The Felon's Track; Or, History of the Attempted Outbreak in Ireland: Embracing the Leading Events in the Irish Struggle From the Year 1843 to the Close of 1848Doheny, Michael
History
The Felon's Track; Or, History of the Attempted Outbreak in Ireland: Embracing the Leading Events in the Irish Struggle From the Year 1843 to the Close of 1848
Doheny, Michael
Ireland -- History -- Rising of 1848; Young Ireland Party -- History; Young Ireland movement
He was then sentenced to ten years' transportation.
On two successive occasions, the jury empanelled by the Government, and
carefully packed to serve their end, refused to convict Mr. O'Doherty.
He was placed on his trial, a third time, on the 30th of October,
prosecuted with the same enduring malignity, and a verdict of guilty,
suspected to be the result of a fraud practised on the jury, was
returned. Mr. Williams, who was joint proprietor of the _Tribune_, and
jointly responsible, was acquitted after a protracted trial on the 3rd
of November, the jury being of opinion that although the articles given
in evidence were felonious, there was no proof to satisfy them that the
proprietors, when publishing them, did so with a felonious intent. This
distinction arose in consequence of the fair and candid construction of
the Felony Act, given by Chief Baron Pigot and Baron Pennefather, on Mr.
O'Doherty's first trial, to the effect that the jury should be satisfied
of the publisher's felonious intent; a construction which the present
judges 'Crampton and Torrens' would not dare to contradict.
Notwithstanding this, just as the words, "Not guilty," were pronounced
by the jury, in Mr. Williams' case, despite the most flagrant and
audacious bullying of the bench, Mr. O'Doherty was called up for
judgment. Among all the martyr-band whom this year consigned to doom,
not one behaved himself with truer or nobler heroism; not one, either,
whose fate commands a deeper sympathy. Under thirty years of age,
largely gifted, with most respectable connections, a high place in
society, brilliant prospects, and so unostentatious in his enthusiasm
that it was only then his country heard of his devotion, and learned his
worth; there he stood with as lofty consciousness and as brave a heart
as ever consecrated the scaffold or the battle-plain.
Judge Crampton pronounced the sentence. Nature has supplied his lordship
with characteristics of countenance admirably befitting such a scene.
Had he been only elevated to the kindred office of actual executioner,
he would have been spared the expense of a mask; for without it, no one
could look into his eyes. Of course, he was teeming with compassion and
regret, which jointly resulted in a sentence of transportation for TEN
YEARS. Mr. O'Doherty, who stood unmoved, after a few preliminary
observations in reference to the unfairness of his trial, spoke as
follows:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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