Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-11-23
From the San Francisco Herald, October 10.

| From the San Francisco Herald, October 10.
John Mitchell, the Irish PATRIOT
Graphic Account of llis Escape--Ar-
rival i'm Sam Francisco. &c.
John Mitchell, the Irish exile, who escaped from
| Van Dieman's Land, arrived here on Wednesday
afternoon, accompanied by his wife and children,
and is nav lodging at Jone Hotel. No words of
ours can express the delight with which we well
come this gallant and sterling patriot to the shores
of California Since Robert Emmet offered up
his pure life the scaffold, in vindication Of his
country's rights, no such man as John Mitchell has
ever flung himself into the breach in defence of
Irish Independence
| The circumstances of the case are briefly these:
Mr.. P. J. Smyth, of New York, (himself a reb-
el of l84S,) went to Van Dieman's Land with the
express mission 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 clandestinely, and without regard to
their promise; but, in order to discharge them
selves of that obligation, they felt it necessary to
formally withdraw their parole before the proper
authority, and present themselves to be taken into
custody. The parole is to the effect that they
would not escape from the colony so long as they
held "ticket of leave," which gave them spe-
cies 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 risigned by the prisoners.
Now, while Mr.. Smyth was in Van Dieman's
Land, and before any movement whatever was
made by any of the prisoners, the local govern
ment by means of some of their eaves-dropping
detectives, had learned his real views, and Mr.
Smyth was actually arrested held in custody for
three days and most ANONYMOUSLY abused under
a warrant directed against John Mitchell. MIR.
Smyth, in short, was taken for MIR. Mitchell, under
the false and insolent assumption that Mr.. Mitchell
was absconding, whilst he was all the time living
quietly at his cottage in Boutwell,, and was under
parole of honor not to abscond. This was gross
outrage on Mr.. Smyth, and an outrage hardly less
gross on Mr.. Mitchell. He now, at length, resol-
we'd to avail himself of Mr.. Smyths offers of as
sistance, and leave the island not clandestinely,
but openly. Accordingly he wrote and despatch
ed the following note to the Lieut.. Governor, Sir
VIM. Denison:
boutwell,, June 9, 1853.
Sir: hereby resign the escomparative liberty"
called "ticket of leave" and revoke my parole Of
honor. I shall forthwith present myself before
the police magistrate of Boutwell,, at his police of
fee, show him this letter, and offer myself to be
taken into custody. l am, sir, your obedient SER
want, JOHN mitchell.
The next day, the 10Th June, Mr.. Mitchell and
Mr.. Smyth rode in together to the township of
Boutwell,, went to the police-ofice door, dismount
ed, and walked in. They found the magistrate
in his room. The police clerk was with him; a
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.
Arriving in the magistrates room, Mr.. Mitchell
handed him an open copy of the above note, and
requested him to read it. The magistrate cast his
eye over it a moment, and then looked up to Mr.
Mitchell, who deliberately desired him to observe
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 custo-
dy. AS the official seemed still either beWildered
or frightened the two gentlemen put on their hats;
Mr.. Mitchell wished the magistrate good morn
ing, and they left the Office. Immediately, when
they turned their backs, the magistrate made a
loud uproar, and he and some of the constables
rushed out, calling on them to stop, and command
ing every one to stop them. The constable on
guard, however, had his hands occupied in holding
two horses; the other inhabitants of the town
looked on laughing, and well pleased; and, in
short, the two tugitives mounted their horses, and
rode off. They found no necessity to use, or even
to exhibit arms, though both were we'll armed.
After they left Boutwell,, however, the true diff
iculty commenced. Mr.. Smyth changed horses
with Mr.. 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 extend several lines of police sta
tons, to all of which intelligence was instantly
conveyed by mounted express constables. Mr.
Mitchell remained six weeks after that day in the
island without being able to get on board ship,
though one was Immediately placed at his service
by patriotic ship owner of Sidney. After many
hundred miles riding, and in several disguises he
at length got off under assumed name, in a
British vessel, which, at Tahita, was fortunately
overtaken by the American bark Julia Ann, bear
ing his wife and family, under Mr. Smyth's escort,
transported, and now stands free on American SOIL