USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > The story of the Irish in Boston, together with biographical sketches of representative men and noted women > Part 28
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FITZWILLIAM, EDWARD, editor, born in Riverstown Co., Sligo, Ireland, April 15, 1833. He emigrated, April 7, 1854. His early education was obtained at the National School, Drumfin, and at Leonard's Advanced School, in the land of his birth. At the age of seven- teen years he went to work for his father in a linen and woollen manufactory, and thorough- ly learned the details of the business. After his father's death and the departure of his brother for America, although but eighteen years of age, he continued in the manu- facture of these industries for four years. When he came to this country every fibre of the suit which he wore was " Irish," and made by his own hands. When only nineteen years old, two pieces of tweed man-
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ufactured by him received first and second prizes at the Markree Castle cattle-show. For seventeen years after his arrival in this country he continued in the same line of busi- ness, and worked at Lawrence, Lowell, and Watertown, Mass., for several years, acting as overseer in the AEtna Mills of the latter place. Owing to ill-health he subsequently engaged in the grocery business, which he con- ducted successfully for six years. In Jan- uary, 1885, he published a weekly paper, " The Boston Sentinel," advocating protec- tion to American industry. During the two years which he was editor and publisher he wrote several Irish national songs, a collec- tion of which he subsequently published in pamphlet form. He has been a member of about every Irish national organization from the time of O'Connell to the present date, and is now Massachusetts State Organizer of the Irish National League. In the presiden- tial campaign of 1888 he was an active Irish Republican, and made a number of addresses throughout New York State.
FULLER, JOHN E., reporter, born in East Cambridge, Mass., July 19, 1868. He left school at eighteen years of age, went to work at the Mutual Union Telegraph Co. Sub- sequently he did local work for the Boston " Daily Globe," and is at present employed in the office of the managing editor.
FYNES, JOHN T., reporter for the Boston " Herald," born in Boston, July 23, 1861, and graduated from the Phillips Grammar School in 1874; thence he engaged in mercantile life until 1883, when he joined the " Herald " staff. He has been the dramatic critic for the New York " Clipper " for five years, and occasional correspondent for other New York papers. During the past year, as police court reporter for the Boston "Herald" he has done interesting work, and his humorous style has made the court reports a marked feature for the paper.
HOPKINS, WILLIAM A., news editor, born in Boston, June 26, 1864. He removed to
Ohio when quite young, and attended the Zanesville, Ohio, Latin School and St. Colum- ba's Academy, from both of which he grad- uated. He began newspaper work, after leaving school, as reporter and then city edi- tor of the Zanesville " Daily Times," remain- ing with the paper about five years. He was later the Ohio correspondent of the New York "World " and the Chicago " Times." He was also manager and part owner of the Zanesville "News." In 1884 he was elected the first secretary of the Jefferson Club, a Democratic organization taking an active part in Ohio politics. In January, 1888, he became employed by the Boston " Globe," as news editor, where he is now engaged.
KEENAN, THOMAS F., journalist, and as a widely experienced and as an efficient all- round newspaper writer is unexcelled. He was born in Boston in 1854; attended the May- hew Grammar and English High schools, and entered the employ of the Boston "Daily Ad- vertiser " (in the editorial department), as office-boy, in 1869. In 1870 and '71 he was employed in reportorial work, latterly as night local reporter. From 1872 to 1885 he was a reporter on the Boston " Herald," doing efficient service in every department of the journalistic field. In 1885 he joined the Boston "Daily Globe" staff. For many years he has been prominently identified with politics, but not until 1887 did he allow himself to be a candidate for public office. That year he was elected to the Boston Common Council, and was reelected by a handsome majority in 1888. In the city governments of '88 and '89 he served on many of the most important standing and special committees,-Finance, Public Library, Police; also Special Committee on University Course of Education, Resident and Non- resident City and County Employés, Sheridan Eulogy, monuments to Grant, Sheridan, and Farragut, and Charles-river Navigation. The effort to give city laborers permanent em- ployment, and which resulted in the famous deadlock of two months over the annual appropriation bill of 1888, was due to his
Thirst Seryan
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energy. The special commission appointed by Mayor Hart to consider a more equitable standard or basis of taxes was the result of Mr. Keenan's efforts. The tablets which the city has ordered to be erected at Charles- town on June 17, 1889, in commemoration of the American patriots who died at the battle of Bunker Hill, are also mementoes of his untiring energy and patriotism. He has been identified with much other useful municipal legislation. Mr. Keenan is a Democrat in the broadest sense.
KELLEY, JOHN W., reporter, born in Ire- land, May 4, 1859. He came to America in 1865, landing in New York City. He lived there two years and then removed to Somer- ville, Mass., where he now resides with his parents. He was educated in the public schools, and graduated from the Somerville High School in the class of 1876. In the fall of that year he entered Ottawa University, Ottawa, Canada, remaining two years. He afterward took a two-years course at Boston College, graduating in the Class of 1880. He subsequently attended the Grand Seminary, Montreal, Canada, to study for the priesthood, where he remained till the summer of 1882. By the suggestion of the director of the latter institution, he took, the next year fol- lowing, worldly pursuits, to test his vocation. During his outside experience he began writ- ing short stories and sketches for magazines and weekly story-papers. The work was so fascinating to him that he continued it, and finally branched into regular newspaper work. He was engaged on the Boston " Post " in the latter part of 1882, and a few months later on the Boston " Globe." In the beginning of 1883 he decided to adopt journalism as a profession. In the latter part of the same year he assumed the position of City Editor of the Cambridge "Tribune," continuing also his special work on the "Post " and " Globe." In 1885-'86-'87 he reported the news of Cambridge for the "Globe," " Ad- vertiser," " Record," and " Post," in addition to his duties on the "Tribune." He is now attached to the "Globe " only, preferring to
give more time to story-writing. He has done some good work while on the staff of the latter paper, but by choice does not sign his articles.
KENNEY, WILLIAM F., day editor of the Boston "Daily Globe," born in Woburn, Mass., of Irish parents, June 7, 1861, and was educated in the public schools of the town. He graduated from the Woburn Grammar School in 1876, and the High School in the Class of 1880. He afterward took a course in elocution and English at Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College. He first began newspaper-work in his native place as a correspondent for the Boston "Globe." As a news-gatherer he was ener- getic, reliable, bright, and popular with the townspeople, and was a valuable represent- ative for the paper. His services were duly rewarded by the management of the "Globe," by tendering him a position upon the staff of that paper. After a service of three years in various departments at the Boston office he was promoted to the position of day news editor in charge of the evening edition of the "Globe," the position which he now fills in a creditable manner. In addition to his regular work he is also correspondent for several journals, and is the special Boston correspondent for the New York "Evening World." In Wo- burn, where he still resides, he is very popular, and has lately been honored with positions of municipal management. Though a Dem- ocrat in politics, he was nominated by both parties in 1885 as a member of the School Committee, and was elected by the largest vote ever cast in Woburn for any one candi- date, and was reëlected for three years to the same position. He is also chairman of the Evening School Committee, and has been untiring in his labors to advance the efficiency of the evening schools. He is one of the prominent young Democrats of Middlesex County, and in the congres- sional contests of 1884 and 1886 he was secretary of the Fifth District Democratic Congressional Committee. In 1889 he was
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elected the auditor of the Woburn School Board.
KENNIFF, DANIEL J., journalist, born in Boston, Oct. 7, 1861. He attended the Quincy Grammar School, Evening High School, Allen Stenographic Institute, and also supplemented his education by a course of home study. In 1874, at the age of thirteen, he became employed as a cash-boy in a large dry-goods store, where he worked for several years in different capacities. He afterwards studied law for a year, but was finally com- pelled to deprive himself of a course at the law school. From October, 1883, for almost a year, he was connected with the " Journal of Education." In September, 1884, he accepted a position as private secretary to Geo. H. Ellis, publisher of the "Daily Advertiser " and " Evening Record." In December, 1884, he was appointed manager of one of the business departments, which he held until the reorganization of the "Daily Advertiser " Corporation in 1886. He then joined the staff, and for some time thereafter did creditable work as a writer. He has re- cently acted as a special newspaper corre- spondent, in addition to being engaged in other literary enterprises. At the municipal election in December, 1886, he was a regular Democratic nominee in Ward 8 for the Com- mon Council, and received the largest num- ber of strictly Democratic votes cast for any one candidate. He was appointed a justice of the peace by Gov. Robinson on May 5, 1886; is an active member of the Boston Press Club, and a life member of both the Boston Young Men's Christian Union and St. Joseph's Young Men's Catholic Associa- tion.
LEAHY, WILLIAM AUGUSTINE, author, born in Boston, Mass., July 18, 1867. He is a graduate of the Lawrence Grammar School, Boston Latin School, and Harvard Univer- sity. He is a young man of much promise, and has contributed much creditable work to "Scribner's Magazine," the "Harvard Monthly," and the "Harvard Advocate."
His latest and best literary production is a poetical drania, "The Siege of Syracuse." He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the O. K. Society, the Mermaid Club, and the Harvard Monthly, all of Harvard University.
Low, JOHN, reporter, born in Boston,. Feb. 20, 1852, and was the second son of James and Mary Low, who emigrated from the County Limerick, Ireland, in 1849. He at- tended the Eliot School until ten years of age, and moved with his parents to Illinois, where he attended the district schools during the winter months. In 1871 he returned to this State, and settled in Wakefield, where he worked in the rattan factory for two years. In 1874 he graduated from the Union Busi- ness College in Boston, and later kept books. In 1877 he became connected with the Bos- ton " Daily Globe " as reporter, covering Mal- den and several other towns. His home is in Wakefield, where he has a wife and three daughters.
LOWE, ALLAN, journalist, was born in Ramhill, Lancashire, Eng., Aug. 28, 1858. His father was a County Fermanagh man, and his mother was born in Donegal. He was educated at Portora Royal School in Enniskillen, and at the early age of thirteen years did his first newspaper work on the Fermanagh "Times," a weekly, started by his father in Enniskillen. He came to Boston when fifteen years old, and started in to learn the newspaper business at the bottom. He picked up type for a year, and then went to Montreal, where he at once became police reporter on the Mon- treal " Gazette." He showed aptitude in the business, and Alick P. Lowry, city editor of the Toronto " Mail," sent for him to join the staff of that paper. He was given sporting work to do, and for thirteen years has done very little other work. He wrote the fullest and most graphic accounts of lacrosse matches ever published in Canada. Since that time he has been all over the country, and has owned a weekly
WILLIAM F. KENNEY.
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paper, and been engaged in many business ventures. He is the "horseman " of the "Globe." He joined that paper last July, and has done special work for that jour- nal.
MACKIN, RICHARD J., newspaper corre- spondent, born in Dorchester, Mass., Dec. 23, 1865. He graduated from the Mather School in 1880, attended the Dorchester High School for two years, and graduated from Boston College in 1887. He entered the Harvard Medical School last fall, where he is at present studying medicine. He began his first newspaper work a year ago as Boston College correspondent for the " Globe," and is now the Dorchester representative of that paper.
MAGENNIS, MARGARET J., for the past fourteen years connected with the Boston " Evening Traveller," is the widow of a farmer of county Down, Ireland, and daughter of a Belfast merchant. Being left a widow in early womanhood in the city of Cincinnati, O., while she and her husband were travelling, she was soon thrown upon her own resources, and naturally gravitated towards journalism. She shortly afterwards became a correspondent for several papers, among them the "Banner of Ulster," Belfast " Morning News," and " Caledonia Mercury," a Scotch paper. About twenty years ago her first contribution to a Boston paper appeared in the " Watchman " (the " Watchman and Reflector "), to which she still occasionally contributes; subsequently to the " Youth's Companion " and other papers. Since her connection with the "Traveller" she has done every kind of work which generally falls to the lot of newspaper women. For ten or twelve years she has daily reported the doings of one of the municipal dis- trict courts. This brought her into commu- nication with various charitable and criminal institutions, for which she has done a vast deal of gratuitous charitable work of widely appreciated value ; for example, the well- known kindergarten of South Boston owes
its origin to the early efforts of Mrs. Magen- nis in its behalf, and the first Protestant Sunday-school in the Marcella-street Home is due to the initiative taken by her; also the Loyal Temperance Legion at the same place. To these might be added the Home for Aged Couples, the Working Girls' Home, and the Free Home for Aged Women. The latter institution is indebted to this charitable lady for appeals through the press, and for start- ing a fair in the Phillips Church, South Bos- ton, and two in Boston, in its behalf. She is always glad to aid a needy person when it is in her power. No discrimination is made as to race, color, or religion. She is an offi- cer of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and in that capacity visits the penal institutions and almshouses. Her efforts are now being directed towards procuring a tem- porary asylum for discharged prisoners, where they could stop during the time be- tween their release from prison and finding employment, believing, as she does, that in many cases permanent reformation would be likely to follow. She is an honorary member of the Woman's Relief Corps, G.A.R .; has always been faithful and sincere in her char- itable work, and is a typical representative of a generous, kind-hearted woman. Mrs. Magennis is a descendant of a long line of sturdy Presbyterians.
MAGUIRE, THOMAS, journalist, born in mid-ocean while his parents were making the passage in a sailing-vessel from Ireland to America in 1841. He died of pneumonia in the Charlestown District, Mass., Oct. 22, 1884. Soon after arrival in this country, Mr. Maguire's father died, and Mrs. Maguire located in Hinsdale, Berkshire County, Mass., where young Tom attended school and acquired the common education with which he began his journalistic career some years later. Ilis genial disposition made him a great favorite with railroad people, and he eventually cast lines with them, becoming a water-boy and subsequently a brakeman on the Western Railroad, which has since been merged into the Boston & Worcester,
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under the general name of the Boston & Albany. In addition to his other work, Tom contributed news paragraphs to the columns of the Springfield " Republican," and became a great favorite of the elder Bowles, who gave him a position as a reporter on that paper. He served a successful apprenticeship with the " Republican," contributed to the New - York " Herald," and subsequently came to Boston, where he secured a place on the Boston "Journal," " covering " the Massa- chusetts work for the New York " Herald " as well. While with the "Journal " his work was " general," but for several years he was the reporter of legislative proceedings in one or the other of the two branches of the State government. In his earlier career as a journalist he had a happy faculty of making hosts of friends, who were always glad to see him and to favor him in every way, and he was well known in every State in New Eng- land and in the large cities of Canada and the Provinces. His qualities as a news- gatherer and correspondent were as peculiar as his methods were unique. Early practice at the keyboard of the telegraph-office in Hins- dale made him very valuable in emergencies calling for an operator to take the place of the then imperfectly educated telegraphers of country towns and villages. He possessed a rare fund of mother-wit, and his easy manners, love of humor, and willingness to serve made him warm friends everywhere. He was a daring war correspondent while the Rebellion was in progress. On the occasion of the Fenian raid into Canada, in 1866, Tom was at the front for the " Journal " and two years later he was again in Canada with the " Irish Revolutionary Army," having meanwhile left the "Journal " and become New England correspondent for the New York " Herald." On the second raid his despatches were sent from all points between St. Armand and Prout River in Canada and St. Albans, Vt., and Malone, N.Y., on the American side. Tom's greatest achievement, which brought him into prominence, was connected with the loss of the White Star steamship "Atlantic " on the coast of Nova Scotia, about eighteen years
ago. On learning of the disaster, he started by special train for Halifax, and on arriving there chartered the only steamer that could be obtained and went to the wreck. In that way he recovered over one hundred bodies; and those, with many others recovered of the five hundred and sixty-two lost, were claimed by their friends solely through the complete and systematic description of the dead that Mr. Maguire gave to the public in his long despatches to his paper. Owing to the condition of the roads along the coast at the time, the wreck could not be reached except by boat; and, as Mr. Maguire had chartered the only available one, he was monarch of the field, leaving his fellow-corre- spondents unable to get any nearer the scene of the accident than Halifax, a distance of thirty miles. The latter were forced to stand about on the Halifax wharves and pick up meagre items, while Mr. Maguire sailed up in his steamer just from the wreck, and tele- graphed column after column of the last particulars. It made Mr. Maguire a hero, and called forth the admiration of a score or more of New York and Boston corre- spondents, who were out-generalled by his enterprise. Doubts were expressed on all sides about his ability to stay so long and do so much work under water, and many pro- fessional divers declared that no expert could remain under the water and accomplish so much as the New York " Herald " novice claimed to have done.
Two days of newspaper war ensued on the subject, when Mr. Maguire received a per- emptory order by telegraph from Mr. James Gordon Bennett directing him to " go down in the bell again." He obeyed, and the "Herald" had another description of scenes witnessed in the second exploration of the wreck, and the vividness of the portrayal was even more shocking than the first. Tom had but few equals in the gathering, preparation, and dis- semination of news, and his clever feats attracted the attention of the leading news- paper men of his day, among whom was Colonel Rogers, of the Boston "Journal," who secured his services, and Tom proved a
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THOMAS MAGUIRE, JOURNALIST.
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fitting co-laborer to the then veteran Dave Leavitt, who at that time was in the zenith of his fame. At the opening of hostilities, in 1861, Tom Maguire (as he loved to be called) happened to be in New York State, and was sent to West Point to look after a meeting between General Wool l and President Lincoln, touching matters concerning the war. While the President pared a trouble- some corn with a razor belonging to General Wool, the whole situation was discussed, and the order for the first call for troops was drawn up by the general and immediately signed by the President. The New York " Herald" the next morning published an " exclusive " sent by Tom which astounded the world. In 1861 and 1862 he was with the Army of the Potomac as correspondent of the Boston " Journal," and spent much time at Acquia Creek, the depot of supplies, as well as at army headquarters. He was intimately associated with the leading gen- erals, and had the confidence of all who knew him, - officers and soldiers alike. He often risked his life by wandering within the rebel lines, but escaped all harm. He re- turned home in 1864 and resumed his labors on the Boston " Journal," but later became associated with the New York "Herald." While serving on the staff of the " Herald," in 1868 or thereabouts, he accompanied Prince Arthur in the latter's tour from Hali- fax throughout the country. He acted as secretary and agent for Patrick S. Gilmore during the World's Peace Jubilee, and Mr. Gilmore was so impressed by his genius and accomplishments as a writer that he com- posed and dedicated a piece of music to him. In 1870 Mr. Maguire executed a piece of fine work for the "Herald " in connection with the " Mill River Disaster." He accompanied the Duke Alexis, the son of the "Czar of all the Russias," in the latter's trip through- out the country, during which Tom especially distinguished himself on behalf of the New York " Herald." On reaching St. Louis, some sixty-eight correspondents were on hand, representing as many different journals, to accompany the Duke on the grand buffalo
hunt which had been arranged in his honor by General Phil. Sheridan. At the last moment Sheridan decided that it would be impossible to take all the correspondents with the party by reason of lack of horses for transportation, and to be impartial, the general decided to have none of them go. He proposed to furnish an epitome of each day's sport for all the papers, and that settled it to all appearances for the poor correspondents, many of whom had travelled hundreds of miles to describe the antics of a live prince hunting down a live buffalo. Tom, however, was dissatisfied, and felt chagrined at having to return to New York with a report of his failure. He cogitated, soon saw his way clear, and in the most secret manner offered himself to Sheridan as a telegraph operator who might be wanted to assist in getting the re- port of each day's hunt through to the papers. This was done unknown to his associates, and he accompanied the party, which was headed by the lamented Custer, with whom Tom was on the best of terms, the result of a friendship formed on the battle-fields of Virginia. Tom did his duty as an operator to perfection, and the New York "Herald" printed a whole page of matter each day descriptive of the sport, which, when Sheridan discovered, angered him against Tom, as much as he ad- mired his skill in outwitting him. In 1872 Tom Maguire again distinguished himself during the big fire in Boston, and he made a hit in his description of President Grant's trip to the Vineyard and Cape in 1874. " Old." Grant and Tom were as fast friends as if brought up together at West Point. In connection with the centennial celebration of the battles of Lexington and Concord, in 1875, Tom made another "big hit " by pre- paring the matter for a special edition of the New York " Herald," which was sold all over New England during the day of the celebration. This issue of the New York " Herald " embraced an historical sketch of the battles from the pens of the late Ralph Waldo Emerson and other prominent men of the time, direct descendants of the patriots who met the British soldiery. Tom came in
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