The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-06-27

himself pithily puts it: "They SAID to U.S.
Come on, boysi 1t is for Ireland And we
came.' .
The life Of trooper had many charms
for him. He loved it's splendid glamour,
being soldier by inheritance and Instinct.
He rejoiced In martial pastimes and he was
young and comely enough to take pleas
ure in the gay trappings of cavalryman.
O'Reilly was model soldier, too; quick
to learn and punctual to obey the rules OF
military discipline. He was the life Of the
barracks, injecting his comrades with
something Of his own gay, CHEEKY nature.
He was foremost in every amusement,
tightening the dullness Of lie in quarters
with concerts and dramatic performances,
sometimes of his own composition, a strong
nationalist tone pervad:ng all his work.
Reasonable songs and ballads were
chanted in the quarters OF his troops and
spread among the other companies With
boyish recklessness he ernbro idered rebel
devices on the unders!de OF his saddlecloth
and in the lining Of his military overcoat.
These things led to his Imprisonment and
exile to the penal colony Of Australia. A
poem which he wrote while confined In the
English prison, "The Old School CLOCK"
has been preserved and printed in collec-
ton of his poems.
His deportation to penal colony In the
Bush country Of west Australia occurred
in 1868. For q year he worked In con-
vict's garb with the road gang. But he
was always dreaming Of escape. At length
the opportunity came through the friendly
offices of priest. He made his way to a
desolate part Of the sandy coast OF Austria
liza to await the sight Of the sail of an
American whaling schooner. Twice he
rowed out to sea, passing days and nights
on the water trying to hail whaler but
the ship that was to be his salvation sailed
past without discovering the little speck on
the WAGER. Another effort for his escape
was made by his friends, which proved sue
cessful. The schooner Gazelle, of New
Bedford, Captain David Clifford, answered
the signal Of the little dory and took
<D'Reilly an another convict aboard.
Escape was then only begun. Death and
detection seemed ever lowering near. Go
Ing out in whaling boat he was capsized
and was only saved by the bravery OF the
mate, Henry Hathaway.
This stanch friend again saved O'Reilly
from seizure at a. British port, where the
schooner was obliged to touch for water.
The r1lse employed this time was for the
fugitive to drop milestone and his hat in
the water, and it was given out that the
suspect had drowned himself. But when
safely away from port he emerged from his
hiding place, to the great Joy OF: the cap
tain and crew. who were not In the secret
and mourned him as dead.
The ship was still cruising In dangerous
waters, and between English ports whose
officers were always on the outlook for de-
serte1s from the colonies. So O'Re.lly was
transferred of the Cape Of Good Hope to
the ship Sapphire. bound for LIVERPOOL
Through the means provided by good Cap
tain Clifford and Captain Seiders Of the
Sapphire he obtained a passage to Amer
lea on the Bombay, Of Bath, Me-, shipping
as third mate. He landed in Philadelphia
Nov. %, 1869. HIS first act after landing
was to present himself before the United
States district court and take out his pa
pers of naturalization.
Although cordially received by the feni-
ans in Philadelphia and New York, they
were able to do nothing for him in the way
of a. substantial position. He drifted to
New York, where he delivered lecture In
Cooper Institute, and was much applauded.
But even then no substantial opening APP
peared for the young patriot. He was adj
.vised to go to Boston, which he did, arriV-
ing there Jan. 2, 1870.
His first necessity was to earn living,
and this he did the first month by workingt
in the office of the 1nman steamship line.
But as soon as word reached England that
O'Rellly, an escaped convict, was In their
employ the directors ordered his removal,
and John Boyle was again cast adr;ft.
BY this time, however, he had made him
self known to his fellow countrymen aud
had delivered lecture on "England's Po-
litical Prisoners which raised him into
public favor. His ability was recognized
and be was gwen a position on the Pilot as
reporter. From that time on his career Is
well known. Els sudden death occurred in
August, 1890, and his loss was mourned
throughout two hemispheres.