[1] William Conway was a member of the Irish Republican Army and among the founders of the Young Ireland Hurling Club.
The raiding party found pamphlets (illegal) a first aid kit, filed dressings, some maps, and a compass.
During a police lineup on 1 December, he was identified by Nellie Stapleton, a witness and maid at 22 Lower Mount Street, as being one of the people she saw during the assassination of Lieutenant Angliss.
[citation needed] On the night of 14 February 1921, an escape from Kilmainham Gaol was masterminded by Michael Collins and his command.
[2] Frank Teeling, Ernie O'Malley, and Simon Donnelly escaped from the prison on the pretext of a transfer order, and after some guards were bribed.
After Frank Teeling escaped, William Conway, who said he was in the cell next door told of the incident in a letter to the pensions board statement,[3] that he took Frank Teeling's overcoat from his cell when he heard that bloodhounds were being brought in to search for the prisoners; thus removing the scent for the dogs.
Mr. Lunn asked the Chief Secretary whether William Conway and Edward Potter were convicted of the murder of Lieutenant Angliss on the evidence of two witnesses; whether one of these witnesses was a servant in the house, whose account of the tragedy was excusably confused and contradictory; whether the other witness admitted that he was frequently drunk; whether he had been charged with disorderly conduct and also with assault and obscene language; and whether he had previously identified as having been concerned with the murder of Lieutenant Angliss two men who were subsequently proved to have been in gaol at the time?
[10] A second parliamentary question was asked by John Swan MP to the Chief Secretary of Ireland, Sir Hamar Greenwood, about the 15 witnesses at Conway's trial who were brought forward to prove William Conway's alibi that he was not present during the murder of Lieutenant Angliss on 20 November 1920.