At about the same date Kehoe received a scorching letter from Capt. Gallagher, the State Secretary, saying the chances were that, at the next meeting of the State organization, the Mollies of Schuylkill County might be severed from the body, as a punishment for their past misdemeanors, and Bishop Wood, of Philadelphia, would also officially excommunicate them by name from the Church. He suggested that a meeting of Bodymasters might be held at Pottsville, at an early day, and the bad men of the order, who were probably known, all summarily expelled, when possibly the remainder could be saved. If the body was purified the good members might not lose caste. Here was a muddle for the emissary. He was sure to be among the first men cut off, and, should the movement succeed, his career of usefulness in the neighborhood would be very short thereafter. It should not be! Whatever was done, he must retain his position. Happily for him, Jack Kehoe simply laughed at the recommendation, and remarked that Mr. Gallagher might attend to his own business, as he would call no such meeting. So no convention was held, and the Mollies were still triumphant. It was not for Kehoe’s interest that they should be as mild as lambs. In reality, the worse they were the better King Jack would be suited. ————●———— CHAPTER XXII. HORRORS UPON HORRORS. The strike was yet in progress, in November, 1874, and the consequent want of work produced the very result anticipated—the Mollies were as active as a community of hornets whose nest a schoolboy has invaded with a club. There followed a number of sanguinary encounters, some of which terminated fatally. One of these, the shooting and subsequent death of Mr. George Major, Chief Burgess of Mahanoy City, transpired on Saturday, the 31st of October, in the year mentioned. McKenna was in Shenandoah at the time, but received early intelligence of the event. McAndrew, feeling very anxious to learn the full particulars, it was an easy matter to induce him to detail the operative and Chas. Hayes to go to the scene of the encounter and gather them. This they were willing to undertake, starting out from Shenandoah on the second of November.