The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-12-22
O'DONNELL's EXECUTION.

on lht liLu iHft. ny OScdu Supi'i aohihE
stay IN the execution Of ODonnell on tn
ground ofhls American citizenship, his eS
ecu,ion took place promptly at O'Clock OF
Monday morning. The British minister re
Piled courteously, but firmly, TO Minisie
Lowell, that after careful anu calm consld
GRAFTON OF the matter Her Maiesty's Coy
eminent could find no grounds upon which
to advise the Crown 10 interfere with tn
sentence of the law.
The execution took place III an lime
Court of Ncwgate prison and was witnessed
only BY the few officers whom the law re-
CURED to tc present. O'Donnell ha(
passed comfortable night sleeping
soundly, AID at 6 O'Clock ate a moderate
breakfast, Father Fleming then came 'C
bis room with whom the prisoner speu
some time IN prayer, receiving the sacra
men, AT 10 the prison bell rang, upon
which the Governor and head warden o!
the Jail entered. O'Donnell was pinioned
and led to the prisoa yard where he wa:
introduced 10 the Executioner Bnns, to-
gether with the sheriff of London and his
three wardens. Old onnel was then march
ed TO the gallowS, where there was nc
delay or sensation, the prisoner having
nothing to say. The trap WAS sprung, he
disappeared INTO the cellar like pit into
which convicts are swung, and after hang
lug M hour was taken down aud prepared
for burial.
In spite of the clustering weather CON
siderable crowd had gathered outside,
among whom ODonnells brother was Il
conspicuous object Of profound sympathy.
The crowd dispersed as soon az the black
| flag was lowered.
Among others who had petltioIeI for
IO'Donncll's reprieve was an imprisoned
letter to the Queen from Victor Hugo.
Roger A. Pryor says, If the American
Minister had asked for the reprieve On the
ground that O'Donnell did not hear the
clerk when asked il he had anything to
say why sentence of death should not be
passed upon him, 1t would have been
granted AS for O'Donnell himself, he
neither asked for or wanted rewieve
His bearing was heroic and dignified
throughout"
In connection with O'Donnell's execution,
the London Daily Ne'rs publishes letter,
SAID to have been written by Alexander
Sullivan, the president Of the Irish Re
public" IN which he says
AT last the truth may be told Of the
killing of James Carey. 1t was not TO be
told 30 long as shadow of a chance re-
NAMED to prevent the sacrifice Of pat
riots life for that of the infamous wretch
whom he Deliberately swept off the earth.
For Patrick ODonncll did deliberately
kill James Carey, and he deliberately
killed HIM because he was James Carey.
There was no struggle Carey made no
attack on O'Donnel. O'Donnell never
set up the plea of sell-detense. Had he
been permitted to tell the truth the ilimsy
suhteriuge OF sclfdCterse would never have
dctractCd from al act he considered merl.
tori0us IN the sight Of God and man. lie
knew the consequences Of the act and he
would have mantully accepted them
Had Judge Denman permitted him 20
speak before p,onOunclng sentence, as be
was huund by the law to do, O'Dounc,
would then nave told the whole truth and
INDICATED himself His savage denuncia.
ton III the British Crown whllc the officers
ot The court eufed his words and dragged
hin from the dock to his cell were uol The
furious whining VI II coward nut the frenzy
Of batlled aud honest man who. having
Deliberately done what he considered "A
Lu,y, and tor which he WAS perfectly indu-
icrrpt to death, had been compelled
against his viii, Ia occupy an lgn0bIc atti-
tudr. md who burned 10 escape from mis-
taken advisers.
II convey ON the highest possible author
,y The true story Of the killing of Carey
and the events which have made up the
train of its consequences.
ODonncli dil not know Carey on the
voyage from England 10 the Cape. He had
no suspicion that the man with whom he
had nlayed cards and drank an occasional
glass OF beer was this monster. But the
news was ahead 1T the ship, and local
paper ut the Cape contained an excited ar
ilcle denouncing the Government for pol
lutinG Australia with the wretch. O'Don.
nell heard this article read and was shown
woOdcut OF Carey, whom he at once rec
ognized. He Instantly resolved 10 Kill
Carey, out of sheer instructive sense of duty
as an freshman. On the impulse of the
resolution he said 10 the man who had
shown him the wOodcut: I'm kill HIM ~
as was sworn on the trial O'Do.nell Tor
90, The man and incident, and Cub;ls ap.
pcarancc was n surprise.
From the moment he formed his pur-
pose he never wavercd in it. But be knew
i, would not be easy 10 kill Carey, and he
could moi afford TO make the attempt and
fail. Carey was well armed, vigilant, and
SUSPICIOUS O'Donnell determined TO ship
with him to Port Elizabeth, 90 with him
to the farm Carey had told him he was GO
ing TO take, and then, without concealment
oi purpose or motive, show that there was
no spot on which an Irish Informer world
be safe. O'Dounell became nervous and
excited. In reckless hope Of calming
himself he drank, the morning OF the fatal
day, a glass Of whisky. II robbed him Of
self-control. He was not intoxicated, but
nis discretion was gone. Finding himself
suddenly alone with Carey and his irayeI-