New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-07-01
THE ACoUITTAL or MRS. DUDLEY.

That the jury empanelled to try Mrs. Dudley
for shooting O'Donoyan Rosa should nave
brought in a verdict of not guilty, on the
ground of insanity, after few minutes deilD-
Grafton, will be n surprise to many IL not to
most people. The presumption is that they
attached more weight to the testimony regard
ing the defendants alleged lunacy in England
and to the opinion of DR.. Macdonald and other
aienists, than to so much Of the womans own
conduct as came under their observation. For
certainly there was nothing in the methods
employed by her to get into relations WIN
Rosa, or in the manner of her shooting at HIM,
or i'm her subsequent representations, or IN her
conduct in court during her trial, to suggest a
mind seriously unbalanced. 1t is indeed DILL
cult to see how any admittedly sane person,
being determined ON the commission OF such
deed, could have gone about it more nationally
and clrcumspectly than she did. From iirst To
last her conduct was that of woman VINO
knew perfectly we'll what she was doing, anu
who did it with remarkable GOODNESS.
As to her behavior during the trial, 1t sug-
gested chiefly the existence of a dislike to the
man she had tried to kill dislike so strong
as to afford complete explanation OF the
HOnlCiudl ablCHipt. Dut thNiN was -" '"N'''N'
ence in her interruptions and comments. On
the contrary, nearly all she said was keenly
pertinent and indicative of large fund OF
mother-wit. Regarding therefore so much OF
her conduct as has been open to Inspection here
it must be said that it seems not to warrant
even the suspicion of insanity On the other
hand it is necessary to set the strong deposi-
tions as to the defendants mania in England
and as to her persistent suicidal and homcidal
tendencies, together with the positive opinion
of Dr. Macdonald that she is not only insane
but incurably so. Probably too the jury NAV
have been unconsciously Influenced by the gen
eral feeling of dislike entertained toward
O'Donovan Rossa, whose indecent pretcnces OF
connection with all manner of atrocities have
as regards many minds put him almost beyond
the pale of sympathy.
It is difficult to believe that if Mrs. Dudley
had tried to kill some respected citizen any jury
would have been SO willing to accept theory
of insanity which, however sound 1T may be,
certainly derives no support from the conduct
of the defendant at any stage OF the case now
terminated Yet it must be said that there is
here no such reason to deplore failure of
Justice as undoubtedly existed in the Short
case. There the acquittal of the defendant was
in open defiance of the evidence Here a part
of the evidence at least was such as to justify
the hypothesis of insanity upon which the
acquitta rests. Add to these considerations
the natural sympathy evoked by the sex and the
friendlessncss of the defendant. and we have at
least enough to render the verdict Ineligible,
and to show that surprising though it appears
it is not incompatible with the conscientious
performance of their duty by The jury.
OF course the logical issue of this verdict
should be the commttal of Mrs. Dudley to IN
insane asylum, but since the jury who tried her
will not have tn pass upon that question they
cannot be held responsible should she not after
all be sent there.