The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-07-04 00:00:00

THE ATTEMPT to MURDER O'DONOVAIF
ROSSA.
TRIAL OF MRS. DUDLEY.

The trial of Mrs. Dudley at New York for the
atiempted assassination of O'Donovan Roam, con-
cluded on Tuesday. When Rossa appeared in the
witness box on Monday the accused began a constant
fire of insulting remarks, which she continued during
his entire examination. When he said his name was
Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, she asked, "Where did
you get the Rossa ? " When he said his business was
that of a journalist, she exclaimed, "Dynamiter."
She frequently called him a liar, and said he got his
money out of poor servant girls for himself, and
swindled them. When he gave an account of the
shooting, she exclaimed to the jury, "You'd better
get away from that man. He's only perjuring himself.
There's no telling what will happen if he keeps on
lying. Won't somebody please thiow him out of the
window?" When Rossa said he could not remember
the number of shots she fired, she said, " No ; I
believe you. You were too frightened. You forgot
to tell, Jeremiah, that you cried out, For God's
sake, don't kill me.' " Subsequently she called him
a "murderer," " cur " and "coward." She said if
he had his deserts he would be hanged, and that he
was careful to keep three thousand miles between him
and England, where they would make short work of
him. As Rossa retired she shouted, "God save the
Queen, and down with the dynamiters !" Extracts
from R,ossa's paper were read by Mrs. Dudley's
counsel on Repa's cross-examination, in which the
destruction of London was urged in the most
incendiary language. The witness admitted placing
copies of the papers with such articles in Ms.
Dudley's hands, which extracts being read, Mrs. Dudley
showed great excitement, finally exclaiming, " You
coward! You showed the white feather when a dose
of your own medicine was administered to you."
The court was dense'y crowded when the trial was
resumed on Tuesday. After the testimony of the
policeman who arrested Mrs. Dudley and the surgeon
who attended Rossa, the case for the prosecution was
closed. The Counsel for the defence opened the case
by producing a mass of documentary evidence, show-
ing Mrs. Dudley to be of unsound mind. There were
many letters and certificates from English physicians
and institutions, describino her as a chronic victim of
epileptic fits and suicidal mahih. Oral testimony
was offered to the same effect by her associates in
this country and by eminent American experts in
insanity who have been studying her case. Mrs.
Dudley interrupted the proceedings, saying to the
judge, "Whether I was irrational or not when I shot
Rossa, I am perfectly sane now, and wish to testify in
my own behalf. If the case goes to the jury now they
will form an entirely erroneous impression of my
motives." It was finally agreed to let her give
evidence. She was sworn, and in a quiet voice said:
"Gentlemen of the jury,—l may or may not be
insane. I wish you to decide my case by acquitting
me either on the ground that my action was justifi-
ab'e or to convict me. I was in doubt whether
O'Donovan Rossa, Patrick Ford, or Mezeroff was the
most responsible. I read ()Donovan Rossa's and
Ford's papers, and went to see O'Donovan Rossa."
After describing the inter view substantially as already
given many times, she con,inued "He was a
murderer. He had shown himself to be one.
I believed him then and now consider him a liar.
If I am homicidal, it is queer I never shot any
one before. I have carried a loaded pistol since -I
was sixteen. I gave O'Donovan Rossa as fair a trial
as any prisoner ever had in your court. I shot him,
and am willing to abide by the consequences. I don't
think that even in this land of liberty a man like him
should be allowed to go about advising indiscriminate
murder." The jury retired, and after deliberating
for five minutes returned a verdict of "Not guilty"
on the ground of insanity. The counsel for the pro-
secution proposed that si-e should be taken to some
insane asylum in this State. Mrs. Dudley's counsel
objected, saying he would propose that she should be
removed to some such asylum in her native land.
The Court adjourned the hearing of the arguments
on the motion.