KEARNEY, DENts, b. Ireland, 1847; at the age of six years was employed as post boy in his native village, Oakmont, co. Cork; and when 11 years old went to sea as a cabin-boy on a voyage to New York. From this time he followed the 'sea until 1872, when, being in San Francisco, he obtained employment as foreman of a gang of steve dores, and soon after went into the draying business on his own account. He interested himself in local politics, and was secretary of a club. In 1877, influenced by the inter ference with his business of bonded draymen, he began to incite the laboring meu of San Francisco to an incendiary condition of mind, and soon gained great ascendency over them. Mass meetings were organized on the " Sand-lots," a suburb of the city, where Kearney ruled supreme, and where he soon attracted general public notice on account of the savage and uncompromising nature of his attacks upon capital, Chinese labor, and other so-called grievances. His language became noted for its blasphemous and ribald character, and this caused the associated press to give him a wider notoriety throughout the country than he would otherwise have gained. His influence rapidly increased, until his powerful following were able to pack a constitutional convention, and organize a new constitution for the great state of California which was largely in their own apparent interest, and certainly most detrimental to capital and vested interests within the state. Emboldened by his success, Kearney grew more intemperate in his
language and more savage in his threats. In the summer of 1878 he visited the eastern states, accompanied by a private secretary, making something in the nature of a " prog ress," and delivering his excited and intemperate speeches in the leading Atlantic cities and in the west. He did not succeed in engrossing public attention or interest to any great extent, and returned to California without having made the impression which lie had anticipated. Towards the end of 1879 Kearney became so offensive to the authori ties of San Francisco that he was several times arrested, and early in 1S80 was tried for the use of slanderoui and incendiary language in public, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment in the house of correction. He had by this time fallen under the dis pleasure of his own adherents, who accused him of treachery, and by whom he was even threatened with personal violence. So that, on his release from prison, it was readily perceived that his influence had gone from him, and his name soon died out of public mention.