1 Perhaps if you know
anything definite of
"Crowley" you will let me know. His people
would be pleased to know something definite
about him. All here are very pleased at your release
and all hope you will be able to
keep the flag flying. Yours very sincerely D.C. The Grange
Acton Trussell
Nr. Stafford 9 Aug. 1916 Dear Jim, Thanks very much for
your letter. I had already heard
from Fr. Moore that you had been
released and was glad to hear it.
Fr. Moore told me that of the
Stafford contingent only about
100 remained in internment, all
the others having been released.
I hope this is not an exaggeration
but it seems too good to be true;
though it is evident a large
number have been set free. Is there no possibility of any 2 public agitation in Ireland for
a general amnesty? They hanged Casement alright,
though most of us expected they
would not have had the pluck
to do so. That they all had the wish
we knew. Still I have no doubt
he was quite prepared to die
and the failure of the reprieve
petitions did not worry him
much. The most disgraceful
thing about the whole affair
was the inspired attempt on
the part of a section of the press
to blacken his character. We were treated to all sorts
of hints as to the horrible life
of vice he had led as shown
by his entries in his diaries, etc. 3 Even The TImes was moved to
protest against it as being
generally disgraceful and un-English. Is there any movement a foot
to subscribe Ginnell's price. I
think it would be great to
organise a penny subscription
and I have no doubt the
necessary 24,000 pennies would
be forthcoming. It would probably
make the authorities regret they
had interfered. And after all
we would have reason to thank

the Stafford Commandant. By the way, did you know
of any man named Crowley
connected with the Sinn Fein movement. 4 in Dublin. If there was such a person
you would of course know of him
My reason for inquiries is that
These are some friends of mine of that
name in the South of Ireland —
formerly they lived in Banteer now
at Rathmore. Several of them have
been at Siemans one in particular
called by the family He was
rather a mild case and left Stafford
some years ago. Very little has been
heard of him since but of late there
had been rumours that he was
acting as a sort of go-between for
the Volunteers & the Irish Americans or
at any rate in some such capacity.
In fact the day you were leaving Stafford
one of them to whom I was speaking at
the carriage window on learning I was
from Co. Cork Exclaimed 'Oh your friend
Crowley got away alright'. I had
not time to question him better.
Of course the expression "your friend" was
just a phrase and only a wee coincidence