I'd say it was a pretty safe conjecture, Den. he knew he was making history. He must have had some inkling of what was going to happen. He would hardly have given his life if the whole thing had not been orchestrated. He knew what that involved. He wasn't a naive.

You're absolutely right about one thing though. No one should be accused of stuff they just MIGHT have done in this fashion.

Mind you that would bring the Jack the Ripper industry grinding to a standstill. No more books, documentaries etc.

I suppose its in the nature of things that guerilla warriors activities are shrouded in mystery. In the recent TV documentary about Padraig Pearse, the presenter of the programme was saying that we know remarkably little about many of the leaders of 1916 because their activities were secret. Perhaps the happenings of more recent times will turn out to have been better documented.