Letter from Patrick James Smyth to James Joseph O’Kelly

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7-04 Alexander Biller Rathgan - Jan. 27- JN 25-2-77 Drothelly - The facts, so far as I know, about Cal. Dyer are these. Shortly after the capitulation of Lexander I was informed by Mr J. D. Fullion as that an accredited agent of the Rench Government was in Dublin - that his credentially were satisfactory - and that he wished to see me. I called at the National Office, where there also were Central one, the Fallings, Kirwan and this gentleman whose card bore the inscription Capt. Dyer Cate Bangal Army. He showed us his letters - one from the Secretary of the Due De Grammant, the other from Grande Cassagna. The letters were vague, but Capt. Dyer assured us that he had a contract with the Government - much & that solutions would receive two & each & pay. Fures astounded at that statement. I then remarked that assuming his representation to be correct, the Republican Government was not bound by the acts of the fallen government and that unless the Govt. of National Defense confirmed this contract we could not think of acting upon it. He wished me to accompany him to Paris in order to ascertain the truth. I could not do that, but suggested that here Leonard might meet him there, and if Leonard apported to us that all was right we would be satisfied. A.M. S. drafted a letter to Leonard which disguised asking him, if possible to proceed to Paris. Leonard it appears did not go. Some time after a letter came to A.M. S. I was so told, but the letter was not shown to me / from Dyer stating that the Govt. of Nat. Defense confirmed everything, & that arrangements to carry out the engagement were made with the Safety of House, Churchbusy, Disppert. - No more occurred till present to Hence. An office came from Can to House from Cal. Dyer requesting the solutions from the Ambulance to go there that the Rish Regiment was there established. There being no accorrowdation for the solutions at House Kirwan & I resolved to give Can with the men. We found no regiment there - only half a Dyer men, the remaining of the London solutions, & Cal. Dyer. We were on the point of returning, but Kirwan & I consulted & came to the core - claim that as Cal. Dyer appeared to have the experience of the Rench authorities it would not be becoming in us to raise a personal question. Cal. Dyer then informed in that his name was McRadaray - Dyer McAdaray - that he had served in the English Army in India and in the Crime a, and that he had lived in Germany. He repeated his statement about the De Grammant contract, and said he had its in writing, but could not at that moment lay his hand upon it. I returned to House, and submitted my propositions to the D-Reperture advised me strongly to get to James. Before starting handle to Cal. Dyer requesting him to direct him to James the letter of contract. I remained there days in James, but no letter came from Cal. Dyer. About a week after my return to Island a letter from Cal. Dyer (forwarded from James) came to me, but it did not contain the sli…