The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1883-05-18 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

TRIAL OF JOE DIULLETT. VERDICT AND SENTENCE. DUBLIN, Thursday.  There was an air of languor about the proceedings in Green-street t..-clay which not even the strange revelations which the Attorney-General, in his opening statement of the case agaii,st Joseph Mull itt, unfolded could dissipate. The truth is that judge, counsel, and jurors are not unnaturally weary of the whole business. Joe Mullett, who was arraigned to-day on the charge of attempting to murder Mr. Field, is a man of small stature and misshapen form, not so much hunchbacked as what may be described as chicken-breasted. The extracts that wore read to-day from his diary proved his mind to lio as strangely assorted as his body. The diary was full of pious expressions and pious resolutions, alternating with references of a political character and comments on passing events—especially on the murdvrs that took place in Dublin during Os year 1882—the murder in Tighe-street, the murder of Baily, the informer, in Skipper's-alley, and the murders in the Phoenix-park—the peculiarity about the entry in the latter case being that it bore internal evidenc 3 that it had not been written until a considerable time after the dete under which it was entered —the 6th of Mar. The prisoner, on being c died upon to plead, ref used to do so, and wanted to give the grounds of his refusal. He was proceeding to do so when Judge O'Brien stopped him, and the Attorney-General proceeded wt i his opening. Robert Farrell was toe first witness called. His evidence pointed to the prisoner as the man who on the evening of the 27th of November gave the order for the attack on Mr. Field, which was carried out, and the attack on Mr. Barrett, which failed in consequence of that gentleman's absence from town. Tao prisoner, who conducted his own case. crws-examined Farrell and the other witnesses who are approvers, not on any point touching on the case, but merely as to the oaths they had taken to the Fenian organiz %don and to the Invincible's' organization, insinuating that as they heA  not kept those, their oath on the table should have no weight. the charge against the pi ironer of having been the prune instigator of the outrage on Mr. Field having been clearly proved, the case for the Crown c'osed, snit Mul!ett was asked if he had anything to say to the jury or any evidence to offer. Ile said he would now, if he were allowed, ray what he intended to have said at the commencement of the trial, and accordingly he proceeded to say that "our case " had ben prejudged by English public opinion, by the PreFß, and in the Senate, and was about to quwe something add by Sir William Harcourt on the subject, when Mr. Justice O'Brie a peremptorily stoppAl him, and said he would allow no reflections on any one out.dde the case. Mullett, after eue or two attempts to continue, subsided, and his lordk hip summed up the evidence briefly. There was a general impression that the jury would not leave their b.ix, but they did retire, taking with them the documents gnat in evidence. They returned in a quarter of an hour, w.th a verdict of Guilty, and as the uage began to pass sentence. the prisoner, win) probably thought that like men convicted of a capital crime he would be asked it he hail anything to say why sentnice sheltie' not be passed upon biin, interrupted his lordship with a request to be allowed to make a few remarks. " Not at present," said Mr. Justice O'Brien, and in a few forcible words proceeded to pass sentence of penal servitude for life. As the prisoner was being removed he made a last effort to give utterance to his pent-up eloquenc.-, but was quickly cut short by the attentions of the warders.