The Irish standard., 1892-10-01
JAMES STEPHENS.
The Story of his Escape From Rich
mond Prison as Related by
John Dewey.
THE FENIAN HEAD CENTER


Was at the Time the Most Popular
and Most Powerful Man in
Ireland.
The following account of the escape of
James Stephens, the Fenian organizer,
from the prison in Dublin in 1865, was
given by John Dewey in the New York
Sun:
James Stephens was at that time un-
questionably the most popular and most
powerful man in Ireland. His will was
law to an organization numbering $4,000
men. The Irish in America regarded
him as the predestined leader of a revo-
luton. Among the officers of the prison
were John J. Breshn, hospital steward,
and Daniel Byrne, one of the two night
watchmen. Byrne was member OF the
Fenian organization, having been sworn
in by Captain John Kirwan, the ex- -Papal
Zouave, now Ct New York, but Breslin,
although man of strong Nationalist
opinions, did not belong to any organiza-
ton. All his brothers, however, were
Fenians. One Of them, who has since
been vice president of the Land League
Of New York, was at that time an acting
inspector of the Dublin police and clerk
in the Superintendent's Office, station
which enabled him to render important
service to the conspirators. Learning
from conversation with one OF his
brothers that the arrest Of Stephens was
regarded by the Fenisns as serious
blow, and having been favorably i'm
pressed by some conversation with and
observation of the man himself in prison,
John Rreslin determined TO set him at
liberty. Through his brother Neal be
got into communication with Colonel
Thomas ]. Kelly, now Of the New York
Custom House, whose rescue by an
armed band of Fenians in the streets Of
Manchester two years afterwards led to
the hanging of Allen, Larkin, and O'Brien.
The plan was very simple and effective,
and was Breslins in every detail. Stephens
was placed in one of the hospital cells in
small corridor, where his colleagues
were Charles J. Kickham, the popular
poet and novelist, and a regular Jail bird
named M'Leod. The Governor, to pro-
vide against all possibility OF escape, had
a police sentinel placed on the other side
of the door leading to that portion of the
prison where O'Leary, Luby, Mulcahy,
Roantree and the other Fenian prisoners
were quartered, while the other entrance
to the corridor was secured by two doors,
one of wood AID the other Of iron.
M'Leod was in Cell between the cell Of
Stephens and Kickhan, and had orders
from the governor to ring his CO gong
on the first sound Of anything unusual
in the neigbboring cells. This would
have at once given the alarm, and have
effectually prevented escape. The police
officer could not unlock the door between
him and the corridor, and the iron door
at the other end could only be opened
by the pass key, which was locked in
the governors safe. The governors Of
fee, where all the keys were deposited at
a certain hour every evening, was effecta
ally protected from all attempts from the
inside by heavy iron gate, locked on the
side facing the main entrance.
Breslin had latch-key which opened
the door of the hospital and that leading
to the portion Of the prison where
Stephens was confined. To enable him
to enter the corridor he must have a
pass-key, and, to open the cell door, an
other key. He took impressions in bees
wax of the regular keys in use IN the
daytime, and new ones were fled down
to fit the impressions by Dublin opti-
clan. Byrne was on the watch every
second night. The 21st was chosen be-
cause that was one of his nights on duty,
and for more singular reason Breslin
had a superstition that the 2lst was a
lucky day for him, because nearly all his
good strokes of fortune had befallen him
on that day of the month. Mr.. Dewey
says: SAT the inception of the plot Colo
mel Kelly sent for me and told me the
duty I was to perform. For two months
the police held q warrant for my arrest,
and my description was in the ''Hue and
Cry Like many others who we're
wanted by the police, [ remained in Dub
lin waiting for the fight which we all
confidently expected; and I could attend
to no regular business. had been
placed in charge Of the organization in
the British army. We numbered about
fifteen thousand men, fully eight thou
sand Of whom we're then stationed in
Ireland. For that and other reasons /
happened to be better acquainted with