Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1921-12-12
Famous Trials
Mrs Dudley

No criminal act in 1885 created more
excitement in America, as well as in
England than the shooting of O'Donovan
Rosa, the Irish patriot, in New York on
Monday, Feb. 2, 1885, by Mrs. Yesult
Dudley. Although the injury was not
fatal, yet the prominence of Rosa made
the attempt upon his life matter of con-
sideraoly moro than ordinary Importance
The shooting occurred in frcnt of a little
telegraph office on Chamber street, near
Broa dway. AS Rosa was strolling along
talking to Mrs. Dudley she drew from
pocket nickel-plated revolver and quick
as flash discharged it. the shot taking
effect and Rosa falling to the ground.
She fired more shots in rapid successng
at the wounded man.
A policeman near by took Mrs Dudley
to the police station at the city hall, where
she gave her name as stated. that she was
born in England rs years previously
/! When she was infportuned by the police
sergeant as to why she had done the deed
she said: II did it because he is a muir
derer.
| Rosa was removed to the Chamber
Street Hospital. where he made the state
ment that he had received a letter on jan
81 to the effect that lady wished to see
| him who was interested in the Irish cause
and desired to assist him He made an
appointment with her for the following
Monday, the day of the shooting, and sug-
gested they stroll to a nearby hotel where
| they could talk over affairs in a more pri-
vate manner, Before Rosa knew any
thing of what she had to communicate
Mrs. Dudley had shot him
! AS will be noticed. there is much sim
| ilarity in this tragedy with that of the
way Charlotte Corday went about her
ASA ssination OF Murat.
/ AT the time Rosa gave 1t as his opin-
| ion that the work was instigated by the
British government. There was no
foundation whatever for this suspicion.
When Mrs. Dudley was interviewed in
her cell on the evening Of the shooting
she expr essedN much regret when infor1ne
that her bullets were not likely to prove
fatal. She stated when she met Rosa slc
asked him whether he was at the bottom
of the explosions in England. She claim
ed that he answered her in the affi1ma-
tive. Then she claims to have said tc
him, but think of the awful wrong you
are doing in killing innocent wemen anC
children To this Rosa is said to hav,
treplied:
What is the death of a few woner
and children compared to the wrong Ire
lard has suffered at Englands hands?'
She said that when she had heard this
she made up her mind that he was tn,
worst william alive and determined to xii
him.
Rosa had stormy career. He ha'
spent many years in English prisons mo
: on the charge of treason and felony. Fol
J lowing has last release in 1871 he was ord
. cred to reside outside the United King
dom for rs years. he came to Americs
Later he became editor of the Unite
| 4 II, -ar@l 81 of h rr-n
8 Indirectly implicated in the London dyr
4 anite conspiracy.
! Mrs Dudley had arrived in New Yor
] from England about four months previou
to the shooting She was thoroughly Eng
| lish in sentiment and had no doul
brooded over the troubles in her ow
Z country until her mind became wSakene'
q On the second day, following the shoe
: ing Mrs. Dudley was taken to the tonlo
II where she was arraignej and held fe
n trial. In England the detective forI
q were put to work to discover as much e
h they could about the past life Of the W.
man. 1t was learned that she had, c
several occasions, while living in Londo
attempted suicide due to deranged mel
tality, chiefly brought about through q
II unhappy marriage For time she W;
q incarcerated in Millbank prison to ket
K from carrying out her design.
: Mrs Dudley remained in prison un'
e June 20, when she was placed on trial.
II the rneontirne. Rcssa had recovered ~
was the first witness to appear again
her. The trial was a stormy one, I
repeatedly during his testimony MI
J. Dudley rose to her feet and shout'
r Liar" at him. During one Of his stat
ID ments she turned to the jury and shou
g ed, you had better get away from tn
lie man; you can't tell what viii happen
In another moment Mrs. Dudley crit
IS in1plorinsly, won't somebody plea
n knock that man out of the window" II
ID trial was only continued during She fir
and part of the second day, when MI
Il Dudley wa acuitted June 80, as n
ly being responsible for her actions, al
10 was rernanded to a sanatorfum SIN
IS which time she has disappeared ire
IS public view