THE DUBLIN MURDERERS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3133, 18 April 1883, Page 3

THE DUBLIN MURDERERS.

Few Irishmen (remarks the “ St, James’ Gazette ”) will miss the force of the distinction which Carey indignantly drew between his position and that of an (> informer.” A disingenious or ignorant use has lately been made of censures passed years ago by a very sagacious English observer on the employment by the Irish Government of men of that class. The informer of those days was a person in Government pay, who became a confederate in conspiracies in order to give information, and very often entrapped the hesitating into desperate courses in order to win blood-money. Bat possibly neither Farrell nor Larnie, and certainly neither Kavanagh nor Carey, is an informer in this sense. They gave no information of the crime nntil they were confronted with what seemed to them damning proof of their own guilt. They did not, in fine, inform; they turned Queen’s evidence to save theif necks;: and, as Carey puts it, to prevent the coo. viction of “ innocent persons”; by which delicate phrase we must probably under.' stand persons in whom they feel a deep interest. The mere fact that men of- HO vile a stamp withstood for■ so long the temptations of reward andl

of the terrible nature of the forces which ho bfhiQ'i this wretched cluster of Dublin ont.ihioats. One hears, combined with well-earned praise, occasionsl expressions of wonder that the police have delayed proceedings so long. But the truth is that while every ineident of this inquiry shows with what intelligence the police acted, it is the inquiry itself that'has . been their great weapon iu securing evidence. The affray between conspirators and police in Abbey street, and the attempt to murder Judge Lawson, put the track not so much of the conspiracy as of the available < evidence. _ Once enough proof was in hand to justify a formal enquiry the way was clear. Kavanagh being recognised in connection with the Field case, gave evidence which seemed to complete the proof against Carey, Carey, in turn, decided to complete the case against his quondam friends. We do not know how many of the men who assume defiant airs in the dock have made desperate efforts to secure their admission as witnesses. Delaney, we learn from the Dublin papers, has given the frankest account of his share in the long series of crimes.