O'DONNELL COURT-MARTIAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 15080, 1 December 1919, Page 8

O'DONNELL COURT-MARTIAL.

KVIDENCJK AND C'ROSS-EXAMI^A- ' TIO'X. /Kite. Tti. 'jopyrism* -United Press A»sn. I «•.«,.»■■ . LOXD.C-N, JS'ov. 2Sc. :' ] At "the O'Domieil. court-martial Uen. ■ McUieau p/esiued. Ihe court consisted jof live' coioiieis, one major, and- tvvo • captains. ■ Captain v EastWobcl,':" <}f the {Grenadier Guards, • acted as judge Adi vacate, and Mr. Bodion I'epi'esenied L»eutenanV '.Martin/ .th© nominHl pi-oso-ciuo'r. ' .Messrs. Hcaly and Lynch,- ' with' Mr. John Cos.tello, represented the accused. MV. iiodkin poinied - ; out that the charge was brought- under section 35 ot s ciio Ainiy Act against persons subject -o military law using traitorous or disloyal . words regarding the (Sovereign, ' nuuing .hem : liable ' to trial by courtmariiai. The incident occiu'red at !the International Hotel. Killarney, on October 10, ' m the^prefeehce of-Lieu-te-nant, Chambers, pi tici^'Hingk Liverpool Regimen., and Captiaiii Qark, Qt' the Hoy.al Naval Eeserve, with , his -wife , and others. • . ; . ■ ,' j Mr. Healy said 1 ' that as one whose^reI latives .had fallen with the Australians he felt" it an honor {o appear before a court composed of ' Australian ' ' officers. |He regretted that, tlio case' illustrated I the English .officers" treatment of -iJnen. i \Hip had crossed' thd '•ocdariV'; -Mf. 'Heiaiy then ' 66mplaincd"'6f t)'l>dnne'li > 8 ' tre'atmeiit. - ' He Had' Bfeeri "sent :;td '' ; pMsou',' treated 'as a felon, niid "cast m b a {rattor's cell "hi; the Tower of -London. 'O'Doriiiell" said , hie'.h.ope'd thiit his ■ vin"dication would pro've X that' a ■ maiti cttUld be a good li'ishi^ah "'and' a good ,Au,«---1 trniian. "Witness testified.' to •C'Db'tiheir's sobriety.;' ,' :i .; : " '- ;'.-' •^.'.•' x ' : \ ' ihe Judge Advocaie remarked .-"..'.that there was no direct evidence ' that O'Donnell was uricler tlio/'lhifluence, of liquor. : "' . ' ' I Afiv Healy ..pointed; put ■ th:il. ■ liat! been sujgested, and it was important m view of O'Donnell's tpriestliood. I 'Mr. liodkin,- prqbeoding. 'feaid ;th;A O'Donnell was wearing llisvuHiform a', the time the alleged" statem^nti v/rih | made. He'"spnki > m. a"loud^voice.lieutenant Cliambers r appro^n^d : O'Donnell and aslCed him :to quietly. O^Dbnnell excifeaiy -^fcplieJ;.. "What damned business. iS it , of ::! ypui's." ■ Captain oarlc stated- 'ib&b "jQ/DoiirielVs conVersataon was 'of , a 'political .'charattierj "and amounted 1 to a tirade against the British^ *Qsv6rhhieht '-ancl hatve'd against . the' Ivihg. 7 T7ap*ai,nTplar& ' /'also asked O'Donflell to" epedk '. q'tfietly/ bat O'fionneli replied, "Mind ■"■'■ .your-" ' own 4ainned ljusjriess." . lifeutenant "Chambej'3 on the follOwing' v da'V '; reported' 'th'e ma£t:or to liis superior*^bmceryanU 'subniijtted notes .of : the. ' coiiv-ersatidn which He' 'hastily took: 'As Tie ! listehe'dV H^F- ' "Bodkm said : thai O'BdnneU's; 3 qcihnefc> iipn' : with.' the - AustraHan -arißiy -.madg' at clear -that he was heart Sfid'r I 'sbuT v^;i% 'firitaih agaimt'''Werm : aliy-,* hp% liia $#- yaJe fe^tinff^^e^fdjiifg^e^^Ta-ppeayed topi low ( " him to' indulge ;;in?lahjcua^ bt an Hniprbper/character ;tincle¥"; iniprcper circumstTirices. It ' £he 5 wordsV : .were" lite tca.'ed" O'Doiinell 4 slioyld • not ' "be^llowed to wear His Majesty's r atiiif6rnf.' r: .J !"• Lieutenant Clianibers t .m 'eyidenco, quoted not«s he" had" taken alleging that O'Donnell said/ iiißon^' ;<^t)igr things. "A Royal fajrhllx. ..is 'of no' us© to this or any other cp.untf y. "* Thp .titne is co^i* ing, 'and that ' very- sbbn, wWeft. Ireland will strike out for herself to gain thlit gloiubua indepenolehce"' so long dear to every s patriotic )wfartv '■' I v^ill thenTcpihe over and lielp 'ihe A pjebpfe in' this f r gle^agaihst , the iyj'amucal.BVi^is.h ■'.' Qo : yerniinent. ; : ? fbr indepqiidenco^atid " t¥fe*" rlsrhts [ or _ seift q;overnh)ent which are?^b^pg denfed the , nucsl' 1 ' aiid' oldest; 'little "bouritry- m -the ■world '; Tiy, a pf'-Kinp-George"' who are filling 'their; pocTcaft 1 and whose hands ajo fed with the fclbod of Ir^sh "'patriots." ' r.'. ,",'|": ' ,^C\iv Lieutenant [ GhamTtiiDrsV" ' continuing; quoted a "furlhto cquyiirßa|jon .m refeiv ence' |,b the Sinn T'ein nioyepieni ing m ."Australia and in¥/BrMsh ! 'rail."vvay^ strike. >t ! ','. r t \'.l,, ]^^fl^ : ' t .^'j < l .Mt'.~\ Healy closely. <^r6^--bxami.nfed y th< 1 witness, . wlio ad^mlttfed 'vt)iai ' fee' .'enWejJ the notes, m the 'seqj^nc^Mirt '^tiicji; the . .wo^ds weye^^ spotceti.' .He'^didj f»*6t^ §r<^P|s)B that, he *.ook tlie 'wordß* I do ; wrilfrom!!aci ' ra^s'::]^; 1 "' I ". '' T^V^''----' , Healr aslcedT w-^ietlier "^lte^nrise "satellUes, .of King .Oeprge^ , -.Tnj&.ht^ "S&yf beeir '^BatelHte^'qf-^oyd^^eol'glj^ .'; Witness , rep'He,|J ; " I'Tneijls Vuch injpvession' m piy mipd. r 'I, s: eould not 4 be , mistalceir." : ' "", ':?> ■ * x ' ", 'Mr, Healv: ' Theii O'Donnell "delibr orately insulted His! Majesty. " Was,^ hp , drUnk oi v under the ipliiience bfij'driiJc ? .Witness: Abpolutely^. sober. ''./.; '. jj/if. Healy : ;Did you .fibjf, say, io the . ma.pa?eress. ih'at, '-lie/ xrdi' three parts .. drtink. ; ; , . . .W!£;ness.: ' 250. ( „ V '■:'•.-/ '..':•'■. \"! t, [ .Witness s.a.id,' he . agreed : :'Jh'aiv OvPoni ne.y defamcd'Hia' Majesty, disgraced, hip uniform. . and ,. disgraced Hhe^^reat^AuSjtraliari forcfe of ryliicK;' %e all fwHre, 'ao proud. Hq -was^ shbcjce!s : and at + he language. .''!'-*'■/.': .'/.J, *■.. I\lr. Healy : Yet alVy o^ f^d'^as "SJpealv quietly, . .you -,ar,e interrflptdnjr our conversation?" ' ' ' ' ; Witness said that he was hot aware that Marsh, wit^, whom Q'DqnpeH waF coiLversinff. was a Belfast loyalist. .' . J. , Swaddle, who; s'atjat' the saiiie .t^ibl? . witlv Lieutenant ,obambers>, largely; conr firmed the latter'*s evidence; 1 '' He addec 1 that O'Donnell said thai he did not fen; ter tho war -on behalf of Britain, but ho was out ; f or'/lho'^rlcrhts of small nationalities. Witness" did not see Lieutenant Chambers Vsing^ a. notpbook duriiijr the dinner. ' f^ ■'.■"'- '•'',';• Mr Healy,' iri^ opening for 'ih'e defence, said t|hat; * Lieuteiicin^ .C^ia.mbers had j jumpeii to .the . cp^clusjoW ; tnHt! (ypWn-. nell_ was. a Vß'nn . -Feihetv I '^7 'J^Doßnel'! rfconifully repudiatecf the" 1 cliafges made. ITe had not come t.(> court. > tq vindicatp his own honor, put ttf teat' the , veil of hypocrisy and.. terror. .w^ip^hiH^ 8 the coTiduct qf. th'e Irish , T)urh)LS 3Vfr. , Healy s. epe^cfe ;.<yDbn'T nell wept. , : ' . ,-/ . ' ..;.',.. r ' The court" then: adjourrjied. .'.' .''■.'".'•'■ [O'Donnell was subsequently found not guilty.] . , ... . . '\ . '.;.'