THE ANTECEDENTS OF O’DONNELL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1114, 7 September 1883, Page 3

THE ANTECEDENTS OF O’DON N ELL.

Information concerning tho antecedents Of O’Donnell, tho murderer of J ones Carey, has been supplied to the Cu.gong papers, the South Australian Seginter says, by Mr I!. D’Uisay Ogden, the comedian Mr Ogden, who is himself a native of the Southern States of America, says that ho knew O’Donnell intimately during tho inaurrec binary war in that country. That at that time C’Donneli was a lieutenant in the Confederate army, and served in the prn-vost-marahars department under General Winder in Cichmnl, Virginia. He was a man of undoubted courage, amt of lax principles ; the latter, ho thinks, were occasioned more irom his dissipated habits and love of drink than from any inherent viciousness. After the war he went to Texas, where he fell lower and lower, until at length he found companionship amongst tho guerillas and bushwhackers—the horse and cattle lifters 'hat infested that portion of the country. O’Donnell afterwards made wny to New York, a man of desperate fortunes, and theie joined iho Fenian organisation, entering into tho spirit of the cause with all tho impulsiveness and for;our of his H.bernian nature. While serving in tho army he was generally In hot water with his brother officers. Mr Og !en was lieutenantcolonel in a Virginia cavalry regiment when he made O’Doniiell’a acquaintance, He assured ns that, from his knowledge of the Fenian organisation, he has not a shadow of a doubt that its emii-soies will • within twelve months take the lives of all the infarmers who gave Evidence against thrir fellows in the late trial ; that O’Donnell is not a man who would commit a murder stealthily or feel any remorse at taking a life in such a cause 1 on tho contrary, he would glory in the sanguinary act and boast of his intention to commit the crime before perpetrating the deed. He would look upon it first as a duty to ob-ervo his oath, and as an act of high patriotism to become tho avenger.