HOPPIN, Charge’d’Affaires ad interim to William Howard Russell, September 22, 1883

Mr. Hoppin to Mr. W. H. Russell.

Sir: The vice-consul-general of the United States has referred to me your letter of the 19th, in which you inform him of the anxiety of the prisoner Michael or Patrick O’Donnell, charged with the murder of J. Carey, and claiming to be an American citizen, to have a solicitor appointed to undertake his defense, and requesting the consul to instruct some one to defend him. You add that the prisoner has no friends in England.

I have examined the papers in the hands of the police and they seem to show that one Patrick O’Donnell became a naturalized citizen of the United States on November 6, 1876.

But the fact that the prisoner in this case appears by your letter to have an uncertain Christian name, either Michael or Patrick, throws some doubt upon his identity with the person named in the certificate of naturalization.

Admitting his citizenship, however, to be established, I do not consider that it is the duty of the Government of the United States, under ordinary circumstances, to provide professional legal assistance for one of its citizens accused of crime in Great Britain, even when such citizen is destitute of means. There seems to be nothing in this case to make it an exception.

I am informed, furthermore, by the public journals, that a considerable amount of money has been subscribed by Mr. O’Donnell’s friends to provide for his defense.

Under these circumstances I must decline to accede to his wishes to instruct some one to defend him, except under directions of the Department of State.

I am, &c.,