Daily Chronicle

The Daily Chronicle had the widest circulation of any daily newspaper in London.

According to the covecollective.com entry: The Daily Chronicle Becomes a National Daily:

… the newspaper reported broad coverage, art criticism, literature, theatre and the perspectives of plain spoken people, such as John O’Connor Power … a radical Liberal national newspaper, the views expressed often aligned with those of the Labour party.

O’Connor Power was its influential leader writer. He was a strong proponent of Home Rule and prison reform.

See That Irishman, pps. 177-182

Daily Chronicle, October 8, 9, 1891.

The Daily Chronicle, the Liberal newspaper of record, gave extensive coverage to the death of Parnell. In the October 8 edition, page five, an obituary, attributed to O’Connor Power,* described his last days. On Thursday Parnell returned from Ireland. He had caught a severe chill and died in intense pain on the following Tuesday. He had ‘not enjoyed robust health for more than ten years’.

Parnell had a scientific bent and a great interest in metallurgy, geology and astronomy. He had mines and quarries on his land in Avondale, County Wicklow and believed in the importance of developing the mineral resources of Ireland.

Other contributers added personal reminiscences and details

At a recent speaking engagement in Creggs, County Galway, Parnell had a severe pain in his left arm and wore a sling. A smoker and a drinker for many years, he had suffered from chronic dyspepsia and cancer of the stomach. He was prone to ‘extreme nervous depression and melancholy.’ He was a medicine-taker. In the last twelve months he had become ‘perceptibly thinner’.

The Chronicle provided memoirs, sketches and reports from Ireland, Rome, Paris, Berlin and the major cities of North America.

Parnell’s mother held Michael Davitt responsible for his death: ‘It is Davitt and the Irish World‘s persecution …’

‘His political course has been one of slow suicide.’

*See That Irishman, Part Five, Daily Chronicle, p. 179

13th December 1892

The Daily Graphic, Thursday 15th December 1892, devoted its front page to the Johnson Club’s commemorative supper at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese tavern off Fleet Street.

Tuesday 13 December was the 108th anniversary of Dr Johnson’s death. A brief text relates, ‘The rules of the club do not admit of any reporter being present at their meetings, but our artist was permitted to record as much as he could see through the smoke over the punch bowl.’

The presiding Prior claimed there was no record of Dr Johnson visiting the Cheshire Cheese, ‘but an eloquent gentleman present, an Irish ex-M.P., pointed out that when Dr. Johnson acted on his famous suggestion, “Let us take a walk down Fleet Street”, the Cheshire Cheese must of necessity have been included among his places of call.’

The detailed illustration depicts a candle-lit, smoke-filled room. A portrait of Dr Johnson on the far wall, the steak pudding encased in a huge basin, the claret punch bowl with its long-tailed silver spoon and the steaming thick glasses enhance the mood. Some of the Brethren, a band of brothers, are smoking the traditional eighteenth century churchwarden long clay pipes.

There were thirty-one members in the club. Just fifteen have been sketched and named. A E Fletcher, editor of the Daily Chronicle, the leading Liberal newspaper, presides at the head of the table. Mr Augustine Birrell, Ireland’s Chief Secretary (1907-1916), and Mr John O’Connor (Long John six foot six of treason felony), a leading member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, are flanking and almost aligned with a grey-haired, bearded man who has his back to the artist. He is smoking a cigar, left hand to his brow, a thinker.* Towards the centre of the web, a ring master, he remains anonymous.

The Johnsonians were in particularly good spirits. The Liberal party was back in government and Gladstone was poised to introduce the Second Home Rule Bill 13 February 1893, O’Connor Power’s forty-seventh birthday.

See That Irishman, Part Three, At Large. See also Post, Selected Writings, FEBRUARY 13TH 1893, pp. 167-169. Available to download.

*”The traveller at once raised his left hand to his left eyebrow.’ Arthur Conan Doyle, The Valley of Fear, Part Two. A Fenian salute, an inversion of the military salute. John McMurdo/ Birdie Edwards/Jack Douglas was a cigar smoker.

The artist was F Carruthers Gould, Prior of the Johnson Club in 1890, ‘He has also sometimes :used a pencil for our amusement and gratification.’

The image is available to view at Post The Johnson Club, December 13, 1892.

The Johnson Club in the twenty first century:

… the original club goes on its own private way, mostly discreet shakers and movers, especially senior civil servants …