DUBLIN'S LATEST SENSATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 12, 11 July 1884, Page 15

DUBLIN'S LATEST SENSATION.

London, May 24.— Mr. William O'Brien, Member of Parliament for Mallow, and editor of United Ireland, was interviewed this evening in reference to the charges recent Iv made in that paper of bestial practices on the part of Inspector French, the chief of the Government detectives in Ireland, Secretary Cornwall, of the Post Office depaitment, and other officials of Dublin Castle. Mr. O'Brien declared emphatically that he can prove the truth of every one of his assertions. It was true, be said, that Cornwall had begun an action for libel, but he believed that Cornwall had been ordered to take that step by Mr. George Trevelyan, Chief Secretary for Ireland. Trevelyan's object in. having tbe action began, Mr. O'Brien said was to justify a retusal to make the matter a subject of Parliamentary inquiry by saying that it was subjudice, and not a subject for outside investigation while pending before a court. Mr. O'Brien believed that the action was a sham and that Cornwall would avail himself of every legal device to delay the trial, and would ultimately withdraw the suit. He was confirmed in this belief by the action of Cornwall's alleged partner in vice, French. He began an action for libel, but allowed it to slumber along until the present time, and now his lawyers have given notice of an intention to ask the Court, on June 3, to dismiss the case on the ground that French is suffering from softening of the brain. Mr. O'Brien is evidently in very serious earnest in this matter, anxious to justify his charges before a jury, and confident of his ability to do so. The latest utterance of United Ireland upon the subject is as follows :— " We regard Cornwall as mere carrion. Our solicitors had him several'times under examination at their offices in the French case, and have anonymous letters clearly showing the state of the nnfortunate wretch's conscience. With the poor wretch himself we have no quarrel beyond ordinary human disgust at his crimes. Our war is with his masters." The affair is causing a stupendous sensation in Dublin. The daily newspapers, however, ignore the case beyond printing carefully

filtered reports of the legal proceedings. The names of seveTa* notable persons are involved in the scandal. Mr. O'Brien is employing ex-Inspector Meiklejohn, who was discharged from Scotland Yard for his connection with turf frauds, and now conducts a private detective bureau in partnership with ex-In-spector Clark. He has proved himself very clever in his inquiries, which have resulted in Mr. O'Brien's filing an affidavit containing many sickening details of the alleged crime", which seem to be circumstantially proved. Mr. Meiklejobn is still engaged on the case in Dublin, and Mr. O'Brien, who has already spent 5000dol. in bis inquiries, says he is willing to spend 5000dol. more to bring the scoundrels to justice