DAN O'CONNELL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 13, 30 July 1897, Page 5

DAN O'CONNELL.

THE LIBERATOR'S WIT AND lIUMOUB.

Ik Sydney, and away in the back-blocks (says the Catholic Pn w) or, indeed, in far Cathay, wherever you meet an Irishman, you are sure to strike an anecdote about O'Conncll. The anecdote may be a chestnut, or is may be a dull and oonitnonplaoe thing, but if it is put down to O'Connell thero is sure to be a laugh. Here arc home genuine O'Connell anecdotes which will bear re-telling :—: — jiogan's hat. He once defended a man named Hogan who was charged with murder. A hat, believed to be the prisoner's, was found close to the body of the murdered man. and this was the principal ground for suspecting Hogan. The Crown counsel made a strong point of the hat, which was produced in court. O'Connell cross-examined the neighbour of the prisoner who identified it. "It is not different from other hats. 1 ' said O'Connell. "Well, seemingly not. but I know that hat" "Arc you perfectly sure that that was the hat found near the body ' ' " Surtin sure."' O'Connell proceeded to inspect the caubecn. turning up the lining as lie peend into the interior. '"Was the pri-omTs name. I'-a-t 11-o-g-a-n (he uave out each letter slowly), in it at the time \uu tound it ."' " 'Tw.is. of course.' 1 '" You could not b ci mistaken ' ' ■• No. sir. ' " And all you have sworn is as true as th.it ' "' '• <,kiitf\ ' " Then oil' the table this minute '"' cried () Council triumphantly, and addios&ing the judge he said • '' My lord, there can )><• no com ictiou here. There is no name in the hat ' "' The prisoner was at oner acquitted. Uls, M( \KE. O'Connell possessed an r\traordinary knowledge of his countrymen, the real cunning concealed by a stolid demeanour, the tact and cleverness covered by apparent simplicity, lie often ha/iarded ;i guess at their thoughts, and seldom failed to hit on" his point. At the Tralee Assizes he held a brief from Jerry Keller, a noted attorney. O'Connell had to examine a, witness about whose sobriety there was some quest ion. The witness would not con\ict himself. He declared he had " his share of a pint, of whiskey. H is sobriety depended on the amount of the share. O'Connell asked him by virtue of his oath was not his share all but the pewter, and amid a roar of laughter the unhappy -wctim of forensic dexterity was obliged to admit that it was. O Council, in relating the story afterwards, said : "The oddity of my mode of putting the question was very successful, and created a general and hearty laugh." Jerry Keller said : '• You'll do, young gentleman • you'll do."' o'CONNKLI/h OUOLLLin was often displayed during the assi/e^. For instance, when stating the injury done to a claimant who brought an action against the Earl of Bandon for diverting a water course, the defendant's attorney's face was a good index to his devotion to Bacchus. His name was O'Flaherty. and O'Connell said "So completely was the stream deviated from the plaintiff's mill there was not sufficient water lett to make grog for OTlaherty." Again, when applying to change the venue of a case from Dublin to Tralee, the motion was resit-ted by a very unprepossessine looking barrister whose politics were adverse to Kerrymen in general and O'Conncll in particular. This gentleman contended that there was no necessity to send the ca«e to Kerry— a county so remote, where he had never been — it was very inconvenient. '• I can promise my learned friend," replied O Connell, •• a hearty welcome ; *i and we'll show him the lovely Lakes of Killarney." " Ay," growled i the opposing barrister, " the bottom of them. ' '• Oh, no," replied O'Connell, " I would not frighten the fish." On another occasion O Connell was engaged to defend a highwayman who had committed robbery on the public road in the vicinity of Cork, and owing to the masterly way in which O'Connell tiiftcd the evidence and cross-examined witnesses the man waß

acquitted. The following year, on returning to Cork, O'Connell saw the same hardened face resting on the same well-worn dock, grim and ruffianly, and accused of very nearly the same crime. The culprit, as in the former case, was fortunate enough to secure O'Connell, who puzzled the witnesses, perplexed the judge, and bewildered the jury — owing to whose hopeless disagreement the prisoner was discharged. His industrious client, when restored to liberty, had no intention of sitting down in sluggish idleness ; he stole a collier brig, sold the cargo, purchase t arms with the price, and cruised along the coast in quest of booty, and when O'Connell returned to Cork he was once more in the dock charged with piracy. His defence was undertaken by O'Connell for the third time. O'Connell showed that the crime did not come under the cognisance of the court, as it had bien perpetrated on the high seas ; it came under the cognisance only of the Admiralty. The gratitude of the prisoner was unbounded, and raising his eyes ana bauds to heaven he exclaimed : " Oh, may the Lord spare you to me."