A POLITICAL PRISONER.

Mataura Ensign, Volume V, Issue 225, 30 January 1883, Page 3

A POLITICAL PRISONER.

At the titn&gjn '"tttity Seßßions, according to the! MKi^kenriy Moderator,* an ex-dra^er's jusißtant,' named John Anthony Mfeher, / V/fpftnerlybf Roscrea,: lately of Nenagh.j and •iWw-'tt 'RathdPwhey, waft brought up in , custody, oharged~by Subxoonstable Jerepaiah i ';•(' Rega,n-^ith ; having stolen a silk .umbrella „!,' fromithe house of Dr Morton, Summethill, ' ) Nenagh, on Saturday, the -12th Nov.' ; !The '''principal evidence for the prosecution', was . that of Nanny itaipih^ a servant in,' the , eminuploymentof Dr Morton; who deposed that 1 ■' oh the day in question the prisoner called a* ! her, roaster's house and asked if Dr Morton v^asro* .She replied that he was. not, and - 'asked if. Mrs Morton would do; She jthen went to' acquaint her mistress of the presence ' " of thelmanin the ( hall who wanted to see the „i, doctor.. 'On her (witneßß'B) return to the ball Phe missed from the stand a silk umbrella,* "tfe property of a young lady then in a visit toMrB Morton. The umbrella now! pro-J' ; ; ,dnced was tbe one taken frpm the hall. '■■ Tbe ChairnSan : Is that the man (prisoner) whom you saw in the hall? i ■ Witness ; Iv's. sir. I Prisoner (af suming a tragic air) : | „ " Lady, iookme straight in the face, j I-am bufc.the jvj-eck of a royal race; ; Of mv fortune and rriends.-tuey,have bereft me; ■ I'm John Anthony Maher, th'at's aU that's now left .■i a me"-, ; ;•- ",;'■- 1.,-, .- i , y Evidence was then given by a Mrs. Mar-, « i'i BW^JM^flBW* i ! -°. s*; f ffect #"ft* 9Ftss ■ * n '[ login queßi,iMl<Hthenprisoner oame to her ! :;W hußband> l}«in>e^ti/ ; aßj.ec^.iber t ;; td rJ buy,.^hV' ■■f-z urpbietta for. j?s,>*bt|t she^ saidisl\ft c .didjr npt^ ?^-^-^----^Mo*:fa^fi-^^--5B '?$& : him tim^mXA-SXA!t;:X :-£A :X&XXXSa, -XX'^ i,r iOSm^^YKAAYxA V A ! y^^.y? fiJ:.I. iffihetohairniafi'expressed jthat -'^'fiV^-ori'liisu'eii', apparent ■ Respectability as '^'^tß^^'BVom have 'purchased' ; a; | yalui[.i tfthje /iumbreUa Vi £rpm ,^ suoh. a , man as ; the « il fprisonetf fpra , shilling'; tP whioh.the prisoner V !r, retilieft ! that she had no " forecast " in| the matter. -„ , _.. , ( . .. t j S'-: { . Prisoner (whoicwas 0 f all impatience !' to 1 makeaspefeoh): Weii, gentlemen of [the Court, what do you oharge ine with ? I yrent into a house to See^doctor j Iwaa'hnngry, . ; . . : '. I ,waßithirsty-^.(laughter)-rnayi '. , gentlemen, I was 'delirious; b fact, 'twas our | old friend' John Jameson that did it all— throngh inel (Much laughter.) I was but: the '«instrument.'/. (Laughter.) If I took the um'teeUarfand.^^.^-'''"^^-'* 0 ' argument sake, that :^ : did- (great laughter)— l \ was i quite unebnsbioris 'of having done so; that,, gentlemen^ 'ls:^^ the and front ofi my' c-^^l^ , '^S<Sr^|E i B--the odds ?— (^reat < , Slaughter),; ;• tihad £100 a yPar in a draperfe shop in Rathdowney. Let me go back to i A my, business there lagain; and you shall; n!ever seemeniorei ' T. <! .sl ( t"^ jifc iiThe:(Ohairraaß,:j /.There, isino, :doubt jbut that yo^i stole this umbrella,, and the m^gistrates----:' "™ - '• . "'. Prisoner,: Pardpn'me, ! your' wiorship,] for (i ' phe , 'nidment '^vjrhile'' I address the Court; ". Therp; !was often ; ten , times as, much taken ; irom me, audi never said a word, abput ity- - 'Tloßtabhainan^^ stood ! me ih „ ] • l i : 9s 1 4 Jd'^f^rat' cob^, gentlemen; I'assurelyon ,i Tr*(laughter)~ and I have never seen or heard ' ! ■bf them* since. I wish - 1 were dead. ; \ and ; who knows if life be not l! what we poor . .mprtals call death, and death the thing that. i'l.Vre' call life? There's ; for you ( :j rt gentlemen; whioh of you can solve it P ' ' i: s :, Th'e j Ghairm_ri : Why did you leave Rathi ;; , ( , flowney? i , ! „';'( '''..^j^riapnerJ TWeby hangs a tale-- i „i.,;" Ono evening hi May as the 'setting sun shone, ' i , The shop it waa 'there and John Anthony gone/' (Laughter.) •: j ! , , J: !Ehe Chairman; I have here your photo-'.PSfcrcr-vn-'Y -.Y'Y.Y" 1 '■ i "" .. , Prisoner (with well-feigned surprise) : '-«-*^afrhamery<>«^WK)reiiip ?-- Did- -you say my Kphoto, r myj ] •jjeopnd -/ self ? (Renewed laughter.) .> x ; I ' iO-}T The 1 Chairman ,: 'Yes j and it is *n acourate likeness. Look at it (and his Worship con--1 .^fohted' the! prisoner iwitfr his photo, at i the • if oot of whioh was the date '« 17-1-75 "—jand « |he prisonerjß.naine in. full). . , , Prisoner (lo6fcngat ( the piqture with the , /li: ] s_i 'otan art 'oi?itipY V Weii, J ypur worship, 1 fj MJ oftnJipt.)Cpmphttient,,tnear.tist, for. it xanpt a : rfoistriking . likeness; (Laughter.) However, s I w6rflhipV | 100-;'ori;thjat'pioturei then! on ?;3 this' ((-.trikmjg .hia bir4ast), : fdr '^6u .may ne'e r ] uMjiciTheiiShaiWO*"'? Ihaye^^herea record of many previous ( convictions against you, „■ •ind'by whibiil 'find '^hat you were four times I °!'co-ivi<Aect of larceny, seven times j for ■■.m.-.*.-M -y<-i* r - j: ■'- ■-' — -■" -'- " ■•'■ ■'••"■■"->■"•■ "-•■ -■■'• - — ulLfjiPriaonertOhliMother.Q! Mosesl. (Laughter), / a U'.artfjij^Chßjirniari: Once as;a publio nusianoe—

.I i' i ' ' The Chairman: And 21 times for drunkenness — Prisoner! Shall I ever get drunk again? (Renewed laughter.) The Chairman: In fact, we have such a good character of you here on this record that we shall give you the benefit of it, ; and send you" for trial on this charge to the next Quarter Sessions. Prisoner : Now I should like to know who was the recording angel who went tb the trouble of jotting down all my little peccadilloes. What about all the good things I have ever done ? (raughter.) >' Y"Oh I if all my meritorious deeds were stated, ; .-"' They'd more than balance all-you have enumerated." k ':. The Chairman: That' wiU do now;; you may go down. • . "*» r "/ ' Prisoners -■ ' "/Down to the dust from which" I've sprung, j ■ xuuionored) and unsung." ! r , (Great-laughter) - : — -*' | The i Chairman ':! ' -GdnstablS, remove! the prji^oner. ,A£h. >y*>- returned for trial Wtheneit-qiiMr •• s lions. - c '■•* j . Prisr/ney,:; W^iJiHLllil'j-he next quarter sessions be held yrrnr worship P The Chairman : On October 14 next • Prisonor : Holy Moses ! (Laughter.) Then John Anthony, my boy;after all your journeyings to and fro,' and all the pleasant idays and nights you hay© spent, I fear me :very muoh that your sun has at length set,; and set for ever. (Renewed laughter.) „ ,.T he prisoner : was then removed in.custody.

'' Henry Ward Beecher has answered the question, "Is if wrong for a' Christian to dance ? •'• in a I sensibbjandjC^racteristib way. fit ib wioked,'' he says, : " when it is wicked arid it is not when it is not wicked. In itself it has "np more character than walking, wrestling or ,rowing.; Bad company, untimely hours, ( evi l dances may make the exercise evil ; good com pany, early hours and home influence J may make it a ereat benefit."