The Portland daily press., 1885-07-01
RosSA'S ASSAILANT.
Mrs! Dudley Acquitted on the Ground
of Insanity,

NEW YOfsk June 3O.-Tlse- court room where
Mrs. Dudley is being tried for assault on O'Dono-
van Rosa was again crowded to excess today. DIR.
Charles E. DenniSOn who dressed Rossas wounds
testified to their locality and character This end
ed the case fer the prosecution. Counsel for Mrs
Dudley then opened for the defense. 1t is claim
ed that Mrs. Dudley assaulted Rosa not out
OF personal spite or to avenge a personal insult,
but because ',he was an enemy Of her country"
In outlining the line of testimony for the defense
the counsel spoke of what he called Mrs. Dud-
leys physical nfrmity. He said he would show
that for several years her mind had been affected
by epiptic fits and she not in fact responsible
for her own conduct.
DIR. A. E. Macdonald superintendent of the asy-
lum for the insane on Wards Island testified that
he was convinced Mrs. Dudley was suffering from
chronic mania. Mrs. Dudley had told the witness
That there were three men she had determined to
punish with death and that Rosa was the first on
her list. Mrs Dudley here interrupted the pro-
ceedlngs by addressing Judge Gildersleeve. She
said whether was irrational or not when shot
Rosa am perfectly sane now, and wish to testi-
fy lnmy own behalf. If the case goes to the jury
now without their hearing me they will form an
entirely erroneous impression of my motives and
will not know why shot Rossa."
q 1t was decided to allow Mrs. Dudley to testify
and accordingly she was sworn and took the
stand. She said: Gentlemen Of the jury, l may
or may not be insane, but wish you to decide my
case by acquitting me, either on the ground that
my action was justifiable or convict me. L was in
doubt as to whether Jeremiah O'Donovan, Pat
rick Ford or MezZerof were more responsible. l
read ODonovans and FOrd'S papers and read
about Mezzerotf, and then went to see 0Dono-
VAIL we Hdu a Idlk about the wholesale murder
OF Innocent women and children. He said that
blowing up buildings was perfectly right. What
said he ''are the lives of a few women and chill
dren compared with the holy cause of Ireland"
He also said in reference to the recent explosion
that 1--WE did it" and he also said II intend to
blow up the House of Parliament when it next
conyenes.'' | believe now however he was delib-
erately lying. He said also that he intended to
blow up English vessels and in that way strike
terror to English hearts. He was murderer
He had shown himself to be one. If / am homi-
cidal it is queer never shot any one before.
have carried pistol and had it loaded too since
was sixteen years old At that age was living
in the country and there was great scare about
mad dogs so that everybody, men and women who
were capable of carrying revolvers did so.
gave O'Donovan as fair a trial as prisoner has
ever ever had in your courts. shot him and 1 am
willing to take the consequence. Even in this
land Of liberty | don't think a man like him
should be permitted to go about advising indis-
criminate murder. l did not come here to shoot
him. | am good nurse and willing to take po-
sition here" The jury were only in consultation
about five minutes when they rendered verdict
of acquitta because of insanity. A motion was
made to send Mrs. Dudley to the State lunatic
asylum which her counsel opposed. The latter
asked that their client be permitted to be return
ed to her native country and be placed in an inst
tuition there and the court will listen to argument
on this motion Thursday.