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believing (rightly or wrongly) that Carey meant to shoot him. With characteristic earnestness Russell not only wrote to the Home Secretary, Sir William Harcourt, but to the Prime Minister as well: Dear Mr. Gladstone, 3 Brick Court, Temple, December 10, 1883. I have long hesitated before coming to the conclusion that I ought to trouble you with this communication on the subject of Patrick O'Donnell, now under sentence of death for the slaying of James Carey. There is more than a departmental question involved in this case, viz. the question of public policy, to which I respectfully invite your earnest attention. If justice does not imperatively demand that O'Donnell's life be forfeited, I feel strongly that the interests of peace would be best served by commuting his sentence to penal servitude. I feel his execution would involve injurious consequences. It would add to your labour unnecessarily were I here to repeat the grounds on which I urge that the man's life might properly be spared . Those grounds appear sufficiently in· the copy of my letter to Sir William Harcourt (which I enc:ose), together with copies of the documents therein referred to, which I also enclose. I am, Mr. Gladstone, Always faithfully yours. Charles Russell. Mr. Gladstone replied: Dear Mr. Russell, December 13, 1883. I can well understand the motives which may lead counsel, especially in a case of life, to use every effort which may seem in any way allowable on behalf of a client. I am, however, in fairness, bound to say that, as far as I am able to judge, I should not, had I been in the place of the Secretary of State, arrived at any other judgement in the case of O'Donnell than that which he has, I believe, made known to you. Believe me, faithfully yours, W. E. Gladstone. The law was allowed to take its course, and O'Donnell was hanged at Newgate Prison, December 7th, 1883. From the Biography, 11 Lord Russell of Killowen", pages 181-188. 47