Many of the women present were overcome with emotion.

O'Hara openly wiped away his tears, keeping an anxious eye the while upon the witness and waiting the psychological moment for the arresting of her tale.
The moment came when Mrs.Fitzpatrick's emotions rendered her speechless.

With a great show of sympathy, Mr.O'Hara approached the witness, and offering her a glass of water, found opportunity to whisper, "Not another word, on your soul." "Surely," he said, appealing to the judge in a voice trembling with indignant feeling, "my learned friend will not further harass this witness." "Let her go, in Heaven's name," said Staunton testily; "we want no more of her." "So I should suppose," replied O'Hara drily.
With Mrs.Fitzpatrick, the case for the Crown was closed.
To the surprise of all, and especially of the Counsel for the Crown, O'Hara called no witnesses and offered no evidence in rebuttal of that before the court.

This made it necessary for Staunton to go on at once with his final address to the jury.
Seldom in all his experience had he appeared to such poor advantage as on that day.

The court was still breathing the atmosphere of Mrs.Fitzpatrick's rude and impassioned appeal.