THE ASSASSINATION OF LORD CAVENDISH AND MR BURKE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2568, 30 June 1882, Page 3

THE ASSASSINATION OF LORD CAVENDISH AND MR BURKE.

From the Home papers we take the following account of the above tragedy : No outrage of late years has created so widespread a feeling of horror as that of which the news reached London close upon midnight on May 6th, namely, that Lord Frederick Cavendish, before he had assumed for six hours the duties of Chief Secretary for Ireland, had been brutally set upon and murdered within half a mile of his official residence, and that the permanent Undersecretary, Mr Burke, had shared his fate. The assassination, which was consummated in broad daylight, in the Pecenix Park, must have been deeply planned, and although the public impression appears to be that it was only intended to assassinate Mr Burke, and that Lord F. Cavendish was murdered because he happened to be with the Under-Secretary, and to guard egainst discovery, there is reason to believe that the design was the very contrary, and that the object of the miscreants who plotted the murder was to commit a deed which would strike terror into the English Government by murdering not a mere subordinate officer of the Government here, but one of the highest rank, next to the Viceroy in the Irish Eiecutivo, and the son of a great English peer. They could at any time have assassinated Mr Butko, who was well known in the city, and who walked about at all hours without fear and unarmed. He never had an escort, and his habits must have been familiar to all who chose to watch his movements. It may bo that his fata was reserved deliberately until a double stroke could be aimed at the Executive, but the supposition which naturally occurs that Lord F. Cavendish was not known and was not likely to be obnoxious is refuted by thr fact that as the procession passed through Dame street, near the Castle, 5 man stood at the carriage in which Lord P. Cavendish, Mr Jenkinson, and the Hon. Mr Spencer were seated, and asked if Lord F. Cavendish was in the procession. He received no answer, and, moving on, repeated this question, without eliciting a reply. He esked a third time, and then Lord F. Cavendish, raising his hat, said, “ I am Lord F. Cavendish.” The man replied, “Thank you, that will do,’ and went away, A man similarly attired was afterwards observed in the park near the scone of the murder. The Lord Lieutenant left the Castle about six o’clock in the evening, and rode along with an aide-de-camp through Thomas street to the Park without attracting any attention. The Chief Secretary and the Under-Secretary were to have dined with his Excellency. Lord F. Cavendish left the Castle on foot shortly afterwards, as ho wished to have a walk, and the evening was temptingly fine. Mr Burke left the town afterwards, and on reaching the Park Gate, probably feeling fatigued, hired the car of an old man named Fiynn and drove on. Ho had not proceeded far when he overtook Lord F. Cavendish, and they both walked on together until they reached a spot exactly opposite the Viceregal Lodge. It was then about halfpast seven o’clock. There the assassins were in waiting for them, and evidently from the nature of the wounds attacked them from behind with savage ferocity, inflicting upon each of them death wonnds with deep deadly thrusts of a triangular weapon, probably a ong dagger. They wore, of course, taken completely unawares, but Mr Burke appears to have made a struggle with his assalants, or his fingers wore out. The work of blood must have been done in a couple of minutes, and as if to make it tho more shocking, it was committed in full view of the Lord • Lieutenant himself, who was walking in tho grounds in front of the Viceregal Lodge along with Colonel Caulfield, and saw a group of men struggling, but attached no importance to it, thinking it was some horseplay or wrestling on tho part of some of tho humbler classes who frequent the park. The same struggle was witnessed by Captain Greatrex, of the Boyal Dragoons, stationed at Island Bridge Barracks, who walked through the gate nearest the barracks into the park and observed a car waiting. He walked on, and near the scene of the murder saw the struggle, but had no suspicion that a murder was being perpetrated. He saw four men get up on the oar and drive away. They went through the Island Bridge gate and into town, not to Ohapelizod, as was at first reported. Captain Greatrex, observing two men on the ground, and seeing patent leather boots on one of them, Mr Burke, concluded that a robbery had been committed. He immediately afterwards observed Lord F. Cavendish, who was lying in the roadway about three feet from the footway, while Mr Burke was stretched on the grass about 15ft behind. Colonel Caulfield, in the meantime, had his attention attracted by a man, who gesticulated and called

“ Murder !” The Lord-Lieutenant, was about to proceed over with him to see what was the matter, but His Excellency was persuaded not to do so lest he might bo insulted. Oolonol Caulfield wont over himself, and was horrified at recognising the bodies. Lord Frederick was not quite dead at the time, but gasping and convulsively moving in hie death struggle. The Colonel asked a policeman who came up to taka charge of the man who had called out, in order that ho might be examined, but the constable unaccountably let him slip. The police had the bodies removed to Steevens’ Hospital, which adjoins the King’s Bridge terminus of the Great Southern and Western Bailway, not far from the Park gate. Lite was quite extinct when they were removed. Until the bodies wore stripped no adequate idea could be formed of the savage malignity with which the murder had been committed. It may be inferred when it is stated that Lord F. Cavendish had eight gaping wounds. In his right armpit was a horrible gash, which he received frcm a stab in the right shoulder, completely cutting through the arteries and vessels, and it is believed causing death by hemorrhage. Under his body, when found in the Park, there was a very large pool of blood. He had two cuts on the right side over the right scapula, two cuts over 1 the second rib in the right breast, and one cut in the centre of the back; a wound, too, tn the neck at the right side, and a wound opposite the second rib at the right side. His left arm was almost severed across by a slash of probably a bowio knife, which cut through the bone. He had apparently raised his arm to protect himself. Some of the wounds in front wore caused by the penetration of the weapons, Mr Burke had no fewer than eleven wounds. He had threo wounds in the fingers of his loft hand, a terrible wound in the throat threo and a half inches deep, which severed the jugular vein, a fearful wound at the back, drawn downwards, which pierced the bresst, and is believed to have been the wound which killed him, and three wounds in front of his chest, besides other wounds. A young men named Jacob, who was birdnesting in the park, saw the occurrence at a distance of two hundred yards. He states that he saw four men drive up on an outside car after the ecufll j, and drive away into the trees towards the Hibernian Military School, which lies to the south of thp Vico-regal Lodge, and is hidden in tall trees. He lost eight of the vehicle, and did not think much of the occurrence. Ho saw the men act with each other as if playing. There was no noise or cries. The carman remained on the dicky while the struggle proceeded. It did not last for more than two minuter, and then the men jumped up on the oar and hurriedly but coolly drove off. £IO.OOO rhwaed. The following Government proclamation waa issued in Dublin on May 9th by the Lord-Lieutenant, General and GeneralGovernor of Ireland: —Spencer—Whereas Lord Frederick Charles Cavendish, the Chief Secretary, and Thomas Henry Burke, Eeq., the Under-Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, were brutally murdered in the Phccaix Park, in the county of Dublin, on tbe evening of Saturday, May 6th, 18S2; and whereas four persons are believed to have bean concerned in the actual perpetration of these murders. Kow we, John Poynfz, Earl Spencer, Lord-Lieutenant, General and Governor-General of Ireland, for tho better apprehending such persons end bringing them to justice, are pleased hereby to efftr a reward of £IO,OOO to any person or persons whe within three months from the date hereof, shall give such information as shall lead tc the conviction of the murderers, and a further reward of £IOOO for such private infor matiou within the same time as shall lead tc tho same result. And we are also ploasec hereby to offer to any person concerned in o: privy to the murders—nob being one of thi actual perpetrators thereof—who shall withii (the same time give such information as shal lead to tho conviction of the murderers, i . free pardon, and the special protection o j, the Crown in any part of her Majesty’s domi niono.”

THU fIBASOH 808 THH KCEDEBBE3. A* day* go by and the assassins of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr Burke still remain at large, despite the offer of every inducement for their capture, the hope that they will be eventually apprehended grows fainter and fainter. It ia now scarcely possible to doubt that the secret society which planned and carried out the murders is also able to efiord protection to the instruments who executed its decrees. A society which can do this must not only be well organised and possessed of large fnnds, but must exercise a dominating influence over vast masses, if not the vast majority, of the Irish population. But for this influence very actively exercised on behalf of the assassins these miscreants would almost certainly have been brought to justice by this time, It has been stated that the guilty persons could at any moment be pounced upon, but that the detectives were cunningly weaving their toils around them before seizing their prey. It is all a delusion or » dream conjured up by the excited imagination of a gossiping public and of those who desire to humor them by the promise of good news. The hope of ever bringing the assassins to justice is beginning to die out, and the pitisnea with which each day’s expected disclosures were awaited being now exhausted, a feeling of bhter disappointment and irritation is baginning to find vent in complaints against the police and authorities for want of presence of mind and of energy in the first instance Those complaints, which are to a large extent unreasonable, may have a mischievous effect, because they distract the attention of and dishearten the officers, who are straining every nerve to discover the murderers. Thsy cling to the hope that the last proclamation offering £SOO reward for information which may lead to the arrest of any person found harboring the murderers may open new sources of intelligence. The Lord-Lieutenant is indefatigabla in his attention to this and other matters connected with the duties of his office. The police state that they have discovered that on the evening of the murder a man, who represented himself as a ear- driver went into a car owner’s place in the city and hired a horse and car, the panels of the oar being painted red. The car was returned about half-past eight o’clock the same evening. It had evidently been driven rapidly, and the horse was covered with foam/ The driver, who was a stranger to the owner of the oar, stated when hiring it that he would use his own cushions, a not unusual course when a driver, whose own car may be ia cource of repair, hires one temporarily. The car had been out for about five hours, and the police have ascertained that shortly before it was returned, and in the same neighborhood four men were seen to get off the car. When the driver brought in the horse and oar the men in the yard began to abuse him for driving too hard, and he made off, and has not been heard of since. The police state that they have a suspicion of whom the carman is, but they have not arrested him. The police rest their hopes on an informer turning up, but should they be disappointed in this they say they will arrest the carman whom they suspect. The horse and car has been shown to the witnesses examined at the inquest, but they do not agree as to the identity of either ono or the other with the horse and oar seen by them on the night of the murder. It now appears that there is no foundation for the statement that the police are able at any moment to put their hands on the right men for the Phoenix Para murders, There is really no additional evidence forthcoming, and there is every reason to believe that the murderers are as far as over from being made amenable. The belief continues that they have never left the city, and there is causa for apprehension that at any moment a similar atrocity may be committed. Special precautions are being taken for the protection of the officials at the Oastle and of the Judges. The members cf the judicial bench and the officers of the Crown are being closely watched by the police. Some of the Judges, especially Mr Justice Fitzgerald, have been threatened from time to time. The houses of the Assistant Under-Secretary (Dr. Kaye), the Law Advisor (Mr Naish, Q. 0.1, and others ara now closely watched by the detectives, reception op the news in xondon. Intelligence of the murders spread rapidly in London. At first it was received with incredulity, followed by expressions of the strongest indignation. The Cabinet, hastily summoned, mot in the afternoon, and remained in deliberation for several hours. Mr Forster had called upon the Prime Mii- ; eter earlier in the day, aad_ it is announced, offered his services provisionally as Chief Secretary for Ireland. The following paragraph also appeared in the “ Court Circular ” :—“ Her Majesty received with deep grief the horrible nows of the assassination of Lord Frederick Cavendish, Chief Secretary, and of Mr Burke, Under-Secretary, for Ireland." The Queen, on 'receipt of the news from Mr Gladstone, telegraphed to Lady Frederick Cavendish her great grief at the dreadful outrage that had filled her heart with sorrow. When the news first reached Mr Gladstone ho was at the Austrian Embassy, where, with Mrs Gladstone, he had been dining. Sir William Haroourt and the Earl of Kimberley were also guests of the Ambassador and Countess Kavolyi. The terrible intelligence caused profound consternation and dismay, the party immediately breaking up. Earl and Countess Granville did not receive the sad and melancholy news till they reached home from dining with Mr ond Mrs Hussey "Vivian in Belgrave Squerr, whoa they received a communication from the Home Secretary. Lord Harrington, who was ore of the

guests of Lord Northbrook, First Lord of the Admiralty, to meet tho Duke ana Duchess of Edinburgh, did not hoar the sad intelligence till he left. Soon afterwards the distroesing fact of the assassination of his brother became known to most of the company, who immediately left, overwhelmed with the calamity. Lady Frederick Cavendish is said to be overwhelmed wish grief at tho sad fate of her husband. Mr Gladstone called at Carlton House terreco on his way to Lord Granville’s; Mrs Gladstone, Lady Frederick’s aunt, and Lord Edward Cavendish also visited the bereaved lady in the afternoon. THE I3ISH PAELIAMENTART PASTY ON THE ASSASSINATIONS. The following manifesto has been issued by the Irish Parliamentary Party : “ To the People of Ireland.—On the eve of what seemed a bright future for our country, that evil destiny which has apparently pursued us for centuries, has struck another blow at our hopes, which cannot bo exaggerated in its disastrous consequence. In this hour of sorrowful gloom -we venture to give an expression of our profounde.-t sympathy with the people of Ireland in tho calamity which has befallen our causa through a horrible deed, and to those who had determined at the last hour that a policy of cor cilia lion should supplement that of terrorism and national distrust. We earnestly hops that the attitude and action of the whole Irish people will assure the world that an assassination such as that which has startled us almost to the abandonment of hope for our country’s cause is deeply and religiously abhorrent to their every feeling and iustiuot. We appeal to you to shot* by every manner of expression possible that amid the universal feeling of horror which this assassination has excited, no people feci so intense a detestation of its atrocity, or so deep a sympathy for those whoso hearts must be seared by it, as the nation upon whoso prosoocts and reviving hopes it may entail consequences more ruinous than have yet fallen to the lot of nnhsppy Ireland during the present generation. We feel that no act has ever been perpetrated in our country during the exciting struggles for social and political rights of the past fifty years that has so stained the name of hospitable Ireland as this cowardly and unprovoked assassination of a friendly stranger, and that until tho murderers of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mi Burke ate brought to justice that stain will sully our country ’a name.— Chas. 15. Paknell. John Dillon, Michael Davitt.” LETTEB PBOM THE QUEEN.

The Queen has shown her sympathy with Mies Burke in the following kind letter : “ Buckingham Palace, M ay 10;h. “Dear Miss Burke,—Though not personally acquainted with you, I am anxious to express to you again in writing how deep and sincere my sympathy is with you in this hour oi terrible affliction and bereavement, ond hov much I deplore the loss of ono who had devoted his life to the service of his sovereign and country so loyally, faithfully, and ably It is impossible to express the horror which 1, in common with the world at large,’ have experienced at the dreadful event of last Saturday ; and, while nothing can make up to you

and poor Lady Frederick Cavendish the loss of a beloved brother and husband, ths universal sympathy whiohjis felt for yon may, I hope, be something to yon. Trusting that your health may not suffer, and praying that God may support you, "Believe mo, yours sincerely, “(Signed) Victoria E.” MESSAGE FROM LADV P. CAVENDISH, The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, replyingto an address from the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the other day, after paying an. earnest tribute to the memory of Lord F. Cavendish and Mr Burke, said it would bs his duty to see that every effort was road® to trace the criminals and to maintain and enforce the law. The Government would, at the same time, endeavor to deal liberally with questions like that of arrears of rent, which appear to be retarding the restoration cf order. His Excellency took occasion to road a letter from Lady Frederick Cavendish, in which she said :" I should be very glad if there can be any means of lotting it be known in Ireland, to as to have some good effect, that I would never grudge the sacrifice of my darling's life if only it leads to the putting down of the frightf ol spirit of evil in the land. He would never have grudged it if he could have hoped that his death would do more than his life. There does seem some hope of this, and you are doing all yon can to keep down that dreadful danger of parji® and blind vengeance.” The Lord-Lieutenant-added—“Let Iheoe noble Christian principles be our guide at the moment of trial and anxiety. Let it be known in this country that Engliehmen are determined to do justice to Ireland, and to promote her welfare with a devotion equal to but not surpassing that which has been so tragically cut short. Then from the darkest night may rise a bright day.” During the delivery of these word® Earl Spencer was deeply Effected, and at certain parts could scarcely proceed for emotion, which was visibly shared by all present. Mr Trevelyan burst into tears, and he was not the only one in the room who did so when the most touching words of the widowed Lady Frederick Cavendish were read.