THE BIDDULPH TRAGEDY.

Johnny O'Connor Gives a Description of the Terrible Scene.

He maintains His Former Story.

Carroll is Taken Ill and the Court Adjourns.

[...] The examination of the boy O'Connor by the Crown Counsel lasted nearly two hours and a-half, and was, to all intents and purposes, a fac simile of what has on more than one occasion been given in detail to the readers of the ADVERTISER. The boy gave his evidence in a clear and concise manner, and evidently looks improved by his stay in London. He was dressed in a neat suit of dark gray clothes, and wore a watch chain. At 11 a. m. the cross-examination commenced.

To Mr. Meredith - I am twelve years of age; I went out with Robert Donnelly and came back with him, and never spoke to him about the affair the whole time; I never said a word to old Mr. Keefe about it; I did not talk to the old man Donnelly after we went to bed; there were a couple of rifles behind the door in the same room; it was the old man's getting out of bed that awakened me; James Carroll had a brass candle stick with a candle in it; the old man asked Carroll to hold the light till he put on his clothes.

Mr. Meredith - You did not tell this to Mr. Irving.
Witness - He did not ask me.
Mr. Meredith - you did not say anything about the old man asking Carroll to hold the light for him at the last trial.
Witness - Yes, I did.
Mr. Meredith - I'm sure you did not.
Witness - I think I did.

[...] Mr. Meredith - how do you know it was Bridget ran across the floor?
Witness - I saw her back.
Mr. Meredith - Had she on a dress?
Witness - Yes.
Mr. Meredith - Had she on an apron?
Witness - No.
Mr. Meredith - How could you tell she had on an apron when you only saw her back?
Witness - What would she have an apron on for? (Laughter.) As I ran by I saw lot of men hammering with clubs.
Mr. Meredith - This is a new story about clubs.
Witness - I spoke about clubs last time.
Mr. Meredith - You did not.
Witness - I saw three clubs; then I got back and in under the bed again; I could tell Tom Donnelly's voice; I could also tell Tom Donnelly by his stocking feet.
Mr. Meredith - How could you be sure that it was Tom Donnelly by his feet?
Witness - What would the other men want to be out in their stocking feet for? (Laughter). They carried Tom in and threw him on the floor; I was looking out from behind the basket, between the basket and wall; I saw Tom's feet and a portion of his pants as he lay on the floor; I am quite sure they said, "Take that spade and break his skull open;" they hit him three or four times; I did not see them strike; I heard the blows; I do not remember seeing the spade; I am not sure whether I saw the spade or not.
Mr. Meredith - You said the first time you did not see the spade, and now you are not sure whether you saw one or not.
Witness - I don't think I saw the spade; a lot of them went upstairs.
Mr. Meredith - Did you think Bridget was killed?
Witness - I don't know whether I thought Bridget was killed or not.
Mr. Meredith - When they came down stairs and said that was all right, what did you think they meant by that?
Witness - I did'nt know what they meant.
Mr. Meredith - Don't you know what they meant by that?
Witness - I suppose they meant she was killed; I saw Tom Ryder and Thos. Purtell standing there.