ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION of H.R.H. the DUKE of EDINBURGH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 79, 3 April 1868, Page 2

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION of H.R.H. the DUKE of EDINBURGH.

The Sydney Morning Herald of the 13th ult. thus describes the scene which occurred at the attempted assassination of H.Ii.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, who only a few minutes previously had been conversing with Sir William Manning, with reference to the Sailors' Home, and to mark his approbation of the institution, had handed Sir William a handsome cheque as a donation to its funds. The Herald says :■ — The police, headed by Superintendent Orridge, got hold of the assassin, and they had the greatest difficulty in preventing the infuriated people tearing him limb from limb. In this the police were ably assisted by the Chief Justice, Lord Newry, and the men of the Galatea band. Both Lord Newry and Sir Alfred Stephen exerted themselves to get the prisoner oa board the steamer lying at the wharf, while Mr Orridge, with Herculean strength, kept back the crowd as much as possible. The task of putting the prisoner on board the ship was not an easy one, and it was fully ten minutes before they could get him on to the wharf. By that time all the clothing from the upper part of his body was torn off, his eyes, face, and body, were much bruised, and blood was flowing from various wounds ; and when he was dragged on. to the deck of the Patterson he appeared to be utterly unconscious. No sooner was he on board than a number of sailors had a rope ready to string him up, and it was only by the interference of Lord Ne wry that his life was spared. Some of the police were very roughly used, Detective Powell getting about the worst of it. In the scuffle he fell over some stones, and had,a chance of being trampled to death. The whole of the police on the ground were under the command of Mr Fosbery. The people, out of whose hands the prisoner had been rescued, immediately gave vent to their disappointment, and at an indignation meeting, summarily convened, determined to bring him back from the steamer, and despatch him at the scene of his crime. A rush was then made for the steamer, which had just hauled off a few feet from the wharf, and they shouted to the captain to haul in. For a moment this officer appeared to waver, but the Hon. John Hay, who was on the bridge, doubtless divining the intentions of the crowd, peremptorily ordered the captain to haul off. This he did, and the vessel i accordingly proceeded on her way to Sydney. People crowded by hundreds around the tent in which the sufferer lay, until they were informed that they must keep back, in order to allow free ventilation. They at once fell back thirty or forty yards, and formed a complete cordon around the tent, and anxiously awaited the result of the examination. Finding the people so anxious about him, his Royal Highness said, ' Tell the people I am not much hurt, I shall be better presently.' His Eoyal Highness, who never lost consciousness, although feeling faint and weak from the shock to his nervous system and from loss of blood, described to his attendants the sensation :he experienced when struck by the bullet. He said he felt as though he was being lifted off the ground. The prisoner, Henry James O'Farreil, was brought up on Friday the 13th ult., for a preliminary magisterial examination. The Sydney Morning Herald of the 17th, says that O'FarrelPs face (who was attired in the prison dress of white canvas) presented a sickening sight. The left side of his face was very much swollen, and the right side cut and bruised in several places, whilst his right eye was black, protruding and closed, and his left livid with bruises and capable of being only partially opened. The skin down the front of his nose was abrased, and that feature was also considerably swollen. He is about 5 feet 10 inches high, and strongly built ; has straw-colored hair, and wears all-round whiskers, and a medium sized moustache. He is about 35 years of age. Unable to see except with difficulty, yet he was observant of the proceedings, and although he asked a few questions, he was never disturbed from the almost stolid indifference to the various statements of the manner in which his crime was committed. At the conclusion of Sir William Manning's evidence, who,.

it will be remembered, was with the Prince at the moment of the attempt, the prisoner said he wished to remark that if Sir William had not rushed between him and the Prince, H. R. H. would have received a second shot, and he would have shot himself, but had no time to do it. When the sitting Magistrate, at the termination of the inquiry, put the usual question to him, he replied, * I have nothing to say but that the task of executing the Duke was sent out aud allotted to me.' And then, in answer to a further question put by the Crown Solicitor, he repeated these words, adding, 'But I failed, and I am not very sorry that I did fail. That is all I have to say.' He was then committed for trial. The special sitting of the Central Criminal Court for the trial of O'Farrell, commenced on Thursday, the 20th ult., when Mr Aspinall, with whom was Mr Dally (not Barry, as stated in the telegram), applied for a postponement of the case until the following Monday, the 30th March, in order to produce evidence from Victoria in support of the plea of insanity, which, it was announced, would be set up on behalf of the prisoner.