by Charles Egan
Murty laughed. ‘You’ve seen mighty things so,’ he said to Kitty.
‘Strange things too,’ Kitty said. ‘Trains and steam boats, sure what of them did we ever have around Kilduff? Mills neither.’
‘Well, you’ll see plenty enough here,’ Bríd said. ‘It’s like you say, it’ll be a new world for you, Kitty, and you’re most welcome.’
Murty finished his dinner, listening to the chatter around him.
He passed his plate back to Bríd, and waited until she had left the room.
‘Well tell me,’ he said to Kitty, ‘what’s Carrigard like?’
‘’Tis well enough,’ Kitty said. ‘Pat is working for the County, as you may know, and bringing money home. Luke has been sending money back from America, but some of that has to be divided with Winnie’s family up in Brockagh. Still, I’d say they’ve enough money to keep them going. What with Sabina and the bar too, they’ll have no problem.’
‘And what of the conditions around?’
‘Starvation is desperate, and getting worse. Funerals every day, for those that can afford them. Bodies in the streets for those that can’t. And evictions all over Mayo. Always, you see them on the roads, trying to get to the workhouses, but sure they’re not taking in any more. They say they’re full three and four times over, and sure all they are is breeding grounds for fever. Mayo is dying at a terrible rate. We saw hundreds of them crossing the country, the half of them starving. It wasn’t all a happy walk.’
‘And cholera? Did you see any of that?’
‘None in Kilduff yet. There’s stories of it around Mayo, but whether they’re stories or fact, I don’t know. We heard enough of fever and hunger, and we crossing the country, but nothing of cholera. There were stories of it in Dublin before we left, but again I don’t know how bad it might have been. Nothing like you have it here in England, from all we hear.’
*
Kitty and the other girls quickly got work in the mill.
‘And it’s as with Aileen,’ Sinéad told Murty. ‘Sure they know well what spinning is, and they’ll work out the workings of the machines soon enough.’
‘It’s hard work for ye, though,’ Murty said to Kitty.
‘No harder than the work of being a farmer’s wife in County Mayo,’ Kitty said. ‘And here they’re complaining of ten hour days. Sure in the summer months in Mayo, we’d be working night and day. We didn’t even know what hours were, neither.’
*
Murty was happy to note how much Kitty’s presence had improved Aileen. There was incessant joking around the table, and sometimes Aileen smiled. Sometimes she spoke, though very little.
The Sunday following, Murty and Tomás began to build wooden bunk-beds in the girls’ bedroom. The Yeadon brothers joined them, and the work was finished amid much banter and laughter.
It was a matter of wonder to Murty that these girls could find so much to laugh at, both at home and in the mills. Bradford too. The cholera, the stink of the sewers, even the noxious stench of the chimneys did not faze them. He had expected it would all be a shock to them, but they took it all without complaint.
Chapter 22
Wolverhampton Chronicle, May 1849:
North Staffordshire Railway. The southern portion of the main line of the North Staffordshire Railway, extending from Stone to the junction with the Trent Valley Line at Colwich, was open for passenger traffic last Tuesday. By running three trains daily to Colwich, in addition to those to Norton Bridge, the means are afforded of communicating with the metropolis 6 times within the 24 hours.
The letter from Sternberg shocked Murtybeg. He sat on the bed staring into the candle. What now? He had sacked Irene, he thought he was well rid of her, and now this. Would she end up as owner of Edwardes & Ryan after all? And if she did, would she sack him?
What other possibility was there? He had sacked her when he thought he had won. There was little doubt in his mind that she would seek her revenge in the same way. And then? All the long negotiations with the bank for nothing. All the long calculations and negotiations with Brassey and Mackenzie for nothing.
And no work either.
A thought struck him. Did the banks and the big contractors have confidence in him, as well as Edwardes & Ryan as a business? If he lost the business, he would have no money. Would they back such a man? Doubtful.
Next morning, he took a train into Manchester, and walked to the Law Library.
‘Murtybeg!’
‘Good to see you again, Louis, though like meeting a doctor, I’m afraid of how bad this might be. What’s all this about an appeal?’
‘One moment so. I’ll just get the file from my locker.’
He returned and flicked through the papers.
‘It’s very bad news, I’m afraid. She’s going after us again. Two different counts. First, she’s appealing probate to the Probate Division of the High Court of Justice.’
‘The High Court of Justice?’
‘Yes, and I can tell you it surprised me at first. That’s something that’s only done with large estates. And that’s for a very obvious reason. At that level, you’re talking about enormous legal fees. I’ve looked through a number of the past cases for probate in the High Court, and it’s always involved top flight barristers. I don’t want to be cynical, but in cases where there is a great level of doubt, it’s often the party with the deepest pocket who wins. She’s retained James Curzon of Curzon & Clegg as her counsel. On Rothwell’s advice, I’ve no doubt. Curzon is one of the top silks in England, far higher ranking than Pritchard will ever be, and he will not come cheap. She knows I’m your counsel, but as for arguing a High Court case, she’s banking on me having to appoint another top barrister to work with us.’
Murtybeg had gone pale. ‘So we’ve no chance?’
‘Little enough if she continues with Curzon. But it’s not just that, she’s threatening you with more than probate.’
‘What so?’
‘She wants to go after you personally on civil and criminal charges.’
‘Criminal?’
‘Fraud. Misappropriation of assets.’
‘Misappropriation,’ Murtybeg exclaimed. ‘She should be well practised at misappropriation. So what can we do now?’
‘There are two possibilities. Either she has indeed very deep pockets, and is prepared to gamble everything.’
‘I doubt that, unless she’s been involved in misappropriation herself for a long, long time.’
‘Which brings me on to the other point. My very strong suspicion is that this is a bluff. She’s hoping you cannot afford this. In fact, I reckon she knows it. It’s like poker. She thinks you’ll drop out, simply because you cannot go on. I must say, that while I have never met this lady, I strongly suspect that it is the kind of thing she would do.’
‘So what would you recommend?’
‘Call her bluff.’
‘But I’d not be able to afford that either, would I?’
‘No, just pretend you can. Take it all the way to the Courthouse steps. Many of these cases are resolved at the doors of the Court as soon as both parties realise that neither can afford to go further. In some ways, it takes a lot of nerve, because you don’t know whether she will continue her bluff, but somehow I doubt she will.’
‘So we pretend to go along with it. Is that it? Agree to go to the High Court, even though we know we’re not going to go in?’
‘Exactly, and I’ll continue to deal with everything, at our agreed rate. If, of course, that’s acceptable to you, Murtybeg.’
‘Surely.’
He handed Murtybeg a cheque.
‘What’s this?’ Murtybeg asked.
‘Your twenty-five pounds. It was contingency only. And we haven’t won.’
Murtybeg looked at the cheque in surprise.
‘But we had won.’
‘We thought we had. Now, let’s wait until we see what happens. If it turns out it was all a bluff, then we win.’
‘Oh look,
Louis, that’s unfair to you. Keep the money.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Fine,’ Murtybeg said, ‘but I’ll tell you what we’ll do. I’ll hold the cheque. But if we win, I would suggest another twenty-five pounds on top. Fifty total. Contingency, as you say.’
‘Most generous of you, Murtybeg. But let’s get back to more practical matters. What say you to a pie and a pint? My call.’
Murtybeg was a little surprised, but he decided to hide it.
‘Why not?’
‘Come on so.’
They left the Law Library, crossed the road, dodging carriages and carts, and went on to a bar.
‘The Black Lion,’ Sternberg said. ‘This is for the younger crowd from the Law Library. Top silks would never eat here. Prefer to eat in private.’
Sternberg went to the bar to order, Murtybeg following. Sternberg pointed across to another table.
‘See those three fellows over there – old friends of mine from law school.’
They had already spotted Sternberg.
‘Nick! Is this a friend of yours?’
‘Client more like. Murtybeg Ryan.’
‘Oh, the Ryan case, is it? Good luck with that one, you’ll need it.’
‘We’ll see.’
Sternberg and Murtybeg sat at a quieter table at the back of the bar.
‘Now as I see it,’ Sternberg said, ‘the case against you might hinge on several other factors. The first is the question of the actual ownership of the business. Edwardes & Ryan was not a company, so the issue arises as to who owned it before your brother’s unfortunate death. Miss Miller can claim that she and Daniel Ryan started the business together.’
‘But that’s not true. She only joined the business a few months after Danny had started it. He employed her as a clerk to look after correspondence.’
‘But can you prove that?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Murtybeg replied. ‘Could she prove otherwise, though?’
‘Perhaps. All she would need is a letter addressed to Daniel Ryan and Irene Miller trading as Edwardes & Ryan, and that, needless to say, might be forged. She’s ruthless enough for that?’
‘She is.’
‘Which brings up another question. Who was Mr. Edwardes? Can we find him?’
‘There was no Mr. Edwardes. It was a false name that Danny used to give his business respectability.’
‘To give his business what!’
‘Yes,’ Murtybeg said. ‘A respectable English name. Better for business, Danny thought.’
‘I don’t understand,’ Sternberg said.
‘It’s just that many of the Irish contractors have a low reputation. Danny pretended that Mr. Edwardes looked after all accounts, but there was no Mr. Edwardes.’
‘No court is ever going to believe that. Even if they did, another likely option is she will claim the three of them founded the business together, including the fictitious Mr. Edwardes.’
‘But if Edwardes can’t be found? Which he won’t.’
‘His third of the business might be held in trust. But in this situation, she could end up owning half of the rest of the business, and that creates another problem. If either party owns more than the other, there is a clear line of management. With equal shares, management can be paralysed, since there can be no majority decisions. Unless of course, Mr. Edwardes’ trustees vote, though that’s unlikely. In such a situation therefore, you would have to agree with her in everything, unless you held your nerve, and that puts you in a very difficult situation.’
‘It does,’ said Murtybeg.
Their food had arrived. Murtybeg cut into his pie, as Sternberg took a long draught of beer.
‘Now, there’s one other question I must ask you – is the business solvent?’
‘It is now,’ Murtybeg replied.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I prepared the trial balance a few days back. The business has been doing very well since Danny died.’
‘But what of the time when your brother died? Could it have been losing money then? After the Railway Panic. Were his contracts profitable?’
‘I don’t know. Danny kept a lot to himself.’
‘Could he have met all your debts in the event of a liquidation?’
‘No.’
‘In that case, it could be argued that Edwardes & Ryan were trading while insolvent, and that is contrary to law. Not that I’d worry about it now, since that time has passed, but if Miss Miller loses the case, she could threaten to expose you.’
‘I see.’
‘And it’s been trading well since then?’
‘Very well. We tightened up credit control and negotiated new loans with the Manchester & Salford, and since then, the business has been going very well indeed. There were other reasons, of course.’
‘Like what?’
‘Irene had her ways. Often, she would buy contracts.’
Sternberg looked at him in surprise.
‘You mean Edwardes & Ryan have been involved in bribery?’
‘Yes. I’ve had it stopped since she left though.’
‘Thank God for that. You know, if offences have been committed, I should report them. So let’s assume you never said any of that.’
‘Agreed,’ Murtybeg said.
‘And there is one final point. This case must be taken by the possible beneficiaries, in other words those who would succeed to the business on your side, and that would most definitely include your father and mother. In fact, it might be argued that your father and mother might be the only beneficiaries. You would, of course, inherit, as their only living son, in due course, but that might be many years away.’
Murtybeg was stunned by what Sternberg had said, but decided not to question it. He realised that Sternberg had been assuming that he, Murtybeg, was taking the case on behalf of his parents as well as himself. But now it turned out that Murty and Aileen would be the owners of the business if they won, and he himself would be excluded. Why fight then, for a business he did not own either way?
But then a thought struck him. Murty had not been enthusiastic about owning Edwardes & Ryan, since he did not want to exploit starving navvies. Was he sure of that? Why ask? He had intended to write to Murty to tell him about the decision of the Probate Court, but he had not yet done this. Murty would still believe that Irene owned Edwardes & Ryan, which she did not, but might again. It was just as well he had not mentioned anything to his father. Best wait and see who owned the business when the dust had settled.
It was agreed that Sternberg would agree a date for the hearing and revert to Murtybeg as soon as it had been fixed. Then they parted.
*
As Murtybeg walked home from Stockport Station, a man approached him.
‘Message from Gene Brady, Mr. Ryan.’
Thinking quickly, he said ‘I don’t know any Gene Brady.’
‘I’m not lying to you,’ the man said. ‘I have a message from Mr. Brady.’
‘Let me repeat,’ Murtybeg said, ‘I don’t know any Brady.’
He was getting angry. There were two possibilities. A setup was one, someone was trying to trap him. It could be that Crawford was testing him, to see if he would report a Molly Maguire contact. The other possibility was that it was a real message, but in that case, it should not have been sent by Brady in this way.
‘Your brother knew him,’ the man said, ‘and you’ve taken over from your brother. You know exactly who Gene Brady is. Now he will be expecting you next Wednesday morning. Your brother knew the address, but in case you don’t, it is McCabe’s bar in Vauxhall, just off Scotland Road, which is in Liverpool.’
‘I know damned well where Scotland Road is,’ Murtybeg said.
‘Fine so. McCabe’s bar. Wednesday morning. And be there, or, by God, you’ll regret it.’
The encounter frightened Murtybeg. The more he thought about it, the more he thought that he had been threatened with death.
That evening, he wrote a letter to Inspector
Crawford. He did not insert his own address. He used block capitals instead of his usual handwriting.
‘Mr. B. sent me a message. He wants to meet me. What do you think? M.R.’
He did not sign it. Crawford would know who he was. He posted it to the address Crawford had given him.
Three days later he received a letter marked ‘Private and Confidential’ on the envelope. He opened it. This letter too was very brief.
‘Why don’t you go and meet him? J.C.’
*
For some time, Murtybeg considered Crawford’s words. Then he realised the following day was Wednesday.
He decided to meet Brady, but he knew he was taking an enormous risk. He sat at his desk and began to write a letter.
‘On May 8, 1849, I will travel to meet Mr. Gene Brady at McCabe’s bar in Vauxhall, near Scotland Road, Liverpool. In the event of my murder or disappearance, the information should be passed to Mr. Louis Sternberg at the Manchester Law Library, and Inspector James Crawford of the Manchester Detective Police, and the said Mr. Brady should be tried for murder. Murtybeg Ryan.’
He placed it in an envelope, addressed ‘To Whom It May Concern’.
He sealed the envelope, cleared the middle drawer of his desk and put it inside. Then he made a second copy.
Next morning, he left the house early.
His first stop was at the Law Library in Manchester.
‘Murtybeg! I hadn’t been expecting…’
‘Sorry if I’m disturbing you, Louis. This is a different matter.’
Briefly, he explained to Louis about Danny’s involvement in the Molly Maguire gang. He explained Crawford’s request to meet with Brady, and the dangers it entailed. Finally, he took a copy of the letter and showed it to Sternberg.
‘An excellent idea, Murtybeg. We may, of course, have a problem with Habeas Corpus, if your body should disappear, but I think that’s a minor risk.’
‘Habeas what?’
‘Habeas Corpus,’ Sternberg replied. ‘If they don’t have a dead body, it’s hard to prove murder. But like I say, that’s most unlikely to happen.’
‘Fair enough,’ said Murtybeg.
‘I see you’ve left it unsigned.’