New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-16
CAPTAIN 0'SHEA'S STORY,
OPENING DAY OF THE NOTED DIVORCE
sA. TRIAL.

MRS osHDA AND Mr.. PARNELL MAKE NO DE-
FENcE-A LONG NARRATIVE OF THE RE-
LATIoNs OF THE IRISH LEADER
AND MRS. osHEA.
London Nov l5-Thc trial Of the O'shea divorce
case opened in the Divorce Court this morning.
large audience present listen 10 the proceedings
Mr.. Justice Butt presided. special jury had been
impanelled to tty the case. Sir Edward Carke'
soficitor-General and Mcssrs. 1nderwick, Lewis
and Coward appeared for Captain oshes' the
plaintiff Messrs. Lockwood and pritchard for Mrs.
o'shea the respondent and Mr.. Mccall for Mrs steele
sister Mrs. Oshca against whom there Is counter
charge Of inhdellty with Captain 0Shea. Mr. Parncii
tho correspondent. not represented by counsel
Captain oshea was seated in front Of Mr.. lnderwick
l. and was the only prominent figure present
Mr. Coward briefly opened the case for the petitioner
He said that Is he understood the the respondent
denied that she had been unfaithful as did also the
correspondent Tho respondent, he said, In addition
to her Denial further alleged that the petitioner had
connived at her sin, had wilfuly separated himself
from her. and guilty Of unreasonable delay In bring
ing the action against her.
Mr. Lockwood for the respondent stated that he did
not intend 70 crossexamine OF the witnesses called
for the petitioner lie would not can any witnesses on
behalf of Mrs. oSheA nor take any part In the pro-
ceedngs.
said that Mr. Lockwood's announcement had seriously
altered the position, that neither Mr. Parne nor
Mrs. O'shea would take any part In the case.
Mr. Justice Butt here remarked. "The situation Is
quite new TO me- and asked Does any one appear
for Mr.. Parnellf"
81 have inquired" responder Sir Edward CLARKE, but
find that appears for him. 1t is therefore an I'M
defended csse" Continuing he said that in the interests
of client and in view Of the remarkable plesdngs
1t would be necessary to prove the petitioners case by
sufficient evidence. The petition for divorce ne sad
filed In December last Mr.. Parnell had then put
in simple denisl of the charge against him. MRS.
O'Shea did not content herself with denial, but made
counter charges against her husband, alleging that ne
had crminally intimate with number Of different
persons. including her own sister. Mrs. steele
She. also charged him with cruelty ana WIN
n:,% . sS.nvSs her s ess years.
fSe plea almost Amounted to confession. Ths hus-
band cruelty annoyed at the defendants charges,
but he Clarke) would b able absolutely to dsDfove
every possible suggestion against him. He could show
that the charge Of connivance groundless; that
when O'shea first heard Of the intimacy between his
wife and Parnell he challenged ParDc to fight duel
the Continent. That continuous acts OF unfahfnl
had been committed by the respondent and CO.
respondent would DO placed beyond doubt Witnesses
would prove that while the respondent visiting In
Bedford Square she was visited by Parnell, WHIP went
UNDER the name Of Smith. At another house he
visited her Mr.. Stuart. On one occasion he had to
escape b. balcony to avoid detection by oShea.
The respondent and Mr.. Parnell, Sir Edward Clarke
maintained, had actually lived together at Eastbourne
and Broclcy Mr.. Parnel he said could not face the
evidence. He allowed judgment to 60 by default. be-
cause no dared not 60 into the witness box. The
criminal law had terrors for some people whom the
moral law could not bind. He did not wonder at Mr.
Parnelrs refusal to the charges Of faithess
flsehood and betrayal Of the friendship Of the
man who wss trusting him. Captain O'shea stood
-
Mr.. Parnell, who dned with him and Mrs. o'Shea Mrs.
sseele being Of the party. Nothing excited Cap
tain oSheas suspicion until 1881, when Mr.. Parnel
visited the respondent at Ethan. His annoyance
Mr.. Parnelps approaches to his wife led Captain
OShea to send the challenge TO Mr.. Parnell
Mrs. Steele Parne,, who assured her that there
was no ground for Jealous suspicious. Oshea wrote
Parnel and the latter replied that he bad answered
through the assurances he had given Mrs Steele.
Afterward afiectonate relations between 0'Slea aud
his wife continued and ParneIl was again in
vited to Ethan. in 1883, after Parnell had been
released from Kilmainham Jail. he renewed his visits
TO Ethan. and almost habituaIy slept there panell
used to drive from Parliament to Ethan. and Mrs.
O'shea would 60 downstairs to meet him when he ar
rived. Sometimes she slept away from the house
when Parneu net tncre. Captain O'Shea wrote
to his wife. demonstrating against these visits, and
declaring his intention Of vacating his seat in Para
ment. Furious scenes occurred between him and his
wife. On one occasion no had found portmanteau
belonging Mr.. Parne at his house. and carried 1t
of, throwing 1t out Of q railway station
Sir Edward Clarke further said that, the night
an angry scene occurred between Oshea and his wife.
and the former, leaving Wanhcrst Lodge where they
were staying, walked to London. The following day
he went Mrs. steelc's house and told her Of what
had happened. 1t was then he challenged Parneu,
but quarrel arranged through Mrs. Steees as
In April, 1885, Mrs. OShea and her family
went to live In Bedford Square, Brighton. Her hus-
tyxo Waon h~
was not there strange gentleman was constant WIS.,
itor. Mrs. Dawson, who kept the house, and two
servants would tell the jury who the stranger was,
end would prove that the pair were sometimes iocEcd
In Mrs. OShoa's bedroom together At another house
Psrncn also visited the respondent. lie was careful
always to keep out Of the way Of oshea escaping by
way of back balcony avoid tho Captain and after
ward going 10 the front Of the house and presenting
himself having just arrived
O'Shea went abroad III, and during his absence
Parnel lived at Ethan. Rumors reached OShea about
his wife and Parnel and he wrote to Mrs. O'Shea Tor
an explanation. lie also wrote to Parneil' saying:
.You have behaved very badly to scandal by
your continued visits" To this Paneu replied 81
don't know any reason any cause for scandal
Mrs. o'Shca also to her husband. pointing out
that the chldren's chance of inhcrng the property
Of their aunt, Mrs. Woods, would be damaged by
scandal. This occurred in 1884. Oshea's Suspicious
were luIled asleep and the pair seemed more CON
6dent as to what they could do at Ethan. In 1850
three horses President Dictator" and Home
Rule,. were bought. The first was Pasnehs hacA'
tho second tine respondents ana the iast was al
GA hack for common use" abOut the fate OF WHICH,,
aAAel Sir Edward, with malicious humor, Il don't
know anything" After that a new room was built
for PArnel with access to the respondents boudoir
In 1886 . paragraph in the papers described car
rAgs accident that happened to Parnell at Eitham'
Oshea saw the paragraph and telegraphed 10 MS we
asking her its meaning. Her reply which was couchea
IN aeottonate tsrYns said 81 haven't the slightest
aes of what means, unless It is intended to get
rise out Of you. 1t has been made up by Healy and
company better not to rotaliate. for 1t Is as
lighting with . sweep-you are sure 10 eet oif'S'
She Also sept her husband letter which she alleged
she had received from Parnell. which was false ana
invented That letter concocted purely for tho
purpose Of being shown to o'shca. In 1t Pameh
wrote that he had couple Of horses at Bexey out at