The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-03-06
} ohm Boyle O'ReiIly's Escape from West
Australia

boy, OF ardent tempera-
n.pt and sincerely devoted 20 tue IRISH .
cause. he did what he could IN the regi-
meut 10 promote the revolutionary move F.
m-nt that began in 1868 HIS connec- I
tion with the Feuiau iusurrectioulsts .
was discovered, he was arrested tried .
and convicted Of high treason, and he .
was sentenced in July, 1850. 10 lmprls- .
oumeDt for life. This sentence was al
terward cOmmuted 10 penal serVltude
for twenty years. O'Reilly spent about
A wear in the English prisons, working
in the chain gangs. IN November,
1867. he was transported to West Aus
traIia in the convict ship HOugoumOnt,
crowded with felous. For about thlr-
teen months he worked at road making
near Bunbury in the penal colony, asso-
ciating with cOuvicts and ticket oi-leaVe
men. Various accounts Of the manner
of his escape in February, 1869, have
been printed The true story was not
known until Mr.. O'Reilly had been IN
this country for ten years or more,
when time had removed all danger OF
inculpating certain friends who risked
much in assisting HIM to freedom.
IL the list of ab 3cnnders printed early
in 1869 in the official Police Gazette OF
West Australia there appeared this par
agTaph
John B. O'ReiIly. Registered number,
9, 9,843. Imperial convict arrived in Colony
per convict ship HougOumOnt 10 1868; SEN
fenced to twenty years 9th July, 1866. De-
scriptiOn--Healthy appearance present age
% years; feet u inches high, black halT'
brown eyes, oval Ylsage, dark complexion
an Irishman. Absconded from Convict
Road party, Bunbury, on the 18th OF Feoru-
ary, 1869.
The man to whom Boyle O'Reilly
owed his liberty was a good Catholic
priest. the Rev. Patrick McCabe, whose
parish extended over hundreds of miles
of bush. and whose only parlshioDers
were convicts and ticket Of leave men,"
He was a scholar and gentleman Of rare
accomplishments, almost always in the
saddle, riding alone from camp to camp,
and sleeping in his blanket under the
trees at night - He was an ideal dis
ciple of Christ" says Mr.. O'Reilly,
who labOTed only for his Master. He
was the best influence, indeed, in my
time he was the only good influence on
the convicts in the whole district of
Bunbury." We continue the quotation
from Mr.. O'Reilly's own narrative
One day this remarkable man rode to my
hut, and we walked together into the bush.
l had then made all my plans for escape,
and l freely told him my intention. ITS
an excellent way to commit suicide" he
said and he would not speak OF it any
more. As he was leaving me, however, he
leaned FROM the saddle and said d: Don't
think Of that again. Let me think out a
plan for you. GOu'll hear from me before
long"
lie went away and l waited weeks and
months and never beard a word. [ was not
compelled to work with the criminal gang
on the roads, but had charge of their stores
and carried the warder'S weekly report to
the BunOury depot. Finally, one day on
my way with this report | came to q plain
known as the Race CUurSe. As ] crossed it
l heard a coo &c, or bush cry, and saw a man
coming toward me. He was a big hand
some fellow, with an axe on his shoulder
He came 10 me with friendly smile. MY
I hame Is Mcguire" he said Il am friend
of Father Macs, and he's been speaking
| about you" Seeing my hesitation, he drew
card from his wallet, on which Father Nc
/ CaDe had written few words TO me. Then
l trusted nm.
/ This was in December, 1868. Some
! American whaiers were expected to
| touch at Buabury in February for wa
/ ter. After two months of suspense,
/ news came 10 O'Reiily Cf the arrival Of
( the barks. Mcguire announced that he
! had arranged with the CAPTAIN of one Of
the whaiers, the Vigilaut of New Bed
/ ford, to cruise for two Or three days Just
] OhLoA'AN VI y doNlth " dlClSs anu lcAhC
! the fugitive on board from a small boat
! On the night of February Is O'ReiHy
! waited unsIl the warder had visited his
/ hut, put on a pair Of fTeemau's shoes,
| as the tIackers could easily discern the
/ mark of regulation conyict's boot,
/ and struck into the bush
About IL O'Clock came to an old convict
| station, and lay down behind an old gum
] tree at the roadside. In half an hour or so
! two meu rode up, but tney passed on they
! were farmers probably, OF maybe Z patrol
/ of mounted police. Shortly after, | heard
/ horses coming at a sharp trOt. They halted
/ near me and 1 heard "PatricK's : Day" whis
/ tied clear and low. In an instant | was
| with them--Maguire and another friend
/ Al. They led spare horse. mount
! ed at once, aud without n word we struck
/ into the bush at gailop For hours we
/ rode on in silence.
They reached the shore, found a small
boat ready for them, and pulled about
/ forty miles along the coast to The point
/ where they expected to meet the New
| Bedford whaler. No one had thought
/ To bring food or water and for twenty
! Tour hours OF more the Sufferings of the
/ party were intense. At l O'Clock on
! the third day they made out the Vigi-
liant. under full sail, steering north.
/ They pulled toward her with light
/ hearts:
She was steering straight toward us So
4 we stopped pulling and waited for her But
We were bound to be Vofullv disappointed
/ When she was within two miles of our boat
/ she tell II several points, il TO avoid US.
| Every one stared in amaZement Mcguire
/ kept saying that Capt. Baker had given his
! word as man, and he could not believe
/ that he would break 10. Ore of the men
! stood up in the boat and gave loud hal,
/ that must have been heard on board No
/ answer Again he hailed, and we all iOiued
! 10 the shout No answer 1t only seemed
/ that the NlRllant turned a point further
/ from Us. At last she came abreast of our
/ boat She was chen about three miles dis.
l tant. Mcguire hoisted white shirt on the
/ end Cf an oar, and we shouted again. But
/ the Nigiiaut passed on, and left our boat tc
its fate.
They landed on the beach. and o..
/ Reilly's friends went back to BunDurv.
/ promising to return in week, and Ieav.
( Ing him hiding in secluded sand val.
4 ley close to the shore. He climbed a
( tree and caught an Opossum. and ais,
! captured a few Kangaroo rats These
animals supplied him with food. 4 eLeT
. three days O'ReilIy. still believing that
f. Capt. Baker must be cruising for him
/ somewhere off the coast, resolved tc
make another attempt 10 UOa-d the
whaler. The TowbOat was too heavy
for him To pull alone SIX or seven
miles further up the beach he found an
/ old dory. half buried in the sand. He
( dug tile dOry out. launched il made il
/ watertlght 10y plugging the cracks with
paper bark, and pat O sea alone:
Before night l nad passed the headiand
and vas On The Indian Ocean. l knew there