The Express.
London, England, 1865-11-27 00:00:00

THE ESCAPE OF STEPHENS, THE FENIAN.
_ -

The Dublin Mail, of Saturday evening, gives the fol-
lowing additional particulars :
It was ascertained that the skeleton keys were made for
the looks for which the watchman, Daniel Byrne, bed sot
keys. The keys that he had is his possession wine thor
known as check-lock keys, which opened the doors oar his
route as sight watchman, and to enable him to go and peg
the tell-tale clocks when going his rounds. The false for
the• was made for the cross-doors of the corridor, and for
the lock on the door of the cell In which Stephens had been
confined. A remarkable circumstance, which, although it
may appear insignificant in itself, may have been connected
with this extraordioary event, occurred on the night before
the Head Centre effected his escape. Shortly before
o'clock cis Thursday sight • number of persons marched
SIMS& Mum round the bride sell, playing •'O'Doonell abort."
" Hail Columbia," and a number of other airs of • similar
clam, as musical instrument. ; and duriog thn time they
were so engaged, singular to say, they were not totertupted
by the police. The handles of the false keys foned were of
rough workmanship, and on inspection appeared to be old
key., the wards of which had been latoriously and
he skilfully
filed down to fit the locks. The suggestion of t prison
officials is that he wove ed in his deseeet by a confederate
outside the wall, prov with a ladder and rope. Neither
ladder nor rope, however, has been found. From the fact
that there were no footprints,the police incline to belief
that Stephens did not pUil over the wall at all, but that he
went out through the gate at the angle of the front wall
facing the Circular-road, at the Clanbradd-street side. There
are at present forty other potions aocusei of Feeibmisin
confined in this prison. Each occupies a separate cell sod
is not allowed to communicate with the others. All the
prison keys are kept in a glom use is the office of the
governor, which is situated to the front part of the building,
on the lower storey. It is lit by ooe window. whiab is
barred on the outside. After all the prisoners have been
locked up each evening the keys are deposited in this re-
I meads, the key of which, as well se that of the office
I ;lull, remains in the custody of the governce. An leveret-
Lotion was held yeateiday in the pesos, at which Mr.
Nrry, Q.C., was pelmet, after which Mr. Marquis, the
governor, proceeded to the heed police-office, where he made
as information, setting forth the circumstances attendant
on the escape of Stephens. with the view, it is understood,
of having the fact inserted in the Rue and Cry.
Whether Stephens has succeeded in effecting his escape
front the country or not remains to the premed a mystery.
The police believe that he has not, but that he is located
at no great distance from Richmond Bridewell. However
this may be, a tumour is prevalent, and is supported on
some appearance of justifiable evidence, to the effect that
i at about two o'clock yesterday morning • cab conveying
three persons arrived at Ringsend, and stopped at the
beginning of the new road leafing to the South Wall,
which communicates with the Pigeon House Fort. It is
further stated that about 50 or 60 yards from the western
entrance to the fort—where there is a slip—a boat was in
waitiog, into which the individuals in question—aloof whom
is assumed to be Stephens—entered, and were immediately
rowed dross to • hooker lying on the northern or Howth side
of the hay. The night was very stormy, and torrents of rain
fell, but those who are acquainted with the custom of the
hardy fishermen who frequent the bay and eastern cast
know that the weather was not such as to deter them from
proceeding upon even a more perilous errand. Should this
prove true, the escape of Stephen would be ideotioal in
point of time with the departure of a yawl characterised
as a hooker from Dahlia Bay. Of course it is very
difficult to authenticate this story, but we give it as
not being by any means improbable that those who so
deftly accomplished the deep. of Stephens made such
arrangements as facilitated his withdrawal to France or
some other country with which no extradition exists. On
a former occasion we referred to the remarkable power
Stephens possesses of so transforming his appearance that
those most intonate with him would fail to recognise him.
Whether he disguised himself on this occasion or not we
cannot tell, but the story we have given above points to •
man in all respects resembling him, even to the expression
of the eyes and the slight traces of inflammation which re-
main is them from recent soreness. As against this the
retake of the polio. mud be set. They are confident is
the belief that he has not left the country, and they ap-
peal to his known antecedents to justify their views. A
man who had so many opportunities of escaping from the
reentry, after a reward for his capture was offered, would,
they say, be more likely to hazard the chance of defeating
their vigilance rather than export himself to the possible
chance of shipwreck, or of stoppage ma the sea.
Byrne, the watchman, whose arrest took place last even-
ing, was originally in the police force. He they isolated in
the "Battalion of St. Patrick, Pontifical Ariny," and was
one of those returned to this couatry after the Caatelfidaro
affair. He next appears as a membrr of the Dublin Corpo-
ration Fire Brigade, out of which body be was selected to
fill the situation in Richmond Bridewell which be recently
occupied. Suspicions of the taint of Fenisniam have foe
some time been entertained against him, and these would
appear to be justified by the discovery amoogst his
pommel effects of the form of oath with which
none but " working Be" or captains of the brother-
hood were made acquainted. It would thus seem
that Stephens was left in the custody of a subordinate
officer of the conspiracy, of which he is the alleged chief is
this country. In connexion with this subject many of our
readers will recollect • statement made aome months ago,
to the effect that Stephens, ia various disguise., bad been
through all the gaols in Ireland. had tented their street)),
and declared that none of them were strong 'cough to hold
him. It is pretty generally stated that Mr. Marquis was so
dissatisfied with some of the officials to whom the keeping
of the gaol had necessarily to be committed that he de-
manded the assistance of a number of steady sergeants of
police, but that his remonstrant'se ont this subject were die-
regarded. During the earlier part of to-day Mr. Lentaigne
and Mr. Corry CoooeUan, Inspectors-general of Prisons,
attended at the bridewell, and holden investigation into the
circumstances of the escape, so faros they have been brought
to light. It is said that some statements have been made
implicating more than one of the officers of the prison. Up
too o'clock the examination of the prisoner had not com-
menced. He was brought down in custody shortly before
2 o'clock, but the informations are of such • voluminous
character that their preparation occupied an unusually long

(FROM Ott coaarsrormarr.)
LIVERPOOL, SUNDAY.
From an early hour this morning • large number of de-
tectives have 'timely watched the arrival of the Irish boats,
but their vigilance so far has been unattended with success.
The following in an extract from • letter received here this
morning from Dublin. The writer is a gentleman bolding
• good position, and, therefore, is likely to be well informed :
"Thera has never been so much excitement of the kind in
Dublin since the days of 1848. Canards of all descriptions
are being quietly circulated and eagerly swallowed by
the police authorities, and We oonseqnence is, that
wherever you go you are sure to tumble over detectives,
all, of course, is eager *web after Stephens.
My own opinion, and that of others who know
Stephens, is that he is not the man to undertake such an
escape—knowing the consequence if be was recaptured—u•-
lead he saw his way clear. So thoroughly wu the secret of his
intended escape kept, that even his wife—whe is as accost•
pliebeda plotter as himself —only learnt it when she west
to inquire about him at the prison sveral hours after be
was mined. Now I have heard, and I can place every one.
fidenoe in my authority, that during the whole of Thursday
'rig • twa•masted vessel, apparently a French lugger,
was observed to be beating about the bay, end as the sight
`grew oil—and it wu • dark night—it was observed that
several different lights were exhibited, believed now to have
been shown by the strange vessel, which on Friday morning
had disappeared."

Tag FENIAN TRIALS IN Coax.—The precepts for
the opening of the special commission in Cork only arrived
in that city on Thursday morning. They were directed to
each of the sheriffs and to the mayor. The commission
will be opened on the 14th December, by Judges Keogh
and Fitsgerald, fora general gaol delivery. The grand jutw
have been summoned to attend at two o'clock, and the
Fatty jury will also be is attendance to 0001III,DCO the cri-
minal business connected with the general gaol delivers at
once. The kind of Bandon
heaps, Ibsen invited to act as fore-
man of the grand jury, and has, it is believed, accepted the
invitation.
Tug Fintarr Itcrogruag.—lt was perhaps well
enough for the Feniaos to get up • temporary excitement as
• relief from the dulness which succeeded the cessation of
hostilitice io this country. Patriotic ardour must find vent
in some way. But there in some danger of the joke tieing
carriid too far ; not in the sense of creating international
trouble—for that is altogether out of the question— but in
this regard : Hundreds, and probably thousands of poor,
honest, nostispectiog Irish, living in the uneophisticatad
sections of this country, have been cajoled into making
remittances to the managers of the order here and else•
where —not one tithe of which, thee may depend on it, is
need for any other purpose than maintaining•• set of scamps
in idiotism. Stories come to us of remittances of Fenian
funds to Ireland. Most of these docks are doubtless in-
tended to show that the cootributions received are ac-
tually expended for some revolutionary end. Even if as
honest share of the funds were seat to Ireland, the result
would apparently be merely to send • few more ill-advised
young people to gaol. But we do not believe that the
money is used for any other purpose than getting notoriety
sod sliest leather boots for • set of idlers in this country. '
It is really time that those who are in • podtion to addle
the uosophistioated people in the rural didriots as to the
real nature of the Fenian swindle should do so. .It is •
crime to bolster up the coaciero eves as • joke. The clergy,
on whose misistretions the Irish Americans chiefly depend.
are probably doing their best to stop the swindle. Bat
every one who wishes well to Ireland and her people should
lead a hand in exposing what is really no unmitigated
imposturia—New York Times. Nov. 14.
A Liverpool cotton broker, named O'Hare, was
on Saturday fined 20s. end costs for assaulting the police.'
An °Mom had interfered during& dispute between O'Hare
soda sateen. The defendant wag also ordered to pay a
compensation to the cabman.
DU BLEST'S DELICIOUS EXALTS SENTOBINO Rs-
-IsA ARAILIOn 7000 yields thrice the ecaulahmeot of the
e heel, sod come without nedicioe or locoeveniesoe.
ate (Wapiti:A), ovegh„ 'Alms, eeeemptioia, &Why. pe.
Don, disrrhae, 07900ter7. Demo& hilletat, Dyer. sad skailach
cocaphilate aod wee fifty times ha feet hi other remediee.
40,000 cures annually. —Do Ram sad Co. No. TT, Regestelreet
London. W. la the. Mt, to. id. ; HIM. f2a.; Salbs., 40a.: We;
at 111, Orarecharehelrest 4, Chanel& : Wl* sad Ski, Word.
Area: sod at all Ofessm...{Adverdesmenal