The Irish standard., 1897-11-06

self Of the indulgence of pen and paper,
and Of the goodness you have already
manifested towards me, to contradict a
most cruel and injurious publication
which has been put into the newspapers
stating that l confessed myself guilty
of the most enormous crimes which q
perjured and miserable wretch came for
ward to swear against me. My lord,
it is not by the confession of crimes
which would render me unfit for So
ciety that l expect to live--it is upon
the strength of that innocence which
Will boldly maintain with my last
breath. which l have already solemnly
affirmed In a declaration which
thought to be my last, and which l
had directed to be published as my
vindication against infamy ten times
more terrible than death. l know, my
lord. that my own unhappy situation,
the anguish Of a distracted wife and
the mistaken tenderness of an affection
ate brother have been resorted to to
procure that confession, and was Civ
en- to understand my life would have
been spared ME on such conditions.
as decidedly refused. as l should now,
though your excellency's pardon were to
be the reward. Judge then, my lord, CT
the situation of man to whom life
was offered upon no other condition
than that of a confession both false and
base. And lastly, let me make one hum
Bile observation to your excellency, that
the evidence should be strong indeed to
induce conviction. that an Industrious
man enjoying both comfort and conf
dence. who has lived all his life in the
neighborhood. whose character, as we'll
as that of all his stock. has been free
from rcproach of any kind, who. GER
tainly, II allowed to say so much for
himself, would not shed the blood Of
any human creature, who Is a husband
and father of a family, would engage
himself with a common soldier In any
system which had for It's end robbery.
murder and destruction, for such was
the evidence of the unfortunate witness
Wheatly. II upon these grounds, and
the facts already submitted to your OK
ccllcncy, am to be pardoncd, shall
not fail to entertain the most dutiful
sense of gratitude for that act Of JUS
tice, as we'll as mercy, and In the mean
time humbly remain your exccllency's.
etc. etc, WILLIAM ORR"
"Carrickfergus Jail. Oct 10. 1897
1t was this dignified manly and heroic
letter to the vile creature who was by
a blasphemy of justice arbiter of his
fate, and sent over from England for
the deliberate purpose of provoking
rebellion. that made William Orrs muir
der a certainty.
The hundredth anniversary of Orrs
execution was celebrated in Belfast on
Oct. 81. by great Nationalist demon
stratlon. Messrs. John Dillon, Timothy
Harrington and William O'Brien tray
eled from Dublin for the purpose of TAX
Ing part In the proceedings. and deliv-
cred patriotic speeches in which they
made forcible appeals for unity.
William Orr was a wealthy young
Presbyterian farmer who resided near
Farranshane, county Antrim, gentle in
his manner and popular with everybody.
In the April of 1896 he was arrested on
a charge Of having administered tho
United Irish oath to private in the
Fifeshlrc Fencibles. named High Wheat
ley. After being kept In prison for
twelve months he was indicted at Car
rickfergus. the principal witness being
sworn by Presbyterian clergyman. had
confessed himself guilty Of murder. per-
jury, and other crimes. The jury re-
tired at O'Clock Of a Saturday night,
and on Sunday morning at o'clock re-
turned verdict Of guilty, with REC
ommendation to mercy. On Monday
Curran, who defended Orr. moved for a
new trial on an affidavit from several
jurors. stating that some of their col
leagues were drunk, and that one of
their number had been deceived in the
verdict. Notwithstanding all the efforts
of his eloquent advocate. Orr was SEN
fenced to be hanged on the It'll of Oc-
tober. Meantime other efforts were
made to save him. and his brother,
James. with this object signed declar-
alton OF guilt in Williams name, which
the latter disclalmed upon the scarfold,
and which James subsequently stated he
had drawn up without his knowledge
After three rcspites had been granted
Orr was executed on Saturday. the lilh
of October, outside Carrickfcrgus, sur
rounded by an imposing force OF mill
tary. He died with great forttude, and
in the declaration which he read upon
the scaffold again proclaimed his limo
cence.
There was n universal outburst OF in
dignatiOn at his death. and memorial
cards. of which we print fac-simile,
were distributed throughout the length
and breadth of the land. Nor was the
feeling Of Indignation confined to Ire
land, for we are told that in London,
at Il public dinner in honor of Fox's