Scathlan 2

Th Tri I Of Pat O'Donnell An extract from "lord Russ~U of Kmowen", by Barry OFBrien. Soon after his return from America, Russell appeared at the Old Bailey to defend Patrick O'Donnell, indicted for the murder of James Carey. Carey was a member of a secret society called "The lnvincibles", and had taken an active part in the plot for the assassination of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr. Burke, who were murdered in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, in May 1882. Afterwards Mr. Carey turned informer, and, mainly through his evidence, the actual perpetrators of the crime were captured and hanged. Then Ca_rey left Ireland, taking ship for the Cape. From the Cape he sailed to Natal, and was shot on the voyage by O'Donnell. The latter was immediately arrested, sent to England, and tried in December 1883. Russell conducted the defence with great skill. . "Rarely", says a leading legal journal, "has it been the lot of an advocate to find himself confronted by such ·difficulties as Mr. Charles Russell had to encounter in defending O'Donnell for the murder of Carey, and it may be interesting to our readers to have it pointed out in some detail how these difficultieswere dealt with . The case for the Crown was: On July 6 last, James Carey, under the alias of Power, sailed with his wife and family in the "Kilfauns Castle" for the Cape. O'Donnell and a woman who was known on board as 'Mrs. O'Donnell' were among the passengers. Up to the time of the ship's arrival at Cape Town, on July 27, Carey's incognito was preserved; but it then became known that Mr. Power was none other than the notorious Irish informer. O'Donnell, among others, became aware of this fact at Cape Town. On July 20 Carey and O'Donnell sailed in another ship - the "Melrose Castle" - for Natal. On Sunday, July 29, both men - between whom more or less friendly relations existed during the voyage outwards, and up to the date - were in the second saloon cabin, 'Mrs. O'Donnell' being also present. O'Donnell and Mrs. O'Donnell were sitting upon a setee, the latter having her arm around the former's neck, while Carey stood a few feet distant. O'Donnell and Carey were quietly engaged in conversation when the former suddenly, and without the least provocation, drew a revolver from his pocket and shot the latter in the neck. Carey endeavoured to fly from the cabin, but had only moved a few feet when O'Donnell fired two more shots at him, causing his death in less than a quarter of an hour. The evidence adduced by the Crown in support of this narrative was the following: James Parish, one of the crew of the "Melrose Castle", stated that he went into the cabin before the first shot was fired, that he saw O'Donnell take a pistol out of his pocket and fire the three shots that killed Carey, and he swore that prior to the first shot there was no sign of quarrel between the men. Carey's son, a lad of about sixteen years of 44