Redemption Falls

by Joseph O'Connor

  ‘Our day will come, Johnny Doran,’ says he. ‘Deed and it will, sir. Certain sure,’ says I. And I left him, then, and went to my girl’s house up the back road. I did not know what was going to happen.

  IGNATIUS GILCHRIST, ACTING MARSHAL, FORT STORNAWAY

  Approximately 12.45 a.m.

  E:You were in the army with James O’Keeffe, were you not?

  W:I have had the honor of serving my country, if that’s what you mean.

  E:Your country being?

  W:My country is the Republic of which I am a naturalized citizen, where I have resided thirty years, where my children were born, where my taxes are paid, which I serve by profession, and for which I have spilled my blood, I hope with valor.

  E:I meant only –

  W:I know what you meant, sir. Your question insults me.

  E:You were born in another country, in Ireland is what I meant.

  W:You question my patriotism one more time, you’ll remember all about it for a while.

  E:I am sorry that you are offended. It was not my intention.

  W:As a friend of the Governor for north of ten years, I wish to say me a word before I commence about the nature of this here assembly.

  E:There will be no personal statements. The Presiding Judge has made that clear.

  W:Yes there will, sir. There will be mine. Or I quit this room in short order.

  E:Do I understand that you threaten contempt for this Tribunal and its proceedings?

  W:I ‘threaten’ you nothing, you milksop little shit-ass. Contempt aint strong enough, what I got for the likes of you.

  E:Do you dare…

  W:Do YOU dare, you braided puppy never held a gun but your cock. I’m a freeman citizen of the United States, I will say what I like, andwhen , boy. You Westpoint little yapper. Look at me when I speak to you! I am fifty-three years old, son, which makes me old enough to tell you what a ignorant little whipper you are. Shut your mouth about the judge! I aint interested in no judge. I’ma see to him, too, if he like. Ever been you in battle? Ever seen you an enemy? Ever had to trust men? Do you know what that is? I served with Con O’Keeffe from Bull Run to Chancellorsville. Went through Fredericksburg. Went through Marye’s Heights. Some thanks to sit here now, listen to lies being spoken by fools. Slanders on a hero. Lies about his wife. Well, me, I’d put my life in the hands of Con O’Keeffe and my friends before I’d spit on a miserable little bomb-dodger like yourself.

  Presiding Judge:That is enough, sir. Do not abuse the Tribunal again.

  Witness:To the fuck with the lot of you. Good bye.

  [The witness departed the room. There was a motion for his arrest. After some consideration, it was denied. A friend of the witness, a United States corporal, prevailed on him to return to the Tribunal. He did, but refused to be questioned by the Examiner, insisting he would respond only to the Presiding Judge. Owing to a stenographer’s error, the Judge’s questions went unrecorded. The witness’s answer were as follows:]

  No.

  No.

  No, sir.

  I think so.

  It isn’t exactly unusual to hear shots at night from the town.

  When I heard the first shots, I sat up in my bed, and I said to my wife ‘That is coming from the river.’ She told me it was nothing, but I knew this wasn’t right. I believe she did not want me to go away. Our grandchild was only a month old at that time, sir, and was with us in the house, for his mother was sick. Anyway my wife had no liking for me quitting the house after dark. There could be danger in the town at night.

  By the time I left my house, which is on Water Street, near the stables, I had heard me some more shots from over the direction of the river. It might have been three shots. I don’t know how many. I went up to my deputy’s house, which is on Tremont, but he was not there. I do not know where he was. The house was empty. I took down his rifle, which was hanging on a peg near the stoop, and I wrote him a note to get to the river.

  The rain was coming up the road. It was blinding, yes. I don’t mind saying I was afraid.

  NATHANIEL FIELD, NIGHT-WATCHMAN

  1 a.m.

  My name is Nathaniel Field. Folks in the town call me Nate. I was born near Cynthiana, Kentucky, and was a slave until the War come. I come up to this Territory after the War with my wife. General O’Keeffe give me a concession for ferrying on the river at Stornaway. Man need to be strong to do that work. Yes, sir, I liked it fine. I like the air and the water life.

  I saw Missus Mears and her daughter Edith go by. They was two old ladies used to go up and down the waterfront selling gooseberries and currants and other stuffs like such, that they would pick along the banks, and ribbands for the girls back home. They wasn’t strictly supposed to do it, but the sailors would like to see them. They was motherly ladies. Jane was, anyways. Edith was how would you say it, not correct in her mind, sir. She wasn’t deliver right when she come in the world. But a real nice person. No badness in her at all. Never did a harm to nobody, just she had the ways of a child. I didn’t say good-night to them, I don’t know why. I sure enough wished I had. Or run them along home. I didn’t know what was coming. It’s horrible to think of it. They never done a harm to nobody.

  NOTE FOUND IN A BOTTLE AT THE ABANDONED MINE

  SENSATIONAL LETTER! SHOCKING REVELATIONS

  THEIR LOVE-CHILD, THE STOLEN GOLD, & THEIR

  WICKED PLAN!

  THE CONFESSION OF J. COLE McLAURENSON &

  ELIZA MOONEY:

  TO MRS O’KEEFFE, THE GOVERNOR’S WIFE

  EXCLUSIVELY OBTAINED BY OUR REPORTER!

  madam:

  by the time you reads this paper yr husband will be in the next world an we that makes its letters shal be far from this terittory.

  you hate us an we own it by the time you reads this paper. we deserves to have your damnation for we are after widowin you an christ forgiue us for it. i am puttin down this letters so you know why it had to occur an you can see it was not all our doin but that yr husband owns the great deal of it.

  my name is eliza duane mooney of baton rouge lousiana. I was born in red hook brooklyn. my hvsband is john cole mclaurenson out of clarksuille tennessee. they calls john cole mclaurenson a outlaw an a bandit. to me he is the ony friend i euer got.

  i am sister to jeddo mooney who you knows already. i am 18 yrs of age. i got no mother nor a father only jeddo in the world. i aint complainin none but only tellin you.

  it was me an cole mc laurenson took the child from redemtion city an the traitor patrick vinson helped us do it. jeddo mooney is my ony liuin blood. i swore my mother i take care of him. i took jeddo to the place we was liuin near stornaway. he gut sick from bad air so i thought he would die but i nursed him an he come around.

  a goverment man name winnerton come up here near chrismas. he told us gnrl okeeffe and yr self was fixin to take my brother out of this country and we would want to watch out for he was comin.

  he was a wellspoke man of edvcation an books. he sayed he was our friend an want euery thing to come out safe an well. he sayed if we wd trust him he wold see to it.

  i agreed with this winnerton that he shold go to gnrl okeeffe for to put my case for me. i wrote the gnrl a long letter for this winnerton to take along wid him. i wrote the child was my brother an the only kin i got in the world an i walked all the way from lousiana for to get him. this winnerton sayed he would take it to the gnrl and put him my case. he swore me he would fix it.

  cole mclaurenson rode with this winnerton to the redemption county line and hid out in stacklin forest for a while. but near dawn winnerton come back and said it werent no good for the gnrl was determin he should take my brother and go into another country. you can see I cold not allow it. not after comin all the road from lousiana for to find him. no one cold allow it. you could not yrself. there was ony the one thing would stop my brother been took to another country. that was for the gnrl to lose his life.

  i said i did not wish it for i had a respect for gnrl okeeffe an m
y mother had a respect for him always. this winneron said it was nearabout the only way for the gnrl wold hunt us down the rest of our liues an neuer rest until he gotten the child back and kill us.

  cole mclaurenson said he wold ride in to redemption and murder gnrl okeeffe that night. this winnerton said he should not do for he had marshals in plenty. it was me agreed it with winnerton that he shold lure the gnrl up here north and what would haue to happen wold happen an on our souls be the blame for it. for a booty this winnerton ast a great share of moneys taken by cole mclaurenson from the goverment boat in august 1866. first he wanted the half of it. by the close he wanted all of it whatever we had and euery other cent we got in the world. i did not trust this winnerton then but cole said it was all right. but I did not think it was all right.

  we done what we done but your husband brung this upon his own self. if he wold haue listen to the letters we sent with winnerton none of it need to haue happen. we are sure sorry for your loss but it had to come that way. all we want was for to be left alone with the child. we got us a whole mountain of judgment on cole mclaurenson and me and i have a baby i am expectin to think of. if they catch us we will get hanged him and me the both. well it is as it is. i had to do it an i am not sorry ony for your pain.

  faithfvlly,

  e. mclavrenson (nee mooney)

  E:Would you please state your full name for the record?

  W:Lucia-Cruz Rodríguez Y Ortega McLelland-O’Keeffe.

  E:May I know your age, if that is not…?

  W:Thirty-three.

  E:You have heard the contents of the document that I have just now read into the record.

  W:Yes

  E:It was addressed to you by the child’s sister, and left at the abandoned mine.

  W:Yes.

  E:You will know that it has been published in many western newspapers.

  W:So I am informed.

  E:Were you at the gubernatorial house at Redemption Falls during the early hours of Christmas morning, 1866?

  W:Yes, I was.

  E:Were you present at approximately three o’clock in the morning when there was an interview between your husband and Captain Allen Winterton?

  W:I was in the room every minute that Captain Winterton was with my husband.

  E:And what did Captain Winterton say, in essence?

  W:He told us that the outlaws had the child in their custody and planned to murder him in a few days. He also said that they had ill-used him. That he had suffered very greatly. That he had begged for my husband to rescue him.

  E:He made no mention of any letter from Eliza Mooney?

  W:None.

  E:Of the boy having a sister?

  W:No mention whatever.

  E:Mrs O’Keeffe; there is unfortunately a certain question I must put to you now.

  W:Yes.

  E:It is not disputed that at one time you enjoyed a friendship with

  Captain Allen Winterton, whom you met at St Mary’s Hospital when you nursed in the War.

  W:That is correct.

  E:And your acquaintance became a closer one over the course of some months.

  W:Yes.

  E:Did you go, in April 1865, to an establishment frequented by soldiers and a certain sort of girl, with the purpose of meeting with Captain Winterton?

  W:Yes.

  E:Why did you do that?

  W:I am sure you can imagine.

  E:For an adulterous purpose.

  W: I suppose that is the phrase, yes.

  E:There was no other place to meet privately and so on.

  W:That is correct.

  E:Did an adultery occur, or anything improper?

  W:Certain familiarities occurred but not the act I think you mean.

  E:Of what nature were these familiarities?

  W:That is not the business of this Tribunal.

  PRESIDINGJUDGE:Do you mean – if I may assist – that Captain Winterton took an advantage of the fact that a fondness, an affection had grown up between you?

  W:He took no advantage whatever. I met him freely, as an equal.

  E:An equal? Surely not? A married woman of your station?

  W:I met him as an equal. And then I ended the friendship. The rest is a private matter.

  E:You have heard Allen Winterton described as a fortune-hunter?

  W:Yes.

  E:A man who would prey on a woman from a wealthy family?

  W:I knew what he was.

  E:You knew?

  W:I suspected, yes.

  E:Then why would you have permitted yourself to be alone with him in such a place?

  W:It is a private matter whom I choose to be alone with, and where, and why.

  E:Between July of 1863, when you met at St Mary’s Hospital in New York, and April 1865, when you departed for the Mountain Territory, were you and Captain Allen Winterton passionate lovers?

  W:No.

  E:You are on oath.

  W:I am aware of it.

  E:And you were not lovers.

  W:That is correct.

  E:But you desired him as a lover? It was your marital situation that stayed you?

  W:My desires, as you term them, are not the business of this Tribunal.

  E:With great respect, Mrs O’Keeffe, it is not a matter of –

  W:It is a matter of my telling you what I have just told you in plain words.

  E:Apart from the occasion to which we have alluded, have physical intimacies taken place between yourself and Captain Allen Winterton?

  W:There was an occasion on which I permitted Captain Winterton to kiss me on the mouth. I suppose that is a physical intimacy.

  E:Have fuller relations occurred between yourself and Captain Winterton?

  W:Lieutenant, I believe I have answered your questions quite adequately, short of drawing for you an explanatory diagram.

  E:At the time of the events we are purposed to investigate, what was the condition of your marriage?

  W:We had experienced certain difficulties. We had hoped to reconcile.

  E:There was a child in Australia. Your husband has not been candid about his past life.

  Presiding Judge:Mrs O’Keeffe, if you would like a glass of water. Or we can adjourn if you are upset.

  [The witness asked a moment to compose her thoughts. She requested to borrow a handkerchief, which was given her by a private soldier.]

  SOLDIER:God bless you, Mrs General. I love him as much as I ever. He will never be dead in any Irish heart.

  [The Soldier was ordered to be silent.]

  E:Mrs O’Keeffe; I ask your indulgence for the final question I am about to put to you. I did not wish to put it, and here I register my objection for the record; but others have thought it germane to the work of this Tribunal. You will understand that I must do my duty.

  W:You may ask it.

  E:Very well. Is the father of the child you are carrying and will bear in a month, Captain Allen Michael Winterton of the United States Corps of Cartography?

  W:No.

  E:Thank you, Mrs O’Keeffe. If there are no further questions?

  [The Presiding Judge expressed the sympathy of the Tribunal to Mrs O’Keeffe, who by now was beyond all comfort. The witness was excused and in distress left the room, accompanied by her sister, Miss Estafanía Maria McLelland. Their brothers, Rodrigo and Alejandro McLelland, were waiting on the steps of the courthouse.

  A large party of the town’s poor people had assembled by the stagecoach, with an honor guard formed by a handful of the Acting Governor’s former soldiers. But other citizens jeered as Mrs O’Keeffe and her family departed Redemption Falls. Some spat, or turned their backs.]

  CHAPTER 77

  THE RIVER

  The facts of his death – From the Commission’s report

  At approximately one o’clock in the morning, Acting Governor James O’Keeffe was asleep in a stateroom on the Federal SteamshipGrant , having consumed a quantity of liquor. The watchman, Nathaniel Field, was patrolling the deck when he observed, by
moonlight, what appeared to be a native canoe approaching with striking haste from upriver. It contained two masked figures. He challenged them to give the password. They made no reply but continued coming on. Field rang the alarm bell on the maindeck.

  James O’Keeffe emerged from the stateroom in a condition of bewildered undress. Others of his posse soon appeared. By now, a second canoe had been sighted near the north bank. The Acting Governor called a warning that he would give the order to fire. A shot came from the second canoe, striking him through the abdomen. His men opened fire on both vessels.

  The Acting Governor conducted himself with no small courage, loosing eight or ten shots from where he lay wounded. He struck at least one member of the outlaw band but the element of surprise was enjoyed by his attackers. He and his men were targeted ruthlessly. John Creed, farmer, was first to die, then Patrick Edward Hannigan and Michael Francis English. Two innocent women, Mrs Jane Mears and her daughter, were struck as they tried to flee. Both died. Governor O’Keeffe was still firing, although close to losing consciousness. Francis Dwyer was next to fall.

  A shot burst a lamp on the hospital shipJohn Gould , causing the wheelhouse to catch fire with ferocious rapidity. Terrible scenes ensued as the unfortunate patients were trapped below collapsing decks. Falling booms and burning spars made rescue impossible, though those manning the hose wagons acted with commendable valor and are hereby exonerated from blame. The fire, alas, illuminated theGrant , making its occupants yet a clearer target for the outlaws.

  By now Governor O’Keeffe had been dragged toward the stateroom by two of his men, Daniel Neyland Moody and Denis Arkins, both of whom would die from their wounds. His wife, understandably terrified, nevertheless was attempting to come to him but he waved her back below decks.

  There was a lull in the shooting. O’Keeffe managed to haul himself partially upright, by dint of gripping onto the railing. He had lost a great deal of blood and was, by some accounts, weeping. It was at this point that a boy, later identified as Jeremiah Mooney, made his way up the ladder to the maindeck. He was bearing a long-blade knife and a Colt repeater. His clothing was drenched with blood. The watchman has testified that O’Keeffe begged the boy for help, but the child raged that the Governor was a murderer. Five other witnesses heard Jeremiah Mooney speak. Reports that he is a mute are incorrect.