The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1853-11-18

GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF HIS ESCAPE-ARRIvALIS
SAN FRANCISCO, EcT.

From the San Francisco Herald, Oct I6.I
John Mitchell, the Irish exile, whose escape |
from van Dieman's Land is noticed else /
where, arrived here on Wednesday afternoon,
accompanied by his wife and children, and is |
now lodging at Jones's Hotel. No words of
ours can express the delight with which we
welcome this gallent and sterling patriot to
the shores of California. Since Robert En- 4
met offered up his pure life OH the scaffold. in
yindication of his countrys rights, no such
man as John Mitchell has ever flung himself
into the breach in defence of Irish indie PEN
dence.
Phe Irish exiles Of l64S have never. rs il
we'll known, admitted the validity of their
pretended trials and convictions before iuries
backed by the English government. They
hold themselves captives in hands Of pirates,
and have no scruple in escaping out of the
power of their enemies, whenever they can
do SO without violating their parole of honor,
an obliging which must be observed even
with pirates. The last prisoner who has es-
capped their clutches, and fed for refuge un.
der the American flag, is John Mitchell, who
arrived last evening, as we have stated, &C.
companied by his wife and children, they hav-
ing about two years ago followed him to his
place of bondage. The circnms: ances of his
escape are briefly these:
MIR. p. ]. Smyth, of New York, (himself
rebel OF lS4S,) went to Van Diemen's Land
with the express n ssion to rescue some one
or more of the Irish State prisoners. Nothing
could have been easier than to escape, if they
could have thought of doing so clandestnely,
and without regard TO their promise; but in
order to discharge themselves of that obIiga-
tion they felt it necessary to formally wi h
draw their parole before the proper authority
and present themselves TO be taken into GUS
tody. The parole is to the effect that they
would not escape from the colony SO long as
they held ''tcket of leave" which give
them species of liberty within certain
designated police district; but this "ticket Of
leave" is thing which may at any time be
taken away by the convict authorities or re-
signed by the prisoners. l.ast
/ Now, while Mr.. Smyth was in Van Die
mans Land. and before any movement hat.
ever was made by any of the prisoners, the
local government, by any means of some of
their caves dropping detectives, had learned
his real views, and Smyth was actually ar
rested, held in custody for three days, and
most ANONYMOUSLY abused, under warrant
directed against John Mitchell. Mr.. Smith,
in short, was taken for Mr. Mitchell, under the
false andinsolent assumption that Mr.. Mitch
ell was abscOnding, whilst he was all the
time living quietly at his cottage in Both
well, and was under parole of honor not to
absc ond. This was gross outrage on Mr..
Mitchell. He now at length resolved to avail
himself of Mr. Smyths offer of assistance,
and leave the island, not clandestinely, but
openly. Accordingly, he wrote and des-
patched the following note TO the Lieut.. Gov
/ ernor, Sir William Denison: -f sfH
4 -.tl boutwell,, June s, 1853.
/ SIR:-I hereby resign the comparative lib
erty" called "ticket of-leave," and revoke my
parole Of honor. shall forthwith present
my self before the policy magistrate of Both
well, at his police office, show him this letter
and offei my self to be taken into custody.
am, sir, your obedent servant.
!. - 81. JOHN mitchell.
| The next day, the 9th June, Mr.. Mitchell
and Mr.. Smyth rode in together to the toa n
ship o. Boutwell,, went to the police office
door, dismounted, and walked in. They found
the magistrate in his room. The police clerk
was with him; constable was in the adjoining
room, and another constable was as usual on
guard at the door. The police barrack and
watch house stand opposite. Arrived in the
magistrates room, Mr.. Mitchell handed him
an open copy of the above note, and re-
quested him to read it. The magistrate cast
his eye over it a moment, and then looked up
to MIR. Mitchell, who deliberately desired him
to observ the purport Of that note, and took
the trouble of twice explaining TO him that
the parole was at an end and that he had
come to be taken into CUSTODY. AS the Of
fetal seemed still either bewildered or fright
ened, the two gentlemen put on their. hats
Mr.. Mitchell wished the magistrate good
morning, and they left the Office. Immedia.
teiy when they turned their ba cks, the mag
istrate made loud uproar, and he and some
of the constables rushed out, calling on them |
to stop, and commanding every one to stop
them. The constable on guard, however, had
his hands occupied it holding two horses; the
other inhabitants of the town looking on
laughing, and well pleased; and, in short, the |
two fugiiives mounted their horses and rode !
off, They found no necessity to use, or even
to exhibit arms though both were well arm
ed. A fter they left Boutwell,, however, the |
true difficulty commenced. Mr.. Smyth chang
ed horses and coats with MIR. Mitchell, and
then they parted and rode different ways
through the forest. Boutwell, is the central
police district of the island, and between it
and the sea extend several lines of police |
stations, to all Of which intelligence was in
stanty conveyed by mounted express con-
stables. Mr.. Mitchell remained six weeks az
ter that day in the island, without being able
to get on board ship, though one was i'm
mediately placed at his service by patriotic
ship owner ofSydney. After many hundred
miles riding, and in several DISCUSSES, he at
length got off under an assumed name, in
British vessel, which at Tahiti, was fortu-
ma oil oyerfa keu nv tho a uerican hart TuIi.
Ann, bearing his wife and family, under Mr..
Smyth's escort, TO San Francisco. At Tahiti
Mr.. Mitchell was transhipped, and now stands
frea m Arnorirnn soil