John F. Finerty | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 | |
| Preceded by | George R. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Frank Lawler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1846-09-10)September 10, 1846 Galway, Ireland |
| Died | June 10, 1908(1908-06-10) (aged 61) |
| Party | Democratic |
John Frederick Finerty (September 10, 1846 – June 10, 1908) was a prominent journalist andU.S. Congressional Representative fromIllinois.
Finerty was born inGalway,Ireland to M. J. Finerty, editor of theGalway Vindicator, and Margaret Finerty (née Flynn).[1] He was left in the care of an uncle upon the early passing of his father. Finerty received a strong education at national schools and from private tutors. History and literature were his favorite subjects. At the age of eleven, he moved toTipperary, where he was influenced by Irish patriotFather John Kenyon. Finerty became an Irish nationalist and joined the National Brotherhood of St. Patrick. A year later, in the midst of theCivil War, he fled to the United States to avoid arrest in Ireland for his activities.[2]
Finerty enlisted in theUnion Army and served in the Ninety-ninth Regiment of the New York State Militia. He was a war correspondent for theChicagoTimes in theSioux War of 1876, in the Northern Indian (Sioux) War of 1879, in theUte campaign of 1879, and afterward in theApache campaign of 1881. He was a correspondent inWashington, D.C. during the sessions of theForty-sixth Congress (1879–1881). He established theCitizen, an Irish weekly newspaper, inChicago in 1882.
Finerty was long fascinated with Mexico, and ChicagoTimes editorWilbur F. Storey twice sent "the Reckless Hibernian," as Finerty was known, south of the border to report. Finerty extensively documented these excursions, which he intended to publish as a book, later independently compiled and published by theUniversity of Texas at El Paso.[3]
Of his first foray into Porfirian Mexico, Finerty documented contemporary reactions to the election of PresidentPorfirio Díaz; described the Texan city ofSan Antonio, the villages ofUvalde andEagle Pass, and the Mexican town ofSanta Rosa; and reported conversations with GeneralE.O.C. Ord and ColonelWilliam Rufus Shafter.[4]
In March 1879, attached to the American Industrial Deputation to Mexico by Storey, Finerty was the first U.S. journalist to be granted an audience with President Diaz at the National Palace. Finerty reported the eighty delegates and their spouses attending the Deputation as including, among other noteworthy individuals,
Finerty's account of these events includes whimsical anecdotes of unguarded moments with the delegates. At the conclusion of the Deputation's itinerary atVera Cruz, rather than return to the U.S. with the delegation, Finerty remained in Mexico and went about further exploring and reporting from the country on his own.[6]
Finerty was elected as anIndependent Democrat to theForty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885). He served as member of the board of local improvements 1906-1908. He died in Chicago, and was interred in Calvary Cemetery.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's 2nd congressional district 1883-1885 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
