Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-03-27
RUMORED ESCAPE OF STEPHENS
FROM IRELAND.
THE ROMANTIC STORY.

THE ROMANTIC STORY
The Daily News has advces from its Dull
lin correspondents to the effect that Jane
Stephens, the Irish Head Centre, succeede
in making his escape from Ireland on th
4th inst, and that he sailed either for thi
country or France The report is discred
tied by the English authorities. The way il
which the escape is said to have been effect
cd is thus described:
On Sunday evening last, about 81 P. NJ.
just as the shadows of night were fallinl
over Dublin, handsomely appointed opei
carriage, containing five persons and driver
by four dashing horses, two of which wer,
bestridden by postillions, drew up before
second-class hotel in one of our best streets
not quarter of mile from the Genera
Post Office. The occupants OF the carriage
were quickly joined by a sixth person, {
compact, muscularly built man, with fail
beard and piercing eyes, and the whole
party then drove off at moderate pace
through the heart of the city, up Sackvillt
street, along the highway leading north
ward from the city, past the spot where
Clarke, the suspected informer, met his
doom, and then onward at full gallop, the
horses head still turned to the north, while
their hoofs spurned the earth with rapid mo,
tion as they tore along from the city suburbs
toward Drogheda. The lamps were glim.
mering through the darkness that overspread
Dublin as James Stephens-for Stephens il
was who had last stepped into the carriage
turned his back on the City of the Pale.
Hundreds Of clever men, as he well knew,
were engaged within it, striving to discover
a means Of earning the reward placed upon
his head; in castle yard and detective office,
and police station, the minions of the Gov
ernment were torturing their brains in the
endeavor to light on some clue which might
lead them to the discovery of the arch-con-
spirator; and, what was of far more impor-
tance within the castle itself, Government
officials, high in rank, were deliberating as
to the value to be attached to the inlorma'
ton, which some traitor had brought there
day before, that James Stephens was about
to tempt his fate by endeayoring to quit Ire
land. But of this last fact Stephens and his
friends were ignorant. They did not know
that the authorities were on the scent, and
that the work of searching vessels outward
bound from the Irish coast had already
commenced. Opposition to their plans they
expected none, but a moderate amount of it
they were prepared to face. The occupants
Of the carriage (Irish-Americans all except
stephens) were each of them well supplied
with revolvers One of them carried as
many as four of those formidable weapons
in his belt, and the outriders, both good
FenQns, were also armed to the teeth. Had
score of policemen crossed their path that
night am inclined to think Stephens and his
party would have been able to give a good ac-
count of them. Fortunately for all parties
however, no necessity for resorting to these
desperate eXtremities arose, and Stephens
with his companions reached the end of their
land journey, sandy cove about half a
mile distant from Skerries, in perfect safety,
at about 10 O'Clock. skerries is apictureseue
little fishing village on this coast, some 80
miles north of Dublin. Here they speedily
effected communication through the medium
of fishing smack with the vessel which
was lying-to a short distance seaward, and
which had been engaged for the work Of
taking Stephens off, and before daybreak
Stephens was far at sea beyond the power
and jurisdiction of the enemies who thirsted
so ardently for his capture. The bark which
carried Caesar and his fortunes" was sail
ing vessel, and her course, after leaving the
Irish shore, was steered for ''the sunny land
of France" Stephens, may add, left Ire
land unaccompanied by any of those who
had escorted him from Dublin, the whole of
whom drove back to this city on Sunday
night