The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-05-23 00:00:00

THE APPEARANCE AND CONDUCT OF THE ASSASSIN.

Soon after the ass.issin was brought to goal it Was 55c5.
to; that his name aas Id J. o'Farrell ; that he had only
recently come from Victoria to Sydney. The prisoner is a
Wr-eqmplexioned num, about five feet eleven Inches in
height', and apparently about five-and.thirty years of age.
Ile has a slight beard and moustache, and a military air. He
Is perfectly self-possessed, is a 11111.11 of good education, and
ID manner is not unpleasing. He was dressed in a dark coat
and trousers and white waiatcoat. ills clothes were torn to
ribbons I.y the excited crowd, and he received many severe
bruises, his eyes being blackened, his wise swelled very
such, awl his lips puffed out like those of a negro. Amami-
ing to his own statement, lie is a native of Dublin, but left
Ireland at a very early age, and has been about fifteen years
in the colony.
At the examination of the prisoner before the police magis-
trate, the principal facts contained in the narrative of the
attempted assassination were brought out in evidence. After
Sir William Manning sin examined, the primmer observed :
"If Sir Willi.ini Manning hail not rushed between nie and
the Duke., the Duke wor Id have received a second shot. Ile
rushed right at me. The Prince would have received a
second shot, and I should have idiot nayeelf ; but I had not
time to do it. Of course,. I bad nothing to do with with Sir
William Manning." Again, on being asked if he hail any-
thing to say, the prisoner observed : " I have nothing to say
but that the task of executiug the Duke was sent out and
allotted to me, but I failed, and I am not very sorry that I
did fail. I hat is all I have to say.' The New South Wales
imvernment, apparently more from the statement of the
prisoner than from any actual evidence in their posseasion,
came to the conclusion that O'Farrell hail associates, and
offered 01,000 reward to anyone 51 110 would give such infor-
mation as would lead hi the apprehension and conviction of
his accomplices. Up to the time at which we write no accom-
plices in the eni',•e have Wen discovered. O'Farrell himself
unequivocally avows that lie is a Fenian agent ; moreover
that he had a written instrument received from the direct, r
of the lonian movement at home, directiiig the execution of
the Prince, and that each of ten 'imams entered into a
solemn engagement to shoot him, in the event of the lot
falling to him. Lots were drawn by a boy, in the presence of
the batmen. It fell to his ,OTarrell'a lot to execute the
Prince. This took place about two months ago. He said he
regretted that it had fallen to his lot to kill the Prince.
Killing was not regarded in the light of assassination, but ill
the same way as they regarded the execution of the three
Irishmen at Manchester. if Farrell added that the general
design of the Fenian organisation was to strike terror into
the English people or aristocracy , believing that to be the
most ellectual snide of bringing about tie independence of
Ireland. The prisoner went on to state that he intended to
have shot the Prince on the occasion of the public lauding,
had a good opportunity of doing so presented itself. Ile
ha I procured a gun for that purpose, and hired a room which
commanded a view of the procession. lie was deterred
om carrying (put his intention on that occasion, as there
was a probability of lb shot taking effect oil the Earl of
Belmore, who was sitting beside his Royal Highness. Ile
afterwards proposed to carry out his deadly purpose at the
citizens' ball. One of the ten men previously referred to
wished to accompany him for the purpi se of setting fire to
the pavilion by sieans of influniimble substances which he had
in his possession, but that lie .o'lairell was unwilling to
sacrifice SO really lives when his engagement required the
death of but one. Subsequently, he intended to have accom-
plished his design at the fancy dress ball. but for some cause
was led to postpone it to a more favourable opportunity.
THE PREVIOUS HIsToRT OF O'FARRELL.
It appears that the father of O'Farrell was a butcher, and
calm fr Dublin many years ago; he kept a shop at the
lower end of Elizabeth-street, Melbounie. The family, which
was a numerous one, several of its members belle:: at present
settled ill different parts of the colony, were educated in a
manner to fit them for positions higher than the trade
followed by their father. O'Farrell em intended for the
priesthmal, his parents being of the Roman Catholic
persuasion. With that view he received a collegiate educe.-
: Dim, and was admitted to deacon's orders in the year 1552 in
the church of St. Francis, Melbourne. As a yinum man he
was regarded as genial, sorts-hearted, and enthusiastic, but
possessed of an undeniably national Ina. Some time after
this he paid a visit to Europe, and having made a tour of the
continent and visited the principal cities there, its well as in
England anal Ireland, he returned to Australia after about
Ito absence. Ile scent into partnership at Ballarat
with a luau named Kennedy, and opened a hay and corn
stoic there. They did a good bubblesa fir years, and
accumulated a good deal of private property, O'Farrell mare
especially becoming possessml of a good deal of landed and
house property on Soldier's-hill. In time, both partners
seem to have contracted habits of inteuiperance, one . eing
sober while the other was engaged in a drinking bout, and
he, in his turn, attending to business while his partner
enjoyed a little relaxation. This state of things continued
until soitle three years since, Kennedy became so confirmed
a drunkard that he succumbed to the vice, and fell a victim
to debrittut tremens. His partner, O'Farrell, continued to
carry on the business, slid sins still regarded as a steady,
trustworthy per,im. About this time, la owever, he bemin to
speculate in mining, and proved most unfortunate. Thesc
losses preyed heavily on him, and he was also much worried
by so one transactions by which land on the Melbourne road
passed from his possession„ and he drank even more
heavily than he had done previously. His manner was
excitable, but it was noticeable that he was quick and
shrewd in business at the Corner, and his powers of conversa-
tion and argument were of a high order. When thwarted in
any way he was violent, and frequently used threats, and
oftefl went so far as to express a determination to take the
life of persons offending him, l'p to the time of his going to
the C. tiler he had ever been deelaiming against the folly
of mining speculations; and finding he had not adhered to
the precepts he had sought to inculcate, he left somewhat
shy, and endeavoured to avoid many of his previous ac-
quaintances tun' neighbour.. Intact, things went from bad
to wom with him, lie was obliged to mortgage his pro-
perty to meet his liabilities. He was compelled to have
recourse to every possible shift to try and relieve himself
id Ids embarrassments, but without avail. Calls on shares
Caine heavily. The value of stock fell, and he found himself
unable to struggle with the emergency. This, it would wein,
drove Mut to ilrink to excess. His mode of living became
irergular and ecceutric. Ile was if the most excitable ti
perainent, intoxicating liquor having the effect of completely
upsetting his Mental ollulhlhiriuusl. iltherwise lie was affable,
converAtional, and gentleniany, genial, and unsophistimiteil,
a atickler for law and order, avoiding wlmtever had a tendency
to the opposite. Having takes ecclesiastical vows of relibacy,
he lived alone at his place of business in Dovetou-street,
after the death of his partner. Ile was known to go with-
out his meals for days, regarilless of all personal or domestic
m milord He would go 110 We to Buninyong sometimes and
wander over the country, go to dhe top of the Mount and
stop there for hours, and when spoken to would say lie
came there for his health. About eighteen months since,
white carrying lel 1111S1111,8 ill DOVetoll-litellet, lle was
attaeked with a Ilk if blirisoi tremens. Ile was at that
time greatly embarrassed, and this would Betel to have
111'11,1111111 to despair. A friend of his, who resided in the
neighliontina clef Market,quare, wascalled on one night when
O'Farrell was in delirium tremens, and found him in a state
la ordering on the worst species of insanity. Ile had sent for
an I,llidal id one of the local banks, with whom be was on a
footing of intimacy, and explained his circumstances to him,
at the same time asking for a loan of money. Ile seas ex-
posulated with and told lie would have it upon the usual
terms, when he suddenly leaped from his bed, seized a sword-
cane, and would certainly have wounded or killed the gentle-
luau alluded te but for the interferenee of some persons who
were present. Ili; case grew WeeSll, and medical attendance
was called in and remained in attendance upon him for
some time. Ile WAR occasionally extremely violent, and was
known to have secreted a pistol in his sleeping apartment,
which he would at Dines go in search if, and threaten to take
the lives of the persons near him. His sisters in Melbourne
having been written to, they went to Ballarat, and remained
with him until he was sufficiently recovered to be removed.
Ile thea accompanied them to Melbourne, stayed at St.
Kills for a few months, and returned to Ballarat quite
recovered in health. Be had not long remained there,
however, when he again fell into his old habits of drinking,
and Wall again affected by deltrittot ttentens. 011 018
OM/Sit/11 the a tention of the police was directed to him,
and for sonic days constables were directed to watch his
hier-e, in case there should lie a necessity for placing I '
under restraint. Ills sisters again came from Slelltimpe

and att;il7l...listm,.a—ii.slihe-n;edni.Ma7;vho was called in
recommended his removal to the Ballarat District Hospital.
Alter hi, discharge from the hospital he was taken by his
relatives to Melbourne; and though subsequent to that he
visited and remained a short tinse in Ballarat, yet it may be
said he ended Isis connection with the town from the date of
Isis second illness. his property hail been mortgaged and
his business injured by his mining speculations and losses,
until at last all he rossessed passed into °User hands to pay
id his liabilities Isis reverses being attributable to rash
speculath al, Isis habits of dissipation following his pecuniary
misfortunes ; his ultimate wreck, mentally and socially,
arising from a variety if causes, more or less of which can
be gullies rd from the foregoing particulars. Mr. P. W,
Welsh, who had acted as Mr. O'Farrell's agent in some
basilicn transactions, saw hint into tlw train for Melbourne
in charge of some friends. After leaving Melbourne,
O'Farrell Proceeded to Queensland, and then returned to
Sydney, where at length he did the deed which has made
his name infamous.