THE WOMAN WHO SHOT O'DONOVAN ROSSA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 76, 8 April 1885, Page 4

THE WOMAN WHO SHOT O'DONOVAN ROSSA.

A Strange History.

(From Our London Correspondent.)

Several of the newspapers, referring to "Mrs Dudley," who shot O'Donovan Rossa, describe her as tho daughter of an exmilitary o/ficer now residing in New Zealand. Mra Dudley is illegitimate, and was born in the parish of KiDgstonon-Thames, on Ist October, 1860. Her true name is Keenan. Sho is the daughter of Ellen Keenan, a single woman, who was cohabiting at Surbiton with the officer referred to. The prisoner's mother died whon she was five years old. Id 1862 a Chancery suit was instituted by MUb Keenan for breach of marHage against the officer, and a verdict was given for £3,500, which was appealed against. While the appeal was pending, she died, and tho case lapsed. Lucille Herself. Whilst in England Miss Dudley assumed scvoral aliases, amongst other*—Coverdale, Dudley, Keonan, Boyle, Doyle, Dale and Dureon. A friend of mine, a young doctor named Buldock, who makes a spocialty of cases of insanity, knew Mrs Dudley when she was sick nurse at an asylum, and speaks ve/y highly of her. Ho doscribes hor as a very prepossessing ladylike girl, amiablo, well-educated, and an experienced nurse. Unfortunately, the suicidal mania, which ho fancies must be inherited, was very pronounced in her. Bottles of poison were continually found under her pillow, and in certain moods she required to be most carefully watched. The " Vail Mall" speaks of Mrs Dudley's father as "an officer in the army, rich and reckless." Mrs Dudley possesses literary tastes. She has tilled volumes of MSS. with verses and stories, adores " Ouida's" r.ovels, possesses considerable histrionic abilities, and is altogether very romarkablo. The writer in the " Pall Mall Gazette," in a special article Bays : " At her mother's death, in 1865, from cancer, induced by riding, the child Lucille was consigned to tho care of the rector of a (juiet Yorkshire village, on the understanding that a certain Bum should be paid yearly, whether by the father or mother soems doubtful, for her support. The .money was, wo hear, never forthcoming, and the child remained at the rectory as tho adopted daughter of the rector and his wife. At this period of her life she was known as Lucy Dale, a name she changed more than once to suit her purposes. It is at present difficult to say at what age she launched herself in London, and tier adventures here are pretty well known by this time. Endowed with many attractions of face and manner, she seems to havo captivated all hearts, and among them that of Mr " Dudley," whom she first met at aCamdentown lodging-house. Those who know " Dudley" prefer to remain silent for the present. One child, which was born at Barnet under the roof of some friendly cottager, wai the result of this intrigue; then Mra " Dudley" appears to have moved to Waltbamstow, then to Stoke Newington, devoting the intervals to nursing, Mr "Dudley" took himself off one day; the child diod, was buried at Southgate Cemetery, and he wag heard of no more. Mrs " Dudley" must for some years have supported herself, but she never seeps to have applied herself with tenacity to any single object. She attended a medical school, and obtained several engagements in West-end houses as a professional nurso, accepting a" case of sraull-pox, or typhoid, or one of measels, with equal indifference. Vivacious, deoideedly clever, with a pretty face and a lissom figure, it is not surprising that Mre " Dudley " bethought herself of the stage as a means for gaining a livelihood. She took a few lessons in London, and applied in vain for a London engagement. In Manchester she was successful, and appeared in a pantomime there. Mrs " Dudley " is said by one or two of her frienda to have been a facile composer of verses and romance at the early age of eight, and for many years composition has been her chief amusement. She filled reams upon reams of paper, but unluckily none of her effusions have been preserved. "Ouida" was her favourite novelist. Those who know her say that her poisanings were merely little dramas got up for the edification of her friends. On her return to the old country, Lucy Dale, alias Lucille Yseult Dudley alias Miss Dorigne, need have no lack of engagements, matrimonial or theatrical. The Melbourno "Daily Telegraph" is chuckling over its astuteness in getting a war special shipped with the New South Wales contingent, disguised as one of the crew. The " Argus," which had wanted to send "The Vagabond," was refused; all the Melbourne papers were refused. No correspondents were to accompany the expedition but those of the Sydney press. The "Taily Telegraph" man, not to be baulked, rigged himself out in a round jacket and tarry trousers, and signed articles on board tha Iberia as Jemmy Ducks, or cook's mate's minister. The " Argus " in due course learned that it had been " done," and at once appealed to the Sydney Government to order the disguised reporter ashore at Adelaide. His employees replied to this move by interviewing a leaJing member of the Cabinet. "Privately," the Minister said, "I hope your man will succeed. You have done the smartest thing in journalism to get him on board. But, officially, we're bound to havo him ashore, and we'll do id" The threatened telegram was sent to Adelaide, but the newspaper man had stowed himself away and could not bo found. "The ships aro now steaming across the Australian Bight," says the "Daily Telegraph" in triumph, "and our correspondent is still on board !" ' ': Jj~3IJGH ON CORNS."-A«k tor W«lb- a "Eoagh on Corns. Quick reJtef, complete permanent cmc Coras, w&rt*, booloju- / rgjt Xwa/^Wc.#••-»»•*Co., i**utt. Jivkimii.