Hogan

“ Hogan. He has a good deal of money, though he doesn’t look it.”
“Thin it’s a fool he is to live as he does, whin he might live like a gintleman.”
“He will never live differently. When he dies it will go to his son, who will get through with it in short order.”
Then Mrs. Hogan told Paul about the visit of Ellen Barclay, and her discovering a relation in old Jerry.
“I wish she might have some of the money. Shure, she nades it with her young children.”
“I would much rather she would have it than his son, who is a ruffian and a burglar.” ”

“ Meanwhile Hogan, with the precious nugget in his possession, hurried forward with feverish haste. The night was dark and the country was broken. From time to time he stumbled over some obstacle, the root of a tree or something similar, and this made his journey more arduous.
“I wish it was light,” he muttered.
Then he revoked his wish. In the darkness and obscurity lay his hopes of escape.
“I’d give half this nugget if I was safe in San Francisco,” he said to himself. ”

“ Hogan couldna stand the kind word at all, but must be flinging out his coortships at me—against both the law and the gospel—saving your magistrate's presence. 'And what would ye be after, Misther Hogan?' says I—'Don't you know I'm the mother of my husband's childer any time these thirteen long years—and himself coming in every minute may be, Misther Hogan!' says I. 'Gad's blood! Misthress [Pg 304] O'Reilly,' says he, 'to the devil I will pitch him, for myself can't do without ye any longer at all!' and down on his knees he went to me at that time, mighty queer ”

“ From the time of Eliza's departure, a great change came over Hogan. He grew so gloomy and irritable, that those with whom he had formerly been a favourite began gradually to shrink from him. Few will take misery as an excuse for broken spirits, and all steal away from the stricken one—
As the ancients shunned the token
Of a lightning-blasted tree.
But there was one who never avoided Hogan. Mary Conlan was often by his side, always ready with smiles and cheering words. She never alluded to his grief; but he saw by her actions and her sympathetic eyes how she felt for him in his sorrow. ”

“ His pursuers came to the precipice, looked over, and said that they had made Hogan do something they had intended to do, and that was, to take his own life, as they supposed no human being could make the leap and live. After cutting his saddle and bridle to pieces, they turned his horse loose, and reported that Hogan was killed. Hogan traveled around under the bluff for about two miles, made his way home, wound up his business, sold his farm, and moved into Fulton county, Arkansas, which ended the trouble between them. ”

“ This was Michael Hogan, a famous navigator, in his early life in all parts of the world and who came to New York early in the last century. He divided his property, calling the southern portion Monte Alta and the upper part Claremont. Hogan was a native of County Clare, Ireland, and the name was in honor of his birthplace, although the statement has been made that Hogan named it in honor of the royal residence in Surrey of Prince William, Duke of Clarence, afterward King William IV., and with whom the merchant had served as midshipman in the Royal Navy. ”

“ Hogan’s sarcasm was forced to laugh, too. Then, greatly to the relief of all present, the unwelcome visitor left the house.
“Shure, I pity you, Mrs. Barclay,” said Mrs. Hogan, sympathetically, “for havin’ such a husband as that. What made you marry him?”
“Because I thought him a different man, but the delusion didn’t last long. Before three months had passed I found that he had married me for a few hundred dollars left me by my aunt. When he had spent them, he treated me with neglect.”
“Shure’s it’s the way wid the men!”
“I hope not with all of them, Mrs. Hogan,” said Paul, smiling. ”

“ Hogan said. “He never liked Soldier much.”
“No. He don’t like many people.”
“He’s a pretty cold one,” Hogan said.
“Well, he’s always been fine to me.”
“Me too,” Hogan said. “I got no kick on him. He’s a cold one, though.”
Hogan went in through the screen door and I sat there on the porch and read the papers. It was just starting to get fall weather and it’s nice country there in Jersey, up in the hills, and after I read the paper through I sat there and looked out at the country and the road down below against the woods with cars going along it, lifting the dust up. ”

“ Hogan's father settled in Cork, and in 1814 placed him in a solicitor's office, which he left on obtaining an engagement from an architect as a draughtsman and carver of models. Hogan carefully studied a collection of casts formed under the direction of Canova from antique statues at Rome, which had been presented to a Cork institution. After working at an anatomy school and executing several wood carvings, Hogan was in 1824 sent at the expense of friends to Rome to complete his art education. ”

“ He fought Tom Allen at Omaha, sported at Saratoga and in 1872 ran “The Floating Palace”—a boat laden with harlots and whiskey—at Parker. The weather growing too cold and the law too hot for comfort, he opened a den and built an opera-house at Petrolia. In “Hogan’s Castle” many a clever young man learned the short-cut to disgrace and perdition. Now and then a frail girl met a sad fate, but the carnival of debauchery went on without interruption. Hogan put on airs, dressed in the loudest style and would have been the burgess had not the election-board counted him out! ”

“ Hogan never received promotion in the corps, as he was unqualified for command; and being discharged, on the usual pension in January, 1845, soon afterwards emigrated to South Australia.
An anecdote, which is unique in its way, may be added of this good easy man. At Trinity College, Dublin, he had gained prizes as an artist, but when he enlisted, was as ignorant of the use of fire-arms as a child. Having fired blank cartridge in the usual routine of drill, he was considered to be ripe enough to enter upon the more advanced stage of firing ball. ”

“ The blokes come in from near and far To sample Hogan's pop; They reckon once they breast the bar They stay there till they drop. On Sundays you can see them spread Like flies around the tap. It's like that song “The Livin' Dead” Up there at Hogan's Gap. They like to make it pretty strong Whenever there's a charnce; So when a stranger comes along They always holds a darnce. There's recitations, songs, and fights— A willin' lot you'll meet. There's one long bloke up there recites, I tell you—he's a treat. They're lively blokes all right up there, It's never dull a day. ”

“ As they left the house, and poor Hogan, looking over the banisters up-stairs, broke into an Irish wail of grief, and the corporal of the guard instinctively brought his left hand up to the shoulder in a salute that made his musket ring, a casual observer would [Pg 339] have said that Mr. Ray was showing his visitors to their carriage. The door shut with a snap, the horses started with a crack of the whip, and in another moment the silent quartette were whirled away through the east gate before anybody "up the row" was fully aware of what was going on. ”

“ And, after a lotta looking he finds this clipping in the old file of the newspaper and being as the guy’s address and that of the kids what helped get Hogan is alike we figures we kin get a clear picture at the guy’s home. ”

“ The field of operation was the city of Baltimore, to which place the cracksmen, in company with Ben, made their way.
In the week which Hogan spent at the Utah House, he thought over the business which had brought him to Baltimore seriously and carefully. He reasoned with himself that all these men were bound to bring up sooner or later in prison or on the gallows, and he reached the determination that he would have nothing to do with the business. Hardened as he was, and elastic as his conscience may have been, he was not prepared to assist in robbery. ”

“ Mr. Hogan was born at La Tortue, near Laprairie, on the 12th of April, 1820, and was a son of Nicholas Hogan, who served in the British army in the Peninsular war and at Waterloo under the [155] Duke of Wellington. He was engaged in the woolen manufacturing business in Manchester, England, and upon coming to Canada established a mill at La Tortue. He met his death from drowning, the result of the giving way of the rail on a boat, which precipitated him into the St. Lawrence river. He was survived by a widow and several children. ”

“ The presence of these newly acquired treasures of ancient art, which consisted of one hundred and fifteen subjects selected by Canova, and cast under his direction, kindled a flame in Mr Hogan’s mind never to be extinguished but with life, and he immediately applied himself to their study with his whole heart and soul. ”

“ They sat together on the veranda of the bachelor house, while John Hogan, the sleuths, the story-teller and some other bachelors sat huddled together awaiting the outcome. All believed that Bill would give the woman up, except John Hogan. He knew men, and, as he predicted, Higgins’ revelation made Bill more determined than ever to become attached to the lady by the bonds of holy wedlock. ”

“ He described Hogan as well as he could.
“That’s the man,” said Rafferty. “I wouldn’t peach if he hadn’t served me such a mean trick. What’s his name?”
“His name is Hogan. He came over on the same steamer with me, after robbing me of fifty dollars in New York. He has been at the mines, but didn’t make out well. This very afternoon I gave him supper—all he could eat—and charged him nothing for it. He repays me by planning a robbery.”
“He’s a mean skunk,” said Watson bluntly. ”

“ The sight of a human being made her heart throb more quickly for a moment; but on approaching nearer, with all her faculties sharpened by the sense of danger, she perceived that it was no old woman, but the younger Hogan, the murderer of Halloran, who was thus disguised. His face was partly concealed by a blue handkerchief tied round his head and under his chin, but she knew him by the peculiar and hideous expression of his eyes: yet with amazing and almost incredible self-possession, she continued to advance without manifesting the least alarm, or sign of recognition ”

“ He closed in and they stood toe to toe and slugged, but it was a cinch to see King had all the advantage of it and that Hogan was tiring rapidly.
With encouraging shouts from the gallery who overlooked the fact that Hogan was one of them, King tore loose and prepared to administer a final pasting. With his left he jabbed the groggy Hogan off so he could measure him and unleashed a mattress wallop.
“That's pretty!” Ottie roared above the tumult. “The old right now and take your time, kid! Measure him and then straight to the button. Let her go!” ”

“ It was too early for the ladies. Ray fretted and worried, wondering what this new move could portend, when he heard a row in the back-yard; and in came Hogan, full of fight and wrath.
"There's a doughboy sergeant out there, sir, as says he's ordered to take Dandy to the quartermaster's stables, an' I told him to go to blazes, an' whin he shtepped by me an' into the paddock an' began untyin' him, I told him he had a right to shpake to you furrst, an' he said he'd slap me into the gyard-house if [Pg 301] I gave him any lip, and I turned the kay on him, sir, an' here it is. ”

“ The latter asked him if he had given up boxing, to which Ben answered that he had. Allen and Hogan drove out together to Mollie M‘Cool’s, opened a number of bottles of champagne, and drank to one another’s health—or rather Allen did most of the drinking, and Ben settled the bill.
Notwithstanding Hogan’s assertion that he had given up boxing, he was as anxious as ever to arrange a match with Allen. He offered Jack Looney fifty dollars if he would bring about such a contest. Here the matter rested for the time being, and after having a high time in St. Louis, Ben pushed on to Hot Springs. ”

“ Th' minyit 'twas over with th' pome 'twas off with Scanlan. Th' soord wint into him, an' he sunk down to th' flure; an' they had to carry him off. Well, sir, Hogan was that proud ye cudden't hold him f'r th' rest iv th' night. He wint around ivrywhere stickin' people an' soakin' thim with pothry. He's a gr-reat pote is this here Hogan, an' a gr-reat fighter. He done thim all at both; but, like me ol' frind Jawn L., he come to th' end. A man dhropped a two-be-four on his head wan day, an' he died. ”

“ Later still he became a member of the Irish Party in the House of Commons.
In connection with Breslin's narrow escape, the sequel, as regards our friend Hogan, is worth relating. Those who ever met William Hogan will agree with me that a more warm-hearted and enthusiastic Irishman never lived. He was a good-looking man, of imposing presence—a director of an Insurance Company, for which he was also the resident manager in Birmingham. Living in that town, he was of great assistance to the various agents entrusted with the task of procuring arms for the revolutionary movement. ”

“ Ben and the landlord divided the stakes, and Hogan left Little Falls seventy-five dollars ahead, in spite of the unfortunate boxing contest.
The ups and downs of an adventurer’s life found an illustration in the journey to Syracuse. A couple of railroad sharpers, who made a living by betting on sure things, came up to Ben on the train, and told him they had a chance to bleed a “sucker,” but they needed a little ready money to do it. Would Ben go them two hundred or two hundred and fifty dollars for about half an hour? They would stand in with him evenly for all they made. ”