Ultimately, on Christmas Eve, when the prisoner was again brought before
the stipendiary magistrate, Mr. Raffles, a very just and high-minded
man, Dr. Commins, barrister, acting for Forrester, claimed that no
charge, but a mere matter of suspicion, being forthcoming against him,
the bail offered should be accepted. The magistrate agreed to accept two
sureties of £100 each, "to keep the peace for one year," and Arthur
Forrester was released.

It is interesting to know that while one of the bails was William
Russell, a patriotic Irishman, having an extensive business, the other
was Arthur Doran, a wholesale newsagent. He was a decent Irishman, of
Liverpool birth, who took no part in politics. He had been induced to go
bail by one of the greatest scoundrels Ireland ever produced--Richard
Pigott, Doran being an agent for Pigott's papers, the "Irishman" and
"Flag of Ireland." Let this one good act, at all events, be put down to
Pigott's credit.

To return to Forrester. After such a close shave as he had in
Liverpool, with the eyes of the police now upon him, his occupation was
gone, and Michael Davitt took up the work. I am afraid that Davitt's
visit to Liverpool on this occasion brought him under the notice of the
police, and may probably have led to his arrest a few months afterwards.

This took place on May 14th, 1870, at Paddington Station, London, with
him being arrested also John Wilson, a Birmingham gunsmith. Davitt had
£150 in his possession, and Wilson had fifty revolvers, it being
suggested that the gunsmith was about to deliver the weapons in exchange
for the money. So far--Davitt having a hawker's licence, as in the case
of Forrester--this would have been perfectly legitimate. What was wanted