The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-02
HEAD CENTRE STEPHENS.
Description of His Escape from Prison.
-~~~~O~~~>>~~~o~~~~~~ro~.>c~~
HE SETTLES A DISPUTED POINT. AND
REFUTES THE SPY CALUMNY,
HIS Ow N ST DRY.

At his preliminary examination he stated to Mr.
Strong, the magistrate that 1t not his intention
to employ lawyer. He was then remanded to the
l4th OF Novem6er' when II was again postponed
caution, when he made the reply, "You speak like
lawyer, but mean to act like patriot" Then,
turning to the magistrate, he told him that he had
not employed any lawyer and did not mean to do
so, as by dong he should recognize British law
in Ireland. he deliberately and conscientiously
denied the existence of British law in Ireland and
defed any punishment it could infct upon him.
=, On tnis account James STEPHENS was confined in
reflect, and IT struck him that his conclusion might
have been false one, end he thought the leaders
this country might not understand his reasons and
the assistance he expected to realize from the move.
ment might not come. After turning the matter
over IN his mind he became convinced that he
should gain prestige by getting out of prison
than he had done by getting into It, and accordingly
commenced TO lay plans for effecting that object.
HIS ESCAPE.
On the following day one OF the very men he had
intended to make an agent in effectiRg his escape
came TO him and said his escape had been planned
by parties outside. On hearing the names of the
men who had the matter In hand, he determined ON
letting them carry 1t out. Some days passed, when
he finally heard that he was to leave the PRISON
the morning of the 24th of November. His friends
outside had had keys made to open the SIX or seven
doors between his cell and the prison wall, which
was twenty-five leet high
On the evening OF the 23d he went to bed at the
usual hours O'Clock He was very drowsY and 1t
required all his efforts to keep awake. About mid
night he arose and dressed himself verv quie ly He
then TUNED up the bedclothes and lay down ON the
outside of the bed in hs clothes to await the arrival
of his friend. Shortly after the clock struck two
he heard slight noise at considerable distance,
which he At once knew to bethe sound produced by
opening the first gate. soon atterward, he heard
a similar noise and so on until the key turned in his
cell door. This grated so nOisly that il had to be
drawn open with the utmost caution
AI he night was similar to the one on which liver
Cromwell died, when the dreadful and destructive
storm winch swept England caused the Cava iers
10 saV that all the devils in hell had broken loose
carry hls soul 10 its last home. The nIgh wind
heavy rain and intense darkness of the night were
all favorable for his escape HIS friend pressed HIM
self against the door to prevent its creakng and
revolver was Instantly paced IN his hand They
then passed IN the same manner through all tho
doors OF the prison, until they reached the open
when the outer wall obstructed tnelr further pro-
gress.
IL must remain q mystery how he assembled that
wall but the manner IN which he descended it was
as follows HE had been given to understand that
he must leap from the top OF the wall into garden
at the other side. Before dong So however, felt
along the top of the wall, and his hand came in con-
tact with a metal funnel or stove pipe at which he
pu led to see If 1t were firm enough to descend by
Finding 1t quite firm nc let himself down by 1t for
some eight or ten feet when he found himself the
ROOT OF shed, down which he sid to path which
ran by Its slde
In thar way no trace of his descent was left, and
hence the justification OF the detectives. Follow
ing the route laid down for him, he went along
the walk to the end of the garden; then turning
at right angles he passed along 10 a point pre-
viously indicated, where he was TO have thrown a
stone over the outer wall as signal for his friends
to throw a roIe over to him. The night was in
tensely dark and he was unable to find a stone
the path which he flung over the wall and rope
was Immediately thrown TO him
He seized the rope with some anxiety, asking him
self, Have they thought OF putting knots in it?"
He tonnd they had done so, and he began to draw
himself up by it. The first help he received was by
catching hs feet against pTotuberance and at the
second lift his feet lodged hole IN the wall the
third brought him to the top. ON looking do Wn ne
| saw his friends III group below.
They placed themselves against the wall, with
bended backs, and he dropped from the top of the
wall, while one salwart man held up his arms TO
| break the fall. No sooner was ne down than he
| to d his friends TO disperse Immediately ana go
| home. Two only renamed with Inn. They pro-
ceeded about three hundred yards, when one OF
the two remaining friends also left and he then
to take refuge.
Six different houses were ready TO receivehim that
night and every of the six renamed up all night
anticipating his arrival No one saw HIM enter the
house in which he took refuge, and from its win
dows could be seen the prison in which he had been