The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-08-09
From the New York Cors,nsrciaI Adyertiseir;. :.
o'DoNoHuE's ESCAPE FROM VAN DIEMANs s
ot,t -t .t LAND. re

II ofu rEfl IA LAMB. r
Mr.. O'Donohuo has furnished the press with
n narrative of his escape, so diffuse that we
could not reproduce il in full without exclu-
ding other and important matter. We there
fore condebso his statement. 1t appears that
Mr.. ODonohue went on board steamer at
Launceston at 8 O'Clock on the goth of Deceni-
ber last, and was concealed in part of the
vessel which the police failed to penetrate af-
ter a vigilant search. He says go nuia
F"O'N. placed me in his b ,rth, where lay
until four o'clock and was then removed to
the engine room, and at half past seven clock,
ON led mo through tho furnace room to the
receptacle used for holding the Goals consumed
by the furnaces. lt was adjoining the furna-
ces, but partitoned off with sheet iron. In the
|. centre of this was an aperture, or trap-door
underneath. The cavity, surrounded evory-
who're with burning flames, was selected asthe
apartment that was to occupy. | pushed
Forward into the first chamber on hands and
,eet ON having forced the SeresES tssERidq2r % s
then ai ..ap-uoOr, and directly hlleu
the entire space with Goals l ,cas then en-
sconced in a compartment about spen feet in
length, three in cidth, and t,co in height; and
by Its formation / was obliged to lie IN a re-
cumbent posture. IL being lined on all sides
,ci.h sheet iop iohen The furnaces came TO blaze
in .frH strength, the heat and icnnt Of air be-
came iusupportabie dreaded instant death
by sutfocation or apoplexy. Tho ordeal, too,
was terribly tedious. after about an hour,
on dreading fatal consequences, caused wa
ter to be pumped into my dungeon, by means
of an opening in the ships keel | was then
placed between the two great elements, fire
and water, saturated from head to foot with
water, while fire ragged all around me. .gia
'The police search occupied two hours, af-
ter which ON. opened the trap-door, and
helped me into the coal recess, from whence
he brought mo to the engine room. was
greatly exhausted. but soon rallied. Ena
"Thus ended the police search at Launces-
ton; but, on reaching Georges Town Heads,
being forty miles down the river, ON. inform
ed mo that should again conceal myself in
the same place that | had just been in, as the
search in Georges Town for prisoners was c.
ven more rigorous than at Launccston. The
anticipation of the second life or death ordeal,
made me very uncomfortable, and looked
forward TO it with much anxiety. Having ar
rived at Georges Town. teas agaia remored
, 10 The fiery dungeon achere i0as kept three
hours while search was made and my escape
was indeed, very narrow; for the place set a
{ part for Goals over my head was searched close
ly bv the police constablcs.
, son releasing me from this purgatorial re-
II
, ened. Onputting my hand through the trap
, door, it closed halfway upon me- and in a hur-
ried effort of poor ON. to disentangle me, |
narrowly escaped. aa3 Goeol -oi
al was now again placed in O'N's berth
where | remained from Monday evening until
: "Wednesday at noon, when we reached Mel
bourne wharf On arriving ut Williamstown
r harbor tho previous night there was strict
, police search, but L lay undiscovered in my
BERTH Immediately on casting anchor at
r Melbourne, OH Wednesday,, the 22nd of Dc
, cember, Messrs. ]. L., b. and ID --,hrce gen
tlemen who were aware of my contemplated
Escape camo aboard; and it was determined
f shou ID walk ashore just rs was, dressed in
! ain old blue irowsers and a check shirt, black
, and greasy, and baggard os any fireman could
> look. The quay was crowded with people, and
among them a largo sprinkling of police and
, detectives, horse and foot. My friends step
. ped ashore and carclcssly walked on. | fol-
Q lowed in their steps, and in few minutes they
entered friends house. where also entered
ut was 2'o'clock in the day, very hot, The
thermometer stood l02 IN The shade. NV
friends returned to Melbourne, and remain
ed at Mr.. LIS during Wednesday night, and
" on Friday morning the 2lth of December, Mr..
0 p. c. and Mr.. Fitz of Melbourne, having Wis
tied and consulted with mo on tho previous
ter security, to removo long distance from
Melbourne, to secluded and remote part oi
!, tho forest bordering on the sea shore, and tha,
. / should remain there until vessel was pro-
cured to convey me to America. part OF
Port Philip headland. on one of the solitary
beaches of Iiobson's Bay, was therefore soloc-
ted as my rendezvous for the present.
: Mr.. .ODonohuo then relates the particulars
= Of his journey to the sad solitary beach. Here
he was taken seriously i'll, and he continuos:-
"On Thursday morning, the 9th of Decom-
Der, was very bad indeed, when a man arrive
cd at six o'clock, aftor travelling from Mel
bourne. lie handed me a letter.. 1t was from
= my Melbourne friends, who required my i'm
mediate presence in that city. Tho letter in
: formed mo that Mr. ID. had arrived from
. Iiaunceston, and that he had arranged with
: tho captain of the Earl of Lincoln for my EN-
! barkation at 3 o'clock on tho morning of tn,
o 3lst, and that tho vessel would sail for Soutf
America in an hour afterward. lTcrawled out
;, of bed, and, scarcelyable to stand, L dressed
!, myself, mounted on "a horse, and proceeded OF
my journey with my new acquaintance. Con
J nor Kileen was the namc of my guide. Tue
> distance was 90 miles, the heat was intense
:, , and was scarcely able to cit in The saddle.
q ave never tasted food except the, leg ant
! wing ofawildt duck; nor drink, except muddy
y hotwater from the, Greek, during our journey
Il I, which we accomplished about two o'clock, OF
= tho morning Of tho 3lst, Weonly stopped IF
Z Teen inmates during tho entire journey, and
? didnot Interchange ten words sdl Esl1,s-
1 li,rI took afarewoll adieu of Mrs oFiiz4---, and
d., l.. G. G. anS myself moanted vehicle
0 land drovoto q beach opposite illiams towr
. harbor, and about threestpiles from Mel
! bourne. eWe tberesproeureda boat. and pull
! ed away for tho Earl of Lincoln, which lay q
3 long way out in the harbor. II blew argals
! dofhot wind squite distressing. We reached
j. tho ship at 4 O'Clock in tho morning--tho cap
!, tain was absent. no one could tell where Mr.
ID, and Charles G., sreturnodo to- Melbourne. =
Mr.. John L.. and another gentleman remained
A four hours rswithme--thcy then went ashore il
Al search of rthefcapt ain. i WAS then alone i'm Q
y stafa of lnnor anriaiu nnd- oonfinrnI illnasa