The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-08-02
A Deserved Fate.
CAREY THE IRISH INFORMER ASA
SINATED.

CAREY THE IRISH INFORMER ASSAS-
SINATED.
A sensation was produced in the House
OF Commons, Monday evening, by an off.
clal announcement. that James Carey, the
Irish infOrmer, had been shot and killed by
a member of the Order Of Avengers of the
Irish Society of Invincibles. Carey had
consented to lose identity and the govern.
ment had stipulated that..it would secure
world selected by him as the place of his
future residence. After Carey left Dub
lin, he appeared to be lost. However, it
was understood that fortnight ago, he
had become convinced that his where
abOuts were known to the Invincibles, and
appealed to the government for protection,
and had been quartered in Newgate jail
for safety. The detectives, it is under
stood, had told the government that Carey
was fast losing his reason, being haunted
with the consciousness that he was
closely followed by Irish Avengers, and
was in constant danger of assassination.
The government at this time undertook to
smuggle Carey away with such secrecy
that none but those having the undertake
ing under their personal charge. should
know what had become of him, excluding
even the most prominent government Off
Gals, People were cautioned against be-
lieving any future stories about the in
former upon the ground that it would be
absolutely impossible for but two OF three
persons to ascertain anything about him,
and such stories as might happen to gain
currency would undoubtedly turn out to
be inventions made to confuse the trail.
Nothing more was heard of Carey until
Monday evening, when the parliamentary an
nouncement was made. From the official
inf ,,fi +1a
appears that the man who has killed Carey,
is named O'Donnell. The government had
often received private information con-
corning meditated attacks upon Carey and
had many suspected Invincibles under
surveillance, but the officers have no llnowl-
edge about any person answering O'Don-
nell's description.
Carey it turns out, was bound for Port
Elizabeth, Africa. He had gained good
deal of his self-posession and spirit, and
was pretty well convinced that his identity
and destination were both unknown. He
was a passenger aboard the Melrose Cas-
tie, owned by DonaldiCurrie. There is no
reason to suppose that any soul aboard,
when the ship left London. knew anything
about Carey. When the vessel was made
fast to the dock at Port Elizabeth, in jul
bilant manner the informer supervised the
landing OF his baggage, He then boarded
the gang plank and walked around the
wharf.
The moment he stepped upon the wharf,
a man stepped up to him, placed a pistol
close to his. breast. right over his heart,
and fired. Carey staggered and fell, but
before he lost his footing, his assailant
fired another ball into his brain. The as
sassin was for a moment supposed to be
mad man, but when he flourished his
weapon and cried. '"That is James Carey;
G. d. his soul, y the officers of the Mel
rose Castle at once realized the situation,
overpowered the speaker and placed him
in chains. The murderer was soon identi-
fed as a stranger who had boarded the
Melrose Castle at CapetOwn and booked
himself for Natal. Noone knew his bust
ness, and on board the Melrose Castle he
had shown no interest in the man he kill
ed. lie lOitered about until Carey went
ashore, and then went after him, and shot
him dead upon the dock.
The prisoner O'Donnell refuses to make
any statement. Investigation shows that
a man answering O'Donnell's description
booked himself from London to Capetown
aboard the ship Kinfaun's Castle, another
vessel of DOnnell Currie s line, which left
London several days before the Melrose
Castle did. The Kinfaun's Castle was ad-
vertised to make connection of Cape
Town with the Melrose Castle for Natal. |
1t puzzles the officials how O'Donnell ever
learned that Carey was to leave for Cape
Town by the Melrose Castle. He seems
TO have been so completely informed and
determined that he chose to go
ahead and wait at Cape Town, rather than
,isk the governments keen inspection of |
5he persons who boarded the Melrose Cas-
lie at London. The ministry appear to be
somewhat dazed at the completeness of the
possessed by the Invincibles
IF which this assassination furnishes COM
)lete proof.