sufficient common sense for his guidance. His biography has been repeatedly published, and I only intend here to allude to the extraordinary circumstances of his death - an event upon which I confess I had many painful feelings, and not the less so from its being connected with my own judicial functions.

He had been taken in arms by Sir John Borlase Warren, at sea, in a French frigate, proceeding to land troops in Ireland. He wore the uniform of a French officer; but being recognised, brought prisoner to Dublin, and delivered over for trial to the provost-marshal and military authorities, he was of course condemned to be hanged. I did not see him under these distressing circumstances, nor in truth was it my wish to do so; for although there existed between us no actual friendship, still I had a strong feeling for a gentleman with whom I had been so well acquainted.

It occurred to his counsel that the jurisdiction of martial-law could not extend to him, as it only operated on land, and he had been taken at sea. An application was therefore made to the Common Pleas to have him brought up by habeas Corpus, in order (the point being ascertained) to be regularly tried before the competent tribunal, the court of Admiralty. The Habeas Corpus being granted was served on General Craig, who then commanded in Dublin, but who refused to obey it, and was attached for his disobedience; an order being consequently made for the general and some of his staff to be taken into custody by the officers of the court.

To me, as Judge of the Admiralty, this appeal was most distressing. Had Tone the least chance of escape in any court, or upon any trial, it might have been otherwise, but he could not be defended; and to have him brought before me only to witness his conviction, and to pronounce his sentence, shocked me extremely. His friends thought this course might prolong his fate a considerable time, and it was supposed that something might intermediately occur calculated to effect a commutation of the capital punishment. I knew better! I was convinced that his execution was determined on - it was unavoidable, and I felt *great *uneasiness.

The court having ordered General Craig and Major Sandys, provost-marshal, to be arrested for disobedience, both these gentlemen submitted, and the *pursuivant *was then directed to bring up the body of Theobald Wolf Tone, on the writ of Habeas Corpus. The judges sat patiently awaiting the officer’s return, and the decision being of great importance, the court was crowded to suffocation.

A considerable time elapsed, and still the pursuivant returned not. At length he appeared with horror in his looks, and scarcely able to speak. He informed the court that Mr. Tone, feeling certain of execution by order of the military, and being ignorant of the motion which his friends thought might give him some chance for his life, had cut his throat from ear to ear, and, he believed, was dying! A surgeon now attended, who reported that the prisoner had certainly cut his throat, but that recovery was possible, the incision was long and deep, but had missed the artery, and he still lived. Of course the trial was postponed; every friend he had, and I think he had many amongst the bar; rejoicing that poor Tone had escaped a public execution. He lingered awhile, and will it be believed, that when the wound had been connected, and whilst life still seemed to be precarious, owing to the extreme inflammation - I say, will it be believed that there existed cruelty sufficient in the breast of any human creature to advise his execution, though it would have been impossible to put the sentence in force without inserting the rope within the wound, and nearly tearing away the unfortunate gentleman’s head from his body? Yet such advice was given for “the sake of example,” and rejected, I am happy to say, with horror. I will spare the man who gave it the ignominy which would thence attach to his name were it mentioned.

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