The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-27 00:00:00

THIE FENIAN- TRLILS.

(Continued fr.na our First Editio,a)
The Lord Chief Justice, in continuation, read through
the evidence given by Mrs. Keppell cud the boy Morris,
tending to corroborate Mullany in what he had slated in
reference to Barrett, and what ho said and did in the
interview alleged to have taken place on tho evening of
the explosion. He proceeded to touch upon- tto conver-
sation which Vaughan said ho had with Timothy
Desmond, after the explosion, in another conversation
with William Desmond and English, in which he asserted
the former said that Timothy Desmond's being taken into
custody served him right, for he had no right to have been
at the explosion. This evidence must be taken, however,
with the moron which he (the Lord Chief Justice)
had already pointed out, and must apply to
the testimony of such a man as Vaughan.
It became necessary, then, to see how the case
stood against the prisoner individually. Taking the case
of William Desmond, it must be remarked that Mullany
when first at Bow-street said nothing about his having
been concerned in the conspiracy, and only remembered
that he was so on turning the matter over in his mind.
Mullany was corroborated by Vaughan no doubt,
but perhaps the jury would not think that
that was sufficient corroboration of two bad wit-
nesses, but going far to make ono good one. There
was nothing to show that William Desmond was at
Clerkenwell, and practically Mullany's evidence was only
supported by that of. 'Vaughan. The case of
English was the next to bo considered, and in the
evidence of Mullany, in this instance, he was cor-
roborated, as far as his visits were concerned, by Mrs.
Keppell, and the apprentice, Morris. As to his being
at Clerkenwell the landlady of the Bells believed she saw
him on the day of the explosion when he came for refresh-
ment., The barman Strutton, who said ho saw English
at the Bells in and out all day, was not a satisfactory wit-
ness, and his demeanour when in the box showed that he
had, as he said, been drinking before he came into court.
There was no doubt that Timothy Desmond- was at
Clerkenwell on the 13th, but was he engaged in
the conspiracy ? The evidence referring to his
case was read over at length by his lordship.
The effect of that evidence, especially that portion given
by Inspector Thompson, negatived the idea that Timothy
Desmond was at the scene of the explosion, or could have
taken an active part in the Sting of the barrel. It was
stated that ho must have been drunk. It was not shown
that he had been admitted into the councils of those en-
gaged in the conspiracy, and it was possible, knowiug that
something was to happen, ho had been attracted there
simply by curiosity. Approaching the case of Barrett,
ifMullany was to bo believed, his guilt, his lordship re-
marked, was clear. In several respects he was corrobo-
rated by Mrs. Keppel and the apprentice Morris. It was
much to be regretted that Mrs. Mullany, who was said to
be present when Barrett was washing his neck after the
explosion, and who it was further stated
took away a bundle of clothes, was nut
called, as she could have given most material
evidence. It had been remarked as strange that the Crown
had not called Mrs. Martin to prove that the man who
visited so frequently at her house was the prisoner Bar-
rett, but the answer to that was that she was known to
have Fenian proclivities, and it might well be said that
Mrs. Martin was of all others the person whom the defence
should have culled to say that the man who used to visit
at her house, and who was seen walking out with her ou
the Smiley night, was not the prisoner at the bar.
The evidence from Clerkenwell affecting Barrett was not,
said the Lord Chief Justice, altogether satisfactory, and
the testimony given by Bird was valueless. But then
came the question whether the general acquaintance of the
witnesses with the man was not sufficient to identify him,
and whether the evidence of Koppel and the boy Morris
in corroboration of 'Mullany was worthy of belief. In
reference to the alibi set up for Barrett, the Lord Chief Jus-
ticelsaid it was of a more remarkable kind than any that
had ever come under his notice, and would demand the
most careful vigilance on the part of the jury. It was
only during the last few days such a defence had been
hoard of, and his lordship remarked upon the fact that
it
had not been brought forward when Barrett was first
ar-
rested, when it would have been so conclusive in answer
to the oharge brought against him.
(Thess. jury had not returned a verdict when we went to
pre

BETHLEHEM AND Biti DE WELL llosrams.—Mr.
Alderman Wilson, the senior member of the Court of Alder-
men, has deferred to a numerously signed requisition to
allow himself to be put in nomination for the office of
President of these Royal Hospi!als, which has become va-
cant by the death of ➢ir. Alderman Copeland. Mr. Wilson
has been a governor of both institutions for nearly forty

carte
TIIIINDERSTORM.—The first thunderstorm of the
year in the west midland counties broke over Worcester-
!hire and Herefordshire on Saturday last. It commenced
in .the northern Fart of Worcestershire about noon, and
raged with considerable violence until five p.m., passing
over part of Herefordshire and Glouccsten•hire. Tit
weather, which on Saturday morning was hot and flue
was yesterday much cooler, and there was a slight frost on
Saturday night.

THE IRISH CHURCIL—On Friday evening public
meetings were held in Dundee, Stirling, and Lauder. Re-
solutions were unanimously adopted to the effect that the
Irish Church should he disestablished and disentlowed ,
that grants of money should be withdrawn from all reli-
gious denominations in Ireland ; and that petitions cm
olying these views be
,transmitted to Parliament