Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-20
The Irish Leader is Accused of Hay.
ing Had Illicit Relations With
Mrs. 0'Shea.
The Collapse of the Defense Causes a
Sensation in Irish
Circles.
The Wife of Captain 0'Shea is Guilty
OF Adultery and Will be
Divorced.

take any part In the proceedings The
collapse of the defense involves the con-
demnation of ParneIl to pay the costs.
Mr.. Clark said that nothing excited Cap
tain o Shea suspicious until 1881. when
Parnell visited the respondent at Ethan.
| The annoyance over Parnell's approaches
to his wife led O'Shea to send a challenge
to Parnell. The latter assured Mrs. STEELE
there was no ground for Jealous suspicion.
Afterwards the affectionate relations be-
tween O'Shea and his wife were contin-
ued. In 1882, after Parnell had been re-
leased from Kilmainham jail he renewed
his visits to Ethan and almost
habitually slept there Mrs. O'Shea
used to go down stairs to meet him when
he came In from parliament. Sometimes
she slept away from the house w hen Par
nell was not there. Capt. O'Shea remon-
scenes occurred between him and his wife.
In 1888 Mrs. O'Shea and family went to
reside in Brighton. Her husband used to
go there from time to time. When he was
not there strange gentleman was
constant visitor. Mrs. Dawson who kept a
house and two servants would prove that
the pair were sometimes locked in Mrs.
| 0 Shea S room together At another house
Parnell also visited the respondent, but
was careful to keep out of the way of
| o Shea. O'Shea's suspicious, however
were lulled to sleep. Clark went on to
! say that in 1885 a new room was built
for Parnell with access to the respon-
dents room. Sir Edward Clark read
paragraph from the paper referring to
the fact that Parnell was staying
with Mrs. O'Shea, etc. He said O'Shea
wrote his wife concerning these stories
and always received specific
denial. For nineteen weeks in 1886 they
occupied the house together in St. Johns
road, Eastbourne. Later they occupied
house in Eastbourne This occurred be-
fore November, 1886, after the respondents
promise to her husband that new course
would be adopted. Later a gentleman
calling himself Fox went to the office of a
house as an agent and engaged the house
on IIevlllon street, Brockley. He after
ward changed his name to Preston. This
man was Parnell. Mrs. O'Shea
was frequently at the house
calling herself the sister of the occupant.
The next house was taken by Mrs. O'Shea
in Regents Park, she giving as refer
ences Mr., Preston, of Brockley, and Mr.
Parnell-two gentlemen in one, said Sir
Edward. These facts proved that the pair
concealed their intimacy to the last, and
cleared OShea of the charge of con-
nivance. The respondent and arnelI used
this house together from 1887 to 1889 All
this, said Sir Edward, would be proved
in the evidence, and would surely enable
the jury to return a verdict that would lib
crate Captain O'Shea from a marriage
that he now looked upon as a shameful
bondage.
capt. U'Shea was then called to the
witness stand. His testimony was cor
roborated in detail of points touched upon
by Sir Edward Clark in his opening ad-
dress. He said among other things, while
he was candidate for Galway ne heard
the statements about Parnell and Mrs.
! OShea. He demonstrated with his wife,
but she said her acquaintance with Par
nell was for political purposes. She
told him that she knew that Par
nell had been secretly married.
When the paragraphs appeared in the pa
pers about Parnells visits to Ethan,
Q Shea wrote to his wife expressing an
noyance at the circumstance. There was
talk about taking criminal proceedings
against the newspapers. but as it was
thought that it would only make the scan
dial worse the idea was abandoned After
ward he saw paragraph to the effect that
Parnell had been staying at Eastbourne
with Mrs. O'Shea and wrote her. Some
time after this his tO'Shea 81 son showed
him paragraph stating that
Parnell had been staying at Eft
ham. The plaintiff showed that
this paragraph to Parnell, who seemed
much annoyed. On April Is, 1888, the
plaintiff saw his wife and had long and
painful interview with her, showing her
SON letter. The letter referred to was
read by the counsel. 1t communicated
matters relative to the visit of Parnell to
Mrs. O'Shea. The son said that he had
heard the voice of THAT awful scoundreI.
Parnell'' and should liked to have knock
! ed him down but did not wish to
upset his mother, who told him that
Parnell had only come to dinner The
letter continues: Perhaps | ought to
have kicked him. You, however, know
more about these things than do. But
II you wish me to kick him it shall be
done on the first opportunity. There was
no cross-eXaminati0n of O'SLea. Photo
graphs of Parnell and Mrs. 0 Shea were
placed in evidence, and Harriet Bull. for
merly In the service of Mrs. Dawson of
Mrs. SHEA some FIVE or six years ago
other gentleman whom she identified by
photograph as Parnell. When he came
the children would 20 out and no one
would be the house bnt he and Mrs.
OShea. They would be together for
hours. He once slept in the house when
OShea was not there. She recollect-
ed on one occasion of going
to Mrs. G 'Shea's bed room to speak to
her. She heard the voices, tried the door
and found io;1ei
Caroline Pethers, widow residing in
Chetleham, rented the house in the latter
part of 1888 to Captain and Mrs O Shea
Two or three days after the family ar
rived the gentleman appeared whom she |
Identified as Parnel. He went by the
name of Charles Stewart. He and Mrs |
. Shea were in the dining |
room for several hours on !
one occasion with the door locked |
Tney were In the other rooms with the
doors locked. They used to drive out in
the night time. Parnell slept frequently
at the house when O'Shea was not there
He was In the drawing room at one time
with Mrs. O'Shea with the door locked
when Captain O'Shea rang the front door
bell. Parnell escaped from the house
went TO the front door, rang the bell and
asked to see Capt. O'Shea. He did not
escape by the stairs. There was balcony
outside and two rope fire escapes in the
house. Laughter The witness saw
Mrs. . Shea once go up stairs, pull down
the blind and enter oarnell's bed room.
Mrs. Q Shea used to carry hot water to
Parnell S bed room. The court here adj