Washington telegraph., 1852-07-07
Meagher's Escape--Interestin Let

GLEN Cove, Saturday June s. 1852.
| To the Editor of the Neo York Daily Times:
| DEAR SIR-ln consequence Of some misstate-
ments regarding my escape, which have just
which appear to have been copied from an Aus
tralian paper, think it right to set the true
facts before the American public to whom alone
l now hold myself responsible.
The remarkable kindness have experienced
from the press and the public generally, ever since
my arrival in this noble country and the anxiety
feel to have it understood that am not hcient
in the honorable spirit which qualities stranger
to become its citizen, compel, ME to break the 81
lence which no act or word on the part Of my
enemies, could ever disturb
The facts are these:
In the month of April, 1851, was called upon
to renew my parole. l did SO in writing, and in
the following words:
81 hereby pledge my ,Uord of honor not to leare the
Colony so long as Ihold a ticket of lcare"
handed this pledge to the Police Magistrate in
the open Court. Any one can see it who desires
to refer to it,
Towards the end of December, the same year.,
came to the determination of attempting my es
cape. Accordingly, on the Sd of January last
sent the following letter to the Police Magistrate
of the district in which resided:
LAKE SoRELL, DIST. OF CAMpBELLTowN,
Saturday. January 3, 1852.
SIR Circumstances of a recent occurrence urge
spon me the necessity of resigning my ticket of
leave, and consequently Withdrawing my parole.
write this letter, therefore, respectfully to APP
,rise you that after IL o'clock tomorrow noon
shall no longer consider myself bound by the obl-
cation which that parole imposes.
In the meantime however, should you conceive
it your duty to take me into custody, shall. as
matter of course, regard myself wholly absolved
from the restraint which my word of honor to
your Government at present infiicts.
I hava fha fO ha with eli
Your obedent servant,
THOMAS FRANCIS MEAGHER.
To the Police Magistrate of the District of Camp
bell town.
The Police Magistrate received this letter at IL
O clock the same morning. remained in my cot
tage, at Lake Sorell, until o'clock that evening.
A few minutes after that hour, four of my friends
arrived on horseback. and communicated to me
the intelligence that the police were coming to
arrest me. | went out with them into the Bush,
and remained there, about 300 yards from the cot
tage, until my servant brought the news that the
police had arrived, and were sitting in the kitchen.
We mounted our horses Immediately and rode
down to the cottage. One hundred yards from it,
nv friends drew up. | rode on till | came close
to the stable, which was within pstol-shot of the
kitchen door, | drew up there, and desired the
servant to go in and tell the police | was waiting
for them. He did so. Two or three minutes
elapsed. The police appeared. The moment
they appeared rose in my stirrups, and called
out that | was the prisoner they came to arrest,
and | defied them to do so. This challenge was
echoed by my friends with three loud and hearty
cheers in the midst of which struck spurs to my
horse and dashed into the wood, in the direction
of the coast. Accompanied by my generous and
courageous-hearted friends, l reached the
shore on Monday afternoon, at point where
boat was in readiness to receive me. [ jumped
from my horse, got into the boat, put off to
and beat about there for few days. until the
ship came up which, thank God bore me, at last
to free and hospitable land.
In plain words, these are the plain facts of the
case. AS have written them here, they were
written by one of my friends, at the house where
we changed horses way to the coast. The
manuscript containing them, was forwarded next
morning, Tuesday to the editor of the leading
Journal of the Colony, and bore the names of
my friends, written by their own hands, in attes-
tation of its truth The gentleman to whom it
was sent, was instructed not to publish the names
that were attached to it. He was, however, at
the same time requested to insert the document
itself in the next number of his paper, and was
left at full and perfect liberty to show the sigma
lures to any person Who might wish to be salts
fed upon the subject, and would pledge his honor
not to abuse the confidence reposed in him. by in
volving the parties concerned in any legal diff
Guilty
The men who vouched with their signatures for
the truth of the statement then made, and now re-
peatcd are men of considerable property and
highly creditable positions in the Colony, and no
there would be rash enough to speak single
word derogatory of their honor.
| have the honor to be your
Faithful and grateful servant
THOMAS FRANCIS MEAGHER.