THE MAYO CONSPIRACY TRIAL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1138, 22 February 1884, Page 3

THE MAYO CONSPIRACY TRIAL.

The trial of ihe men (marked with the murder conspiracy in Mayo has resulted in die disagreement of the jury. They retired to consider iluir verdict at six o’clock, and in two hours af er they announced that here was no chance of their agreeing. The Attorney-General asked that the ju.iy should consider their verdict further, and they again retired ; meanwhile an extremely warm altercation ensued between the Crown counsel and Judge Johnson. The Attorney General ook exception to the judge's charge, and sai i he had no right to tell the jury that t o'eman whs an informer. The judge insisted that he had, and declined to redirect the jury on the subject. The A ttorney-General said the dir-otion was a thoughtless one. The judge retorted that he woul 1 not take cluections from the Attorney General or anyone else on the -ueject. The Attorney-General add he would ask the judge to reserve the case for die court ab > e. The judge peremptorily declined to do so. and added that he. believed th» disagree™ nt of the jury was owing to the multiplicity of issues placed before them arising out of an indie ment which was unnecessarily long. The Attorney General said the indictment was not drawn hy him, but by the aolest lawyer in the country. Mr Peter O’Bnyn adder, that the indictment in the Pheenix Paik cases was very much more elaborate. A very warm in'erohange of views ensued, and in the result the judge decline I to alter his charge. At half-past 11 o’clock the jury were discharged without agreeing to a verdict, except in the case of one of the piisoners, O’Halloran, whom they a'quitted. The Attorney General, in reply to ihe judge, said the Crown hail no intentiou of trying the prisoners again these assizes.