O'FARRELL, THE ASSASSIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1944, 24 March 1868, Page 5

O'FARRELL, THE ASSASSIN.

It appears to bo doubtful whether tho person who attempted to assassinate the Prince is a brother or a cousin of O'Farrell, who at one time practised as a solicitor in Melbourne. That he was a resident on Ballarat, hawever, is certain,-and the Star gives the following account of his career:— "O'Farrell was no moro than a monomaniac—an individual who for some years past was scarcely responsible for his actions, and who, from all that can be gleaned, should have been kept under restraint as a decided, if not a dangerous, lunatic. About 10 years since he settfod down In Ballarat, and whatever his antecedents might have been, he for a long time showed himself to bo a prudent, sensible, and industrious individual —eccentiic, to be sure, in some particulars— but, as a rule, a thorough-going businesslike sort of person. In partnership with a man named Kennedy, ho opened a hay and corn store at the corner of Doveton street and Market Square—tho premises at present in the possession of Mr Boyd as an hotel—and for many years carried on there a flourishing and lucrative business. To his neighbors he was known as a quiet, unpretending, though in his private affairs, somewhat peculiar, man. He was of Irish extraction, thoughsaid to havo been born in the Colony; but more particular inquiry would prove that at an early age he was brought hy his parents (who \ were Dublin people) to Melbourne, where ! his father settled as a butcher, and where |he made a competency sufficient to enable ! him to place his children in a somewhat superior position. O'Farrell was intended for the priesthood, his parents being of the -Roman Catholic persua--1 sion. With that view ho received a j collegiate education, and was admitted to deacon's orders in the year 1852, in the | church of St. Francis, Melbourne. As a j youngmanhowasregardodasgenial, warm- ! hearted, and enthusiastic, but possessed of an undeniably national bias, and no small amount of tho duke el decorum cM pro pair'ut iwri proclivity as regards Ireland. Some time after this he paid a visit to Europe, and having made a tour of the Continent and visited the principal cities there as well as in England and Ireland, he returned to Australia after about twoyeara' absence. Whether from incompatibility of sentiment or otherwise we cannot say, but upon his return to this Colony ho appears to have severed Ms connexion with the church, and directed his attention to business matters. His connection with Kennedy, his partner, woold seem to have been productive of considerable success. In their hay and com store they did a good business for years, and accumulated a good deal of private property. O'Farrell more especially becoming possessed of a good deal of landed and house property on Soldier's Hill, in time, both partners seem to have contracted habits of intern ■ peranco, one. doing the sober while the other was doing tho convivial, and lie, ir his turn, attending to business while, hit partner enjoyed a little relaxation. Thii state of. things continued until somo thr*i< years since. Kennedy became so con firmed, a drunkard, that he succumbe< to the vice, and fell, a victim i ddiriuvn foment? His jwwiner, O'Farrell continued .to carry on tlie Dusiiness; an< was stillregarded;a> a steady, tpustworthi person. ' Abowt; ithiE time, howeyer he began to speculate at the Corner, am proved mostunfortunate^ He" held in terests in the Royal Saxon and Atrah-na %ogiie Companies; and; of course, whei these stocks had their rapid Mis, n found his assets rapidly diminishing These losses preyed heavily on him, an 1 he -wae also snack womad by som

r transactions by which land on the M«l- ---? bourne road passed from his possession, and ho drank even'more heavily than ho Sad done previously. Things wont from | d to worse with Mm. His mode fli vi"S became irregular- and eccentric. it- -^ -as.known to go without his meals fm* Au va, ■. generally., dining out, and *"„,„.",;, 'regardless of all personal or seeming^ n f ort> i» hfe manner ho was ciomeswcov % - 3 conv ersation inconseqciit nignty, in a. ■ in a var j e tv o f ways and .wnndorfn, " if tan actual inc ip ion t evidonciug, to . - cightectl monthß sinco madness. Abofa % ush)C3B in j> ovo ton ; wlnio carrying" o» , kcd with a fit o£ rfe . street, he was atffc , jgletß - m Melbourne Imnmtremem: Hut*. .t] Mmc {o haying been written \ f it h ]iim until he Ballarat, and remained 3 * » 0 ha reraoved> wjis stilhciently recoveraf \ ~ Melbourne He then accompanied tlieftj'V ,„. , , rmt { ' stayed at bt. Kuda for a I*. ou^e ro ' and returned to Ballansrii' ' j on<r ] covered in health. He had no* . a -* mained here, however, when !&'!)& \j into his old habits of drinking,, arfc q again affected by ddiriwa inrram.- ~ this occasion tho attention of the pfh. was directed to him, and for some d'ss^ constftbles wer« directed to watch: hi* honse, in case there should bo a nocessity j for placing him under restraint. His sisters again came from Melbourne atld tended him, and Dr Heisse, who wan <»Ued in, recommended his removal tc . tlso Ballar.it District Hospital. After ' leaving 'Melbourne, he proccedcc* to Queensland, and thon returned to Hydney, where at length he did the deed which has made bis name infamous."

Notwithstanding tho suggestion that the act wns that of a madman, it is stated in the Sydney telegrams that there appears to be no doubt now that tho assassin was connected with the Fenian organisation. The authorities, at least, have information of his having been connected with a treasonable conspiracy, and they have issued the following proclamation :—" Whereas, on Thursday, the 12th instant, an attempt was made to assassinate His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, by firing at him with a revolver; and whereas, before tho assassin could be secured, ho had fired a second shot, wounding Mr George Thorn© ; and whereas, a man, giving the name ofll. J. O'Farrell, has been arrested for tho above crimes, there is reason to boliovo tho offender was acting in concert with, or by direction of, others not in custody, organised and associated together for treasonable purposes. Notice is hereby given, that a reward of one thousand pounds will bo paid by the Government for any information leading lo the apprehension and conviction of each and every nccom* plice of the abovemuned offender, whether residing in this or any of the adjacent colonies ; and further, that in addition to such reward, His Excellency will be advised to extend Her Majesty's freo pardon to any accomplice who shall first give tho required information." It is also stated that a number of arrests had been made, and it is added :—" Fenianism, if it exints here, has received a solemn warning that no terms will be held with it. A preliminary examination of O'Forrell took place at tho gaol to-day. Ho has been remanded till Tuesday next. The Government intend to issue a special commission for his trial. O'Farroll states that twenty persons were in the conspiracy. The number was then reduced to ten, who drew lots as to who should assassinate tho Prince."

Telegrams and communications, expressing horror and regret at the occurrence, have been received by the Governor from every town in Australia which the Prince lias visited.

How to Buy Mkat.—Dr Lcfcheby gives the following description of good and bad meats, with which his duties as sanitary officer in the city of London have required him to be very familiar: —Good meat is naitber of a pale pinkish.- nor a deep purple tint It has a marbled appearance, from a ramification of light veins of intercellular fat; and the fat of the internal organs especially is firm, hard and suety, and is never wet, whereas that of diseased meat is soft and watery. The feel of healthy maat is somewhat elastic, and hardly moistens the finger. Diseased meat is soft and wet. Good meat has but little odor, and this is not disagreeable ; whereas diseased meatflraeiUi faint and eadaverouß. Good meat bears cooking without much shrinking or losing much of its weight; but bad meat shrivels up and boils to pieces ; this is duo to the larger proportion of watery and gelatinous material, and the absence of fat and true muscular substance in the meat. Under the microscope the fiber should be clear and welt defined, and free, from infusorial animalcule; while that of; diseased meat is sodden and tumid, as it it had been soaked in water, the transverse streaks are indistinct and wide apart, and animalcule abound in it. * # A New Thaask* Tonnrl-An important engineering project, which has excited but little public attention, and for which the necessary Parliamentary sanction has not yet been obtained, is already in proiMsa of execution, namoly, the tunnel or subway intended to be driven under the- Thames between London Bridge and the Tower. This work in th« third mode of communication below London/Bridge- which lias been brought forward by the same company. The present project has the sanction of the Tower authorities, and arrangements for the BUJftll portion o£ land on the burrey side necessary for the approach have been already made. The new tunnel project presents, in many reapecte, a curious contrast with Brunei's great work at Wapping, which occupied nearly twenty years in its execution. The existing tunnel, now the 'property of the East London Railway Company, is about 1250 ft. .between the B hfeft«; the proposed railway will^ bo aboot 132J) feet j the one cost above L413ft,000, the other is estimated to co^t tne comparative trifle of LIG.OOO. Dividend vrs& titterly hopeless in the one case ; m tne other, with, only the same traffic receipts ai thoße of the old tunnel, a dividend of M pci emit, npon the capital is calctdated on. 11 tfhe estimate be not exceeded, it w posaibh that, with moderate tolls, the traffio receipi will be much greater. Mr P. Barlow, F; R.S. who is the engineer of this project, proposal that the descent and ascent to tbe.tunue shall be by hydraulic lifta, similar to those n use in the large new hotels, and. that the ma gangers shall bo conveyed front on© shaft t the other in light steel oamib^ses of perfoc wnrkmanshipj and ariveri^ by man powc uponaiafysteni''d£"sccamulating force. Th friction will, it \is expected, be so muci reduced by the exactitude of the Attings m< thQ,«33tcellenee ot t%,raateria!B and work nianship eroployfcl, as to niak^i tho power o on^ nfen" amply * Efficient for omoiblia.!; The bottomaof the#baftaiwiM fa on the same loveL and th.c mbw^y will' 4» in thft centre to give speed, and to accunit Ute force for the XmimU of I*ft journey- ,-; Dally News,