The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-07-11

taeni for q some w Z, crsnson MIA
1 s s Ras ordered stu accompany hem Sback;
I, ssS after some shesita lon the Euard az
lowed him to do. But instead III return
Saaea's ne prison they quietly repaired to
he appointed place where Mr. Collins and
slr. JOhns0n awaited them with two Hight
Wagons and spirited horses. The other
two Fenian prisoners. one OF. HON was q
painter and the other the baker Of the
prison, had by sly subterfuges managed to
get outside and were not long in making
i Their way to the wagons. In this manner
the six prisoners with their two brave res
cners started for the place where the boat
/ was moored ready to convey them to the
ship and freedom. lis doubtful il they
let the grass grow under the. horses feet for
this distance. On arriving here they. i'm
med.ately embarked They now had 20
miles to row out to the Ship. Let me re-
mark that this was no easy task in rough
sea. It took them-a day and night to
accomplish this; arduous job. A gentleman
who went to Freemantle from Melbourne
with ACCOMPLISHMENTS remained behind to
see the fun after the prisoners were gone
TIE first to be missed was the baker, the
next the painter, etc. Mr.. Collins and Mr..
johnson were not at Their former hab.ta-
,'tion and the opinion had gone abroad that
they were N some way connected with the
escape g The idea was prepostefous That
two American gentlemen WITH such pro-
fessed English ideas and so utterly opposed
to anything Irish should be guilty OF SO
grave an offence and It was thus r.diculed.
They never suspected for moment that
these two men practtced on their credul.ty
and that they were n reality two prom.-
A 1or proS I'm"
of New York, and Mr.. Thomas Desmond,
Of San Francisco ,"~:.e-<;
When the escape of the prisoners be-
came known a troop of cavalry was i'm
mediately sent out to seour the country for
them. 1t was soon discovered that they
had escaped by the way Of Bunburry and
the man-of-war N the port Of Freemantle
was Immediately dispatched to intercept
them at that point. On nearing Bunburry
the lookout on the nan-of-war esp:ed them
rowing toward ship, but before he could
come up with them they boarded.t
The commander of the batt.e-sh.p made
a demand on Captain Anthony for the sur
render of the escaped imperial prisoners,
but that brave old nero's reply was that
he was sailing upon the high seas under
the glorious stars and stripes and that
every man on his ship was free man.
The British commander tired by threats
of sinking the ship to force Captain An
thony to give up the prisoners but wisely
des.sted from any such measures on being
told that if he fired on the ship his gov
eminent would be brought to an account
ing by Uncle Sam. After keeping them
company for some hours in the hope that
adverse winds would drive them inshore
and thus or:ng them within the limit OF
British jurisdiction, the discounted cham
p.ons OF Her Majesty's Government sailed
back to F'reemantle. The Inhabitants
there awaited their arrival with anxious
hearts. Some remarked that the prisoners
were hanging to the yard arms, while
others claimed that they were in irons, and
suggested that they should be hanged I'M
med:ately. AS the man-of-war drew into
port 1t was soon seen that they had not
retaken the prisoners, and some poor Irish
man in the employ of her majesty, over
laden with Joy, shouted that they were
safe on their way to New York They took
their medicine with downcast eyes and
Yankee pluck received their supreme ha-
tired while the handful of Ir.shmen made
the hills resound with echoes
T hope the readers VIII pardon me Tor
quoting "Her Majesty so frequently. 1
can assure you it is with the utmost re"
luctance have done so. 49,