AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1128, 22 August 1882, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

[Reuter’s Telegrams.] MELBOURNE. This Day. An attempt was made yesterday on the life of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne by a man named P. A. O’Farrell formally practicing as a solicitor, a brother of H. J. O’Farrell who shot at the Duke of Edinburgh in Sydney in 1868. Archbishop Gould was riding along the Brighton Road near Mclljourne, early last evening, when O’Farrell fired two shots at him from a revolver. One took effect and wounded the Archbishop slightly in the finger. O’Farrell made off but was captured after a long chase and some resistance. O’Farrell had an equity suit against the Archbishop, and recently applied for a warrant against the latter for perjury, the application was, however, refused. The news of the outrage has caused considerable excitement here.

O’Farrell fired at Archbishop Gould from a distance of only two yards ; the second shot did not hit the Archbishop, the first alone took effect, It is already stated that when O’Farrell made off he evidently believed that he had succeeded in his murderous attack, or he would have made further use of his revolver. When his pursuers came up with him he threatened to shoot them, but was ultimately secured. Fifty bullets ware found in his pockets. It is clear the attack hud been fully planned and that the Archbishop had a most providental escape.