The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-04-15
AROMATIC ESCAPE.

He was then about nineteen years OF
ace. A well educated boy of ardent
temperament, and sincerely devoted
TO the Irish cause, be did what he
could in the regiment TO promote
the revolutionary movement that
began in 1863. His connection with
the Fenian insurrectionists was DIS
covered, he was arrested, tried and
convicted of high treason, and ne
was sentenced in July 1866, to I'M
prisonment for life. This sentence
was afterward commuted TO penal
seryitude for twenty wears. OReliiy
speot about year in the English
prisons. working in the chain gangs
In November 1867, he was trans
ported 10 West'Australia in the con,
vict ship Hougoumont, crowded
with felyns. For about thirteen
months he worked at road making
near Bunbury in the Penal colony,
associatins with convicts and ticket,
of leave men. Various accounts OF
the manner Of hs escape in Febru-
ary. 1869, have been printed. The
true story was not known until MI.
O'Reilly had been in this country
for ten years or more, when time
had removed all danger OF inculpat-
ing certain friends who risked much
in assisting him to freedom. i,
In the list of sbsconders printed
early in 1869 in the official Police
Gazette of West Australia there ap-
peared this paragraph:
"2-John B. O'Reilly. Registered
number. 9,S43. Imperial convict
arrived in Colony per convict ship
Hougoumont in 1858 sentented to
twenty years 9th July, 1866. De-
scription-H Healthy appearance; pres
ent age % years; 5 feet a inches
high, black hair, brown eyes, oval
visage, dark complexion an lrisb-
man. Absconded from convict road
party, Bunbury, on the 18th OF Feb
ruary, 1863"
The man to whom Boyle O'Reilly
owed his liberty was a priest, the
Rev. Patrick McCabe, whose parish
extended over hundreds of miles Of
bush, and whose only parishloners
were convicts and ticket-of-leave
men" He was scholar and gen.
tleman Of rare accomplishments,
almost always in the saddle, riding
alone from camp to camp,and sleep
ing in his blanket under the trees al
night We continue the quotation
from Mr.. O'Reilly's own narrative.
"One day this remarkable man
rode to my hut, and we walked to-
gether into the bush. had then
made all NY plans for escape, and
freely told him my intention. Its
an excellent way to commit sui
cide.n he said and would not speak
of it any more. As he was leaving
me, however, he leaped from the
saddle and said Don't think o.
that again. Let me think out plan
for you. You'll hear from me be.
fore long"
"He went away and / waited
weeks and months and never heard
a word. | was not compelled te
work with the criminal gang on the
roads, but had charge of their stores
and carried the warder's weekly re-
port to the Budbury depot. Final
ly, one day on my way with this re
port, / came to a plain known as the
Race Course. As | crossed / heard
a ooo-ee, or bush cry, and saw mar
coming toward me. He was big
handsome fellow, with an axe or
his shoulder. He came to me with
friendly smile. my name is Ma
guire,' he said Il am a friend o
Father Macs, and he's been speak,
ing about you Seeing my hesita
ton he drew a card from his wallet
on which Father McCabe had writ
ten a few words to me. Then
trusted him."
This was in December, 1868
Some American whalers were ex
pected to touch at Bunbury in Feb
ruary for water. After two months
of suspense, news came TO O'ReillN
of the arrival of the barks. Maguir,
announced that he had arranged
with the captain of one of the whal
ers, the Vigilant, of New Bedford t,
cruise for two or three days Just out
side of Australian waters. and tax,
the fugitive on board from a small
boat On the night of February is
0'Reilly waited until the warder hat
visited his hut, put on a pair o
Freeman's :. shoes, as the tracker
could easils discern the mark of &
regulation convict's boot, and strucl
into the bush.
About ii o'clock / came to tn
old convict station, lay down behint
an old gum tree at the roadside. Ii
half an hour or so two men rode up
but they passed on; they were farm
ers, probably, or maybe a patrol O
mounted police. Shortly after
heard horses coming at a sharp trol
Thay halted near me and / heart
"PatrickIs Day" whistled clear an,
low. In an instant / was with then
-Maguire and another friend, M
They led spare horse. | mounte'
at once, and without a word W
struck into the bush at a gallon
For hours we rode on in silence"
They reached the shore, found
small boat ready for them, an,
pulled about forty miles along tn
coast to q point where they expect
ed to meet the New Bedford whalel
No one had thought to bring foo
or water. and for twenty-four hour
or more the sufferings of the part
were intense. At O'Clock on th
third day they made out the Wig
liant under full sail, steering nortl
They pulled toward her with ligt
hearts:
''She was steering straight towar
us, SO we stopped pulling and wal
ed for her. But we were bound
be wofully disappointed. Whe
she was within two miles Of our DO,
she fell off several points, as if
avoid us. Every one stared
amazement. Mcguire kept sayin
that Captain Baker had given h
word as a man, and he could not b
lieve that he would break it. Or