THE MURDER OF CAREY.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 305, 13 November 1883, Page 5

THE MURDER OF CAREY.

» > o'dosnell's antecedents. ■ i A Dublin correspondent, who has investigated the life of O'Donnell up j to his leaving for the Cape, writes : — ••Meeracladdy^'Donnell's native place, is situate in an exceedingly poor and mountainous district, in one of the remotest parts of Donegal, a few miles frem the northern seaboard. The halfdozen or so miserable hovels which constitute the village -of Meeracladdy are distant from the small hamlet of Derrybeg (which is situate on the mailcar route to the fishing village of Bunbeg) over six miles, over the wild and rugged 'mountain road which terminates at Meerauladdy. Here O'Donnell's parentß eke out a living by farming a few acres of wretched land. They had four children, two boys and two girls and of these all are living except one of the girls, who died ten years ago. Patrick O'Donnell, the man now in custody, is 45 years of age, and the eldest of the family. At the age of 21 he went to America, where he married a girl from Cloghaneely, which i« situate in thrf same district as his n-itivo place. He lived for uome tin.: in Philadelphia, and his wife is sill living ii that city. His relations kno •• v >ry lit le a/out bis movement* in Aineiic but a person with who aO'D »uu ;ll was in the habit of keeping company during a short stay in LuUorive.iny last May, to which soj hum T viil refrr presently, furnished ' »ih "vviiii the following details of hist c.veer in America given him by <>'!> uui^'l himself. O'Donnoll, nn his arrival ;m America in 1859, turned lo laboring work, which he att'jr .yards n ave up for herding sheep. He served in the American war, and was favorably spoken of by his superiors. Being of a thrifty and sober disposition he Bayed some money, part of which he invested in the Pennsylvania silver mines. His investment proving a failure, he went to the frontier of Canada, where he. opened a small public house and made a considerable amount of money, 2,000 dols of which he invested in Penian bonds! These proving another failure, he gave up the public house and cime to Ireland, where he remained but a short time. He returned to this country during the latter portion of 1879, but did not remain long in Ireland before he went to Scotland, where a soreness in his knee obliged him to enter, a hospital in Edinburgh, .where he was detained for some months. At this £ticno he had no means, and his brother Daniel sent him sufficient to enable him to; reach his brother at Derry beg, county Donegal, which he did in December, 188t. He remained with his brother! for threejmonthsjwhen he again started for Am erica, from which he 'lid not return until May inst". Of his movements in America during this visit I was unable to learn more than that he was for a long time in hospital &t PhiJadelphia suffering ivow\ a swoVnng m the leg ariel ttftcrsvards he fpeufc some time at Ironton. I.hive,: however, been able to obtain full information of his movements from the time he landed from America by an Anoho.r I^ine steamer ab Londonderry in May last, up to the date of his departure for London to embark on the Kinfauns Castle for the Cape, Be arrived, as I stated, by an Anchor line «te«mer in Londonderry on May 27, and stopped at a small publichouse in Bishop Street, belonging to a man named M'Divitt. He ddayod a few days t l ere, and during his fqjemm ft pPWn, wlio }s described as of gentlemanly appearance and ap* parentty welUto-do, was continually in his company. This person left Londonderry before O'Donnell did, expressing his intention of visiting the shrine of Knock, county Mayo, During Q'Dgn, nells sojourn, "in JpndondeEry he was irequentily in the company of IrishiVmericaM After spending a few days in that city be. left for Letterkenny, where bo stayed three days at a publichouse, kept; by a man named nDiver, During his stay there he was \ pegarde4 a* a : very steadj, eventempered man, who, never drank j in faptj-hfl stated, he was a total abstainer for several years. A small, sixchambered revolver, of the "bulldog" pattern, was seen in his possession. !pYom bis conversation, while in Letter- . kenny, he was lpoked. u.uon. t as an extreme Nationalist, but it is stated that he was totally opposed to secret societies,, and quoted the working of the* Invincible organisation. to strengthen his argument, remarking that Carey, after organising the body and inveigling persons to join it, had turned round and sworn their lives away, ♦ Wb4 dp you tbioH pf Orey f he was asked, ♦Well,' he remarkod, 1 1 would not shoot him, but burn him by inches.' He was very strong in his denunciations of the informer whenever Ju'B name cropped np, Fw what I oould gather, I understand he never saw Carey, and never alluded to him specially more than in the ordinary course of conversation. From the first moment after his arrival he expressed Ms intention of going to the Capo, saying that 'America was played out.' He delayed a few days in Londonderry before proceeding to London to join the vessel in which he sailed, and during that time be met a givl named Qall'aher, of Stra^abrooey, who wag in service in that oity. She left tor London with him, and it is now i admitted that she is the girl who was with him on board the Melrose when i the murder occurred with WOtt W now stands charged, O'DanneJl, ac- ; campanied by this girl, left Derry tor Belfast about June 23, when he took . the steamer for Liverpool and proeiede* thence for fcandon, O'DaweiU

a father died twelve years ago, but hh d mother is living, and reside at Derrye beg. with another son, who. is oi n steady, industrious habits, and, like », his brother Patrick, a total abstainer. i- O'^onneli is described as being a quiet, amiable, and sober man, There is a t genuine sympathy for him in his r present position. O'Donnell was a r Roman Catholic, and was never known fc to any secret society, and the idea of his hating gone to the Cape specially . to dispatch Oarey is ridiculed by those in Donegal best able to give an opinion on the matter. The police authorities have been completely baffled in their j inquiries regarding O'Donnell and his i relatives, and his friends have turned . a deaf ear to the inquiries addressed them by the local police."