The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-04-08

Hon, John r. Barrett, the gifted edi-
tor of the Scranton Truth, lectured last
night at st. Thomas college hall on
John Boyle O'Reilly." 1t was the
third event of the college lecture series
and was attended by the largest audi
ence of the course, so far 1t was an
audience, too, that was in thorough
sympathy with the subject and the
lecturer, as was attested by the ovation
which greeted the appearance of the
speaker, the rapt attention with which
the audience listened to the story and
the ringing applause which was evoked
at intervals during the course of the
lecture and the very emphatic applause
following it's conclusion.
Mr. Barrett's effort might best be
characterized as a friends eulogy of a
greatly revered and admired friend de-
livered to other friends and admirers
He first sketched the interesting story
of the young patriots early life in Ire
land, England, Australia and America;
of his, achievements as a soldier, pa
triot, poet, author, journalist and phil
thropist; of his great sympathetic ma
ture and other most prominent char
acteristcs; and then paid to him his
own personal tribute, giving the esti-
mate he had formed from the long and
close friendship which existed between
them.
1t was remarkable, Mr.. Barrett said.
in his opening remarks, that an Irish
boy with nothing to aid him but his
natural talents and who in 1866 was put
aboard a convict ship in chains bound
for Australia. an exile, should in 1896
hnx TO
ory and worth in one of the principal
cities of America, by his admirer, all
of whom he had won in so short a space
of time.
SKETCH OF O'REILLY'S LIFE.
Mr.. Barrett's brief sketch of O'Reil-
lys life told of how during the Fenian
movement in the early COS the young
patriot then a lad of 20, Joined the
Tenth Hussars and began the work of
banding the Irish soldiers together in
oath bound organizations with view
of turning against England when a
propitious moment arrived, it being es-
timated at the time that one-third of
the English army was composed of
Irishmen who stood ready to take ad-
vantage of the first opportunity to
public. The plot was discovered,
O'Reilly was arrested with other lead
ers and summarily sentenced to death.
This sentence was afterwards COM
muted to imprisonment for life and for
eight months the young patriots valor
and genius were restrained by Eng
lands most inhuman prisons, many of
which to this day bear evidences of his
H., 90 s,l,rN
| and epigrams, one of which win live as
| long as there is left a spark of Irish
| patriotism: "Once an English soldier,
but now an Irish felon, and proud of the
| exchange"
O'Reilly was not content to remain In
| the Australian prison to die by inches
and although escape was generally be-
| lieved to be we'll nigh impossible, he
| determined to attempt it and by the
aid of the prison chaplain, Rev. Father
McCabe, and some friends whom the
| priest interested in OReilly's case he
managed to get aboard an American
whaler and after a series of stirring ad-
ventures reached America, landing In
| Philadelphia in 1869.
FAME CAME TO HIM.
He went to Boston where in a short
time his talents won for him a prom
inent place in journalism and letters
and the love and admiration of the ma
| ton of patriots. His work as editor
of the Boston Pilot, his poems, stories
| and lectures were treated of in detail
| by Mr.. Barrett and as an evidence that
| the appreciation of his worth was not
| confined to by limits OF nationality OF
religion, he pointed out the fact that il
was Mr.. OReilly who was selected from
all of New England's brilliant men tC
write the anniversary poem at the Ply
mouth rock commemorative exercises.
His life was an epic, Mr.. Barrett
| declared. He wrote many poems but
| his life was his noblest poem He
wrote many romances but none of them
equalled the story of his own life.
During the course of the lecture Mr.
Barrett repeated scraps of conversa'
tions he had had with O'Reilly, which
gave an insight into the character OF
his subject that could not be gained
from an autobiography and which was
| undoubtedly one of the most appreciat
| ed features of the lecture.
|