36
	    O�Brien shoots a Man.
the soldiers.�   �They may hang him!� adds
Bellew.      I am pretty sure they will do no
such thing, albeit he may deserve it; only
unlettered homicides are executed in this demo-
critic city; though seeing what the man�s
life is, I don�t think I should affect to sen-
timentalize if the Baron of Inchiquin were
induced with the order of the halter.  However
as blowing a hole with a pistol-bullet through
the stomach of an Irishman, even by another
and by a �literary man,� is hardly a recog-
nized privilege, �Captain� O�Brien may
expiate the indulgence of his humane Celtic
temper between four stone walls for a year
or two.    The deed occurred on Friday night,
and Bellew reports that the soldier cannot
survive this one.    He says the man was a 
private in the regiment.     I had learnt
previously, from Haney, that O�Brien was
in the city on that day, endeavoring to bor-
row money in anticipation of his pay, in
which he only succeeded to the extent of $5.
At Haney�s expense.       A bad investment,
I take it.            Bellew got the story first from
Mullen.   Raymond, also of the regiment,
regretted O�Brien�s act, but said he antici-
pated he might have found it compulsory