THE IRISH AFGHAN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 182, 11 June 1879, Page 2

THE IRISH AFGHAN.

The Thames Advertiser recently published an extract from a Home exchange giving some particulars relative to one O'Donnell, a gigantic Irish soldier who, shortly after the Indian Mutiny, deserted from the British army, and is now an officer in the service of the Ameer of the Ameer of Afghanistan, On the Thames we have several old soldiers who served in India about that time, and wero well acquainted with Sergt. O'Donnell, One of them informed our reporter that lie had known O'Donnell very intimately, and if he had been anything of a scholar lie would have written and contradicted the statement that he was a deserter. Our reporter questioned tho man, and from the story of the latter it appearsthat in 1856 O'Donnell, then a young: man, was a soldier in the 87th (Faugh-a-ballaghs). He stood 6ft. 2in. in his stockings, and was considered the strongest man in the army, throwing every Hindoo wrestler pitted against them. Wiestlers from all parts of the country were brought to contend against him, but were all vanquished by the Irish giant, who would not unfrequently hold such a tight grip on their arms that they fainted with pain, O'Donnell was twice a sergeant, but taking a drop too much of the " cratur" was deprived of his stripes. The occasiojjj which led to his entering the services o" the Ameer was described to our representative as follows" In '65 the regiment was at Jumrood, near the Peshawaur, at. the mouth of the Kyber Pass, and one day General Sir John Lawrence was holding a durbar or korero with the Ameer. After the important business was disposed! of, the conversation turned on mor& trivial matters, and O'Donnell's great strength was mentioned to the somewhat incredulous Afglian monarch. Sir John ordered O'Donnoll to be sent for, when he, surprised the Ameer by lifting a pony oa his shoulders and performing other Herculean feats. The upshot of this was that the Ameer offered to take the > Irishman into his service and make a major of him. O'Donnell, being a great favorite with officers and men, they raised a subscription for the purpose of buying liim out. This would have been done had not the terrible Indian mutiny broke out shortly after, and O'Donnell could not obtain his discharge. He served with great bravery all through the mutiny, and when it was quelled obtained his well-earned discharge.. He was no deserter, but as loyal an Irish soldier as ever came from the County Kilkenny, .