The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-10-01
JAMES STEPHENS.
Continued From First Page.

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Alter hurried consultation he decided
to return to the prison, and, with Byrne's
help bring out two tables from the luna
tics dinningroom on which to place the
ladder. There was an unoccupied sem
ty box close to where they stood, and
inside this he placed Stephens. For all
he knew there might be policeman sta
! toned in the Governors garden, go as
surfing Stephens that Byrne and he would
take care of anything between the SEN
try-box ami the prison door, he told him
to shoot any man coming from the other
direction. The two tables were carried
out as quickly as possible, and placed
ono on top Of the other against the wall
at point whe g Breslin knew there was
a tool shed on the other side which
would facilitate the descent The ladder
was then placed on the upper table, and
held by Byrne and Breslin while Steph-
ems assembled. AS Stephens stopped on
the ladder he turned round and handed
Breslin the revolver. This left an I'M
favorable impression on Breslin which
nothing could efface. If there should be
a policeman in the Governors garden he
could easily stop the further progress of
the fugitive and the men outside the wall
could do nothing to aid him. Stephens
climbed up the ladder, and, although
there was some grass on the top of the
wall, easily got over it, and dropped
down to the shed on he other side, and
thence to the ground. He walked over
to pear tree indicated by Breslin, which
grew close to the outer wall, and which
would aid him in climbing it. Hearing
no footsteps outside, he took handful
of sand and flung il over the outer wall
into the Circular road This signal was
at once recognized. It was only the work
of minute for the little party with Kelly
to cross the road and fling one end Of the
rope over the wall. Four of us held it,
and Immediately we felt pull on.
Tuere was evidently some hesitation on
Stephens part about climbing, and, after
waiting moment or two some of us
cried out, Its ali right; Well hold this
end while you climb" In a second there
was strong tug at the other end, and
we felt him struggling upwards, till at
last we saw his head and shoulders at
the top of the wall, about Is feet high.
TIE whole party had by this time rushed
to the spot, and the "Oid Man" was
greeted good naturally, but in muttered
tones. He peered down as if in doubt as
to who might be below, and was quite
out of breath. After he had vainly tried
to hitch the rope between two stones on
the top of the wall, John Ryan told him
to drop down, with his back to the wall
and we would catch him. He did 80,
and Ryan caught his feet on his breast,
sand on the shoes leaving the i'm
print of the soles on his buttoned coat.
It staggered Ryan, and as he was coming
down I caught Stephens about the knees,
and let him slide to the ground. Steph-
ems and Kelly at once crossed the road,
ana turned into Love lane, a long wind
ing street running through Market Gar
dens, and having few houses. From
Love lane they turned into Brown street.
In this street was the house where the
10 0 I r was to be concealed. Breslin
left the tables and the ladder as they
stood when Stephens crossed the wall,
and also allowed the false keys to remain
in the doors, SO that there might be no
mistake about the manner of escape, and
returned to his room in the hospital,
which he reached a little after two
O'Clock. He wore a pair Of patent
lea ther shoes, so that his ordinary ones
might not be soiled, and after carefully
wiping the sand and dust from them he
put them away and brushing his clothes,
got into bed and was fast asleep in ten
minutes Byrne continued to make his
usual rounds, and found no sign of any
thing to indicate that the escape WAS
known. At four o'clock be raised an
alarm and reported that Stephens was
gone. A really bold conspirator having
the splendid material that Stephens alb
solutely controlled, with 5000 out Of the
$4,000 troops then in Ireland sworn
members of the organization, $50 Irish
American commissioned officers who had
gone through the Civil War, and the
Irish masses in America at his back,
might not have been able to separate
Ireland from England, but he would
have struck blow at British power that
would have forced England to concede
Parliament in Dublin. This opportu
nifty came and went without being seized.
Byrne was arrested next day and COM
mitted for trial, bnt two successive
ljuries disagreed, and he was finally re-
leased and allowed to leave the country.
Not shadow Of suspicion rested .on
Breslin, and he remained at his post for
9 whole year, when finding that he was
likely 10 be arrested he quietly slipped
/ an hoard fFa HnlvhAad boat 1T KINGS.