On St. Patrick’s Day, law student speaks about trials of Irish coal miners in Pa.

‘ ‘ ‘ Hal Smith’s St. Patrick’s Day did not involve reveling in green and drinking Guinness. ‘… ‘ ‘ ‘ Hal Smith’s St. Patrick’s Day did not involve reveling in green and drinking Guinness. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Instead, this Pitt Law School student delivered a sobering presentation in the William Pitt Union on Tuesday about a dark time in Pennsylvania history. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ On June 21, 1877, 10 Irish immigrant coal miners were executed in Western Pennsylvania after being charged with conspiracy to commit murder, said Smith. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Each of these men were alleged members of the ‘Molly Maguires,’ a secret group of Irish coal miners who joined together to fight against their unjust working conditions. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Mollies originated in Ireland after English landlords denied them the right to own property and restricted other land usage. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ After immigrating to the United States and again facing nationalistic persecution at the hands of the Welsh and English mine owners, the Mollies began to fight back. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ A series of fires, assaults and murders plagued Pennsylvania throughout the late 19th century, said Smith, but it was the corrupt legal system that has gained notoriety in history. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The trials violated constitutional norms,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ One man was convicted even though the Two Term Act barred multiple arrests on the same offense, and a strong prejudice existed among the jurors. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The punishment was the cruelest injustice, he said. Smith explained that all of the men were hanged, but the drops were too short to break necks. The men suffered for nearly 10 minutes before dying. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘There is reasonable doubt that the Mollies were responsible for all the crimes in Pennsylvania,’ said Smith. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ However, even if they were not innocent, they were subjected ‘to cruel and unusual punishment,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ More than 100 years have passed since the Mollies’ trials. Dozens more Irish immigrants were executed, but the government has since sought to make amends. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Former Pennsylvania Gov. Milton Shapp pardoned John Kehoe, one of the convicted Mollies, in 1979. Recently state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Penn Hills, sponsored a resolution that recognized the violations of due process in the trials, said Smith.