THE WILSON MURDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18180, 28 August 1922, Page 5

THE WILSON MURDER.

TRIAL OF ABBAS6IKB* DEFIANT SPEECHES HADE, "PROUD TO DIE FOB IRELAND." [STROM Otra OWN COKRESPOOTDCESiT.I LONDON. Joseph O'SuUivan and Reginald- Dunn, the murderers of Field-Marshal Sir Henry Wilson, received sentenea of deailrafc the Old Bailey this week, apparently convinced of their martyrdom. Both the prisoners admitted that, they shot tha field-marshal, bat refused otherwise to plead, so by the direction of Mr. Justice Shearman, they ware treated as prisoners who made the profession of being "not guilty." The statements which they - wore permitted to make only showed a mentality common in Ireland in . these days. . It was one of the shortest murder trials on record. The proceedings lasted only three hours, during which there was an adjournment of twenty minutes, wherein Dunn and o 'Sullivan, baulked of an a.ttempfc to make a.-political declaration of faith, withdrew their instructions to their counsel. When all the witnesses for the prosscution had given evidence of the crime and the capture of the assassins, Mr. Artemus Jones, defending counsel, asked if Dunn could make a statement, not on oath, but from the dock. The statement was handed to Mr. Justice Shearman, who, after reading it, said it was no answer to- the charge,, and he could not allow it to be read. It was a political manifesto, and amounted to a justification for the course they pursued. "I cannot allow the Court to he used as a means of an anarchist propaganda," he continued. "He can make a statement from the dock, or give evidence, but I shall stop him if it has no bearing on tbo case. I shall not allow this to be read." • ' . • " A Blow ior Ireland.'?-; Speaking in a deliberate and wellmodulated voice, Dunn said: " I suppose I must cut out the patriotic attitude that I feel inclined to use under the present circumstances, but I must state that I feel still under these same proudly conscious that I am an,,lrishman. You have all heard the accounts from the divisional inspijctor, who has been asked what is my. character, and. you will agree that this is the first time I, or my_ friend for that matter, have appeared in any criminal Court. That I take a particular pride in, besides my national pride in being a member of the Irish race. " I had endeavoured to give an honest statement of the matter from my national point of view , but it seems thao that privilege is denied me, I, for my 'part, am sorry for yon, as gentlemen and - members of the jury, are denied the chance of hearing an honest Irishman's statement. Several of you, . ! haye no doabi, have endeavoured to do your best in the recent great European war,. I-also . took my share in that war, fightins: for the principles for which this country stood. Those principles, I found, as an Irishman, were not applied to my own country, and I have endeavoured to strike a blow for it. I have no doubt that from the evidence which has been put before you' by the prosecution, and . from the legal point of view, you will return a verdict of guilty against myself and my comrade hero. But I wish to assure you , that even your verdict and the iverdict I of the Judge here will not be sufficient to denounce me before the members of my race, to which I have the honour to belong, as a criminal. *"As I stated before, 1 have never aippeared in any criminal Court yet, and my intentions have never been criminal as such. Xam not a mean I assassin who endeavoured to slink. . awayj Bear that in mind, gentlemen of the jury. Seriously-Considered Motives. - "I have been, I daresay, termed by various journals a cut-throaty and an assassin, and all the rest of it.. But I •.wish to state that th 9 motives which impelled me in this action were serionsly considered, as, I be'ieve, the motives which impelled the taking of human hfe in the great European war were sferiously considered. I received no money for this particular piece of business. So, in con- . elusion, I wish to state that, as I surmise ! you will find ma guilty, although some of you may have been' my comrades in the late European war, I trust that the Higher Court, .which is theonjy Court that matters, and Which does not belong to this world, will judge me by my forme* actions in this world, and will consider the purity of my. intentions." O'Sullivan, asked if lie had anything to say, replied: "What I had to say was contained in the documents yon have, and as you will not allow the jury to hea.r that, I have nothing further to say." The Judge said he did not wish thera to be any imaginary grievance about the reading of the statement. O'Sullivan hac! now in effect asked that it should be read. Jt was the practice to allow prisoners to read statements. from the dock. His opinion was that this statement was irrelevant, and that no good purpose could ibe served by reading it. unless tha Attorney-General wished jt to be read, he proposed to adhere to this decision. The Attorney-General said he was _ re* lluctant to take any course which might tharve the appearance of plats*?'* the. prisoners at any disadvantage. He coiejd not see that tfciii statement gare them any advantage. Cowardly, Useless, tad Futile. . After an absence of only three minntoj the jury found both prisoners guilty. Asked if, they had anything to say why sentence of death should not be pronounced according to law, Dunn said: "I have these words to say. There exist and have existed certain living exceptions to this general rule of . justice. Captain Co}ihurst, who murdered Mr. Skeffingtort, and Captain Hardy, who murdered Brigadier —" - .. The Judge: You are to say if there are any legal grounds why judgment should be postponed. v You are no'v at liberty to use this occasion for political " purposes, and t shall nßt aUow you to do it. . • — Dunn: "The only thing X can call to mind, My Lord, is this: The motive fa* this, crirafc being described by you ns political, and not relevant to the Coortj should be put for arbitration before a, Court: which would be competent to deal - with th<? matter," a Court of tha highest Powers in Europe, who would consider the • rights. ftnd wrongs of ridding the human world of a scourge. That is all I have to say." O'Sullsvwi saids"A3 I have done, My lord, I have done for Ireland, and for IreUnd I am proud to die." - v The black ci*p : was placed on the Judse's head, and he passed sentence of death on Dunn. When he came to the words, "And mav the Lord have mercy on yonr soul." Dunn said quietly, "He , will. My Lord." ■ J The Judge then passed saatanee of >j-death 1 upon O'Sullivan, at the conclusion exclaimed defiantly, "You may

kill my body. My Lord, but ray spirit you jwill never kill." I After the priisioners had gone below, the lJudce referred to the extraordinary

uuage rexerrea w me extraoraiTi sorrow and r®grat the tragedy hs4 aroused, and characterised the crime itf "cowardly, useless, and futile."