THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 346, 2 April 1868, Page 3

THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

EXAMINATION OF H. J. Q'FAEJiBLL. (Condensed from the Sydney Mail.) First Day, Friday, Mahoh 13. On Friday last, H. J. O'Farrell was brought up in the room over the debtors' prison, at Darlinghursfc Gaol, before H. H. Voss, Esq., W.P.M., charged with shooting at with intent to murder Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Edinburgh, on Thursday, the 12th of March, at Clontarf, Middle Harbor. Mr Williams, Crown Solicitor, appeared for the prosecution. A number of witnesses were examined whose evidence was simply a statement of facts similar to that given below : — William Vial: I am a coachbuilder, parrying on business in Castlereaph street, Sydney I was at the Sailors' Home Pionic at Clontarf, yesterday. I saw the Duke of Edinburgh there. I had been in the luncheon tent, and had left it and walked down the green. The Duke of Edinburgh left the tent with two or three gentlemen . I was about twenty or twentylive feet from them, still looking at them. I saw a man come from behind, at the Bide, make four or five quick steps, and before I had time to speak he levelled a pistol at his Royal Highness's back and fired. Prisoner was about four feet from the Prince when he fired. The Prince fell, and called out, "Oh! my back is broken," or something to that effect. Sir William Manning turned round, and advanced in the direction of prisoner, who retreated. Prisoner presented the pistol at Sir William Manning, and called out " Stand back." He pulled the trigger, but the pistol missed fire, and Sir William Manning fell. Prisoner then levelled the pistol again in a line with the Prince and Sir William Manning, and as he did so I jumped on his back, and threw my arms around him, and pinioned his arms to his side. He twisted his arms round and tried to point the pistol at me, swearing at me. Finding he could not level the pistol pA me he pointed the pistol in the same direction he had it in at first, and as he did so I slipped my right hand down on to his arm and knocked the pistol downwards. This had the result of diverting the direction of the shot from the direction he had intended. I then tried to throw prisoner, but J was seized by the hair of the head by some bystanders. When I extricated myself I was bleeding from the nose and mouth, and received a kjck in the chest, but was not much hurt. Prisoner was taken away. When I caught hpld of prisoner first I called out "I've got h|m. " I had a good view of prisoner's Tape. lam sure he is the man. Alexander Watson deposed : I am a surgeon in the Royal Navy, now serving m board H.M.S. Challenger. I was at the Sailors' Home Picnic, at Clontarf, yesterday. I was near the ©uke of Edinburgh when I heard a pistol shot and saw the Duke fall. I went to his Royal Pighness's assistance. I had him carried jto the tent and caused him to be stripped and found he was wounded over the ninth fib, about two inches to the right of the vertebral column. 1 examined the wound. Jt was a recent pistol-shot wound. The pistol produced appears to be such a weapon as would inflict such a wound. I probed the wound for about one inch and a half. I have no doubt the wound was paused by the shot I heard fired when I paw the Prince fall. The bullet has not been extracted yet. Henry Kawlinson deposed : I am a senior sergeant of police. I assisted to arrest the prisoner yesterday at Clontarf. I saw a pistol taken by senior sergeant Musgrave from the outside breast-pocket pf prisoner's coat. I accompanied the prisoner from the steamer to Darlinghurst GaoL On the H.R/tf.S.N. Company's wharf, as we were going to a cab, prisoner said, "I'm very much obliged to you for getting my fape washed." I had previously caused the blood to be washed off his face. He. said, *'l don't care for death. I'm sorry I missed my aim. I made a b y mess of it." This was said voluntarily and without my having spoken to him. At Clontarf, when I first laid hold of prisoner by the leg, he said he was a "Fenian; may God save Ireland." I was about twenty or twenty-five yardsfrom prisoner when he fired the shots, jand seized him immediately. After we got hi the cab, and immediately aftep he said he ma.de a b . . „y mess, of it, he said, " I can't help it now." Richard Musgrave deposed : I am a senior sergeant of police. I was at the Sailors' Home Pic-nic yesterday, at Clontarf. I saw the Prince come out from luncheon, and shortly after I heard a shot fired. I ran down and seized the prisoner by the hair and the shoulder, and he said, "I'm ab- ?y Fenian ; I'll die for my country." I noticed a revolver in prisoner's coat. I seized hold of jt, and took it out of his pocket. The pistol produced is the same one ; it is a small Colt's revolver. It appears to be a new one, and has the brand of "Ohallinor, gunmaker, Sydney," on it. I stuck to prisoner till I got him on the steamer, and accompanied him to Darlinghurst Gaol. The revolver is loaded and capped in all its chambers. At this stage the case was adjourned until Monday. Second Day, Monday, March 16, committal of thb prisoner. The examination of the prisoner O'Farrell was on Monday resumed and concluded before Mr H. H. Toss, W.P.M., &t Da.rlinghurst gaol. Sir William Montague. Manning deposed : I was at the Sailors' Home Picnic, at Clontarf, on Thursday last. Tl*e Duke signified to me that he desired my attende ance, and walked from the pavilion over the open ground towards the water side, accompanied by myself only. The Duke said he wished to present a dqna,tion to the Sailors' Home, and presented an envelope to me. His Royal Highness was conversing with me when I heard an explosion, as if of some fireworks, olose to where I was standing. I thought at the time that it was a cracker. His Royal Highness was on my right, slightly behind the line in which we were walking, but not enough to see anything that was behind us. Immediately upon the report his Royal Highness either said something or was talking, but whichever it was, it led me to believe that he. was struck. I faced round towards tho direction where the report had come from, and I saw a

man a short distance from me behind the Prince. I believe I advanced in his direction. I cannot be certain whether I went towards him or not. I saw a man corresponding with prisoner now before the Court, bit dressed like a gentlemar. After a short interval I noticed him, i should judge at two or three paces from me. He was presenting a pistol at me in a line with ray head. It appeared to me as if he was iv the act of firing at me, and in so doing 1 lost my balance and fell completely down. I believe either immediately before or immediately after I had got down I saw the pistol snapped. I was in the act of rising almost immediately afterwards when I saw the man again at a somewhat greater distance, although I could not be sure of it, and presenting what appeared to be the same pistol again. I believu the pistol was pointed at myself, and just at that instant I saw two arms clasp the man from behind, just at the instant ho was about to fire. Very shortly afterwards the pistol exploded, but how soon I could not tell. It was almost immediately. The next thing I saw, after getting up, was a cluster of men where the man had stood leaning over something on the ground and struggling. I observed one or two policemen trying to pull them oft". This was somewhat at my right hand as I was then standing. Almost at the same instant I saw. some men on my left hand carrying the Duke of Edinburgh to his tent ; and I heard his Royal Highness say something as to the way in which they were carrying him, or to carry him easily. I then followed his Royal Highness, and took no more notice of the person who fired the shot. Prisoner is of the same stamp, figure, and general a])pearancu as the man I saw fire the pistol, but I cannot possibly identify him. I have no recollection when the man was presenting the pistol at me of anything being said by prisoner. Mr Voss, to prisoner : Now, O'Farrell, have you any questions to ;iak ? Prisoner : " No. But I wish to state that if Sir William Manning had not rushed right at me, between me and the Duke, the Prince would have received a second shot, and then I would have shot myself ; but I had not time. Of course, I had nothing against Sir William Manning." Prisoner then said something about Sir William Manning saving the Prince, and when asked if he did say so, replied : " That statement says so," meaning the statement he had just made. Mr Voss then gave the usual caution, and asked him if he had any statement to make. Prisoner : " I have nothing more to state but that the task of executing the Prince was alloWd to me, and I have failed, and I am not very sorry that I have failed." Prisoner also said'something about his being sent out to execute the Prince, and on his being nsked to tell it over again said, "I will not repeat it again." Prisoner was then committed to take his trial at the next sittings of the Central Criminal Court, to be held on Thursday, the 26th of March. Prisoner was then removed. The special sittings of the Central Criminal Court, for the trial of O'Farrell, commenced on the 26th ult, before Judge Cheeke. Mr Aspinal, of Melbourne, appeared for the prisoner, and on his application ilie trial was postponed till Monday, the 30th ult.