The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-29
OPPRESSED ERIN.
OPENING oFrHErRIAL OF PARNELL
AND HIS COLLEAGUES.
Charge: A Agaipst Them. oil
"ConspirIng TO Induce Unknown
Persons TO Conspire"-Proceed.
ings OF tho First Day In
Couri-Recent Events.
TRIAL OF ruE TRAvERsERs

1
DinIculiy In Obtaining n Jury-Impo,
lug Array OF fAdyocates-The Prisoner
Cheered.
DUBLIN, December 2S.-The great sensa
ton OF the hour in this city is the trial O
the leaders Of the Land League, which be
gan this morning at II o'clock. Although
every effort has been made to provide ad
eQuate accommodation by extending the
space OF the court room, it Is crowded to
sutiocation. Spectators are admitted only
by ticket, but tickets have been distributed
so freely that there is no practical diminu.
ton Of the attendance. The front row OF
the gallery reserved for the ladies' is oCcu.
pied TO repletion Justices May, Fri,zger.
aid and Barry are presiding. The crown
is represented by the Attorney General,
the Solicitor General, Sergeant Heron,
Messrs. Naish, 9. c.; Ross, Q. O.; Muir.
ply, @ g., and Porter, @. c., assisted by
Mr.. Constantine Mallory. who has the
reputation OF being one Of the ablest Grim.
inal lawyers OF the Irish bar.
The array OF counsel for the defense in
Donald, @ c., Samuel Walker, @ O., W.
Mclaughlin, Q G., and Peter 0'Brien, Q
O., assisted by Messrs. Curran, Nolan.
Adams, Dillon, and a. NJ. Sullivan, mem.
Der OF Parliament for Louth County. The
most intense interest in the conduct Of
these trials prevails here and indeed
throughout the whole Kingdom. Very
few people have any confidence in a con-
viction, holding firmly to the theory OF a
disagreement OF the jury. 1t is freely sta.
ted in Land League circles that many
members OF the present panel are SO rig
idly Boycotted that they are not in a posi-
tion 10 answer to their names.
The line OF defense, which has been
clearly skeIched by Mr.. Michael Davitt,
who, more than any other man, Is author
lied TO speak for the League, is to deny
the Leaguers responsibility for the recent
Rgrarian ouLrsges aud fortify the denial
by quoting press statements, and TO show,
further, that Notwithstanding the suffer.
ipg and distress through which Ireland
has passed the percentage Of attacks upon
individuals has been unusually small. 1t
is understood that in case OF the convic.
tion OF the travereers their Offices in the
League will be at once ti!led with compe.
tent men already selected.
The great crowd OF people around the
approaches to the Four Courts loudly
cheered the traversers upon their arrival.
The judges took their seats shortly after
ten O'clock. The body Of the court was
occupied by the council and other mem.
bers OF the bar. The principal gallery
was filed with Irish members OF Parlia.
meut, few ladies' and sprinkling OF the
general public. Chief.Justice May read,
with considerable composure, document
declaring that he should not take part in
the present trial. II contained yindica.
tion Of his former speech. The an
nouncement that he wou not preside at
the trial caused no manifestation. After
Chiei.Justice May had finished reading,
Justice Fitzgerald took the chief seat and
the the trials were proceeded with before
him and Justice Barry. Only eighteen
out Of the twenty-four jurors polled an
swered to their names.
The Attorney General applied for
postponement OF the trials until to,mor.
row, because OF the short attendance Of
the Jurors. Mr.. Marlborough, OF the
counsel for the traversers, argued thatitwas
usual to select jury OF twelve from those
who answered their names. Justice Fitz.
gerald agreed that the latter was the regu.
lar courGe. Three jurors were then ex.
cused on account of age and infrmity, and
cDonough challenged another. A jury
was impannelled after much difficulty, the
process occupying two hours. All the trav.
ersers answered to their names.
A legal argument OF more than an hour
ensued on McDonough's challenge. The
court decided that the traversers had the
right to challenge, in the usual way, a Ger.
tain number Of Jurors, but the counsel for
the traversers did not take advantage OF
this decision to obstruct the course OF the
trial. The jury consisted OF eight Gath
olics, threc Proteetants and one Quaker.
When the jury had been constituted the
Attorney General opened the case for the
Crown in firm but moderate tone. He
said the object of the conspiracy in
which the traversers were engaged was
to cause tho social accommodation
OF number OF persons and to make their
lives not worth having. He pointed out
the absurdity Of the idea OF parcelling out
Ireland among population Of five mill.
ions which would only add to the misery
Of that unfortunate country. He severely
condemned the policy OF the Land League,
which he said advocated freedom, yet
brought all its power to bear in the coer.
Clon OF private individuals. The govern
ment, he said, was bound to institute pro.
Ceedings to put down the wicked agita-
ton. A great crowd Cheered the trayers-