Cruise had erred in charging the arrested men solely on the evidence of an accomplice (McGlynn), and the recantation of McHugh had then further weakened the case against them. With the exception of McHugh, the prisoners were released on bail at the July assizes to stand trial the following March. Then, five men—McHugh, John Breslin, William Maxwell, James Gallagher, and Cormac Gillespie—were convicted and sentenced to twenty months with hard labour; McHugh’s conviction was soon overturned on appeal. The case garnered considerable press attention, with the involvement of national teachers in the Molly Maguires drawing much negative comment in Tory newspapers. Meanwhile, the other men named by McGlynn—or at least those who had turned up in court—were now scheduled to appear at the summer assizes.