Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-04-18

not been strife of any magnitude since
he grew a beard i'll which he has not
had hand. He appears, reappears
and pops up in uneN Dected places. He
has been shot at with arms of every
size, has been condemned to death, has
had price set upon his head on nu-
merous occasions, and to-day, at sixty
years, is without shattered bone or
nerve, and more eager than ever to
undergo any risk which promises good
financial remuneration. Captain John
ny's" friends say he fears neither man
nor the devil.
In appearance he is short and mus
cular with bronzed and somewhat
wrinkled face and sharp blue eyes. His
hair is thick and healthy, but the col
or of chalk. 1t was black a few years
ago when he vanished from Staten Is
land, where he had rented a cottage.
He returned in few months with
skin a trife paler and hair as white
as snow. No one knows the horror of
suffering which caused the transfor-
nation.
He gained the sobripuet of "Dyna-
mite Johnny" when he navigated the
old schooner yacht Rambler, laden to
her deck beams with the explosive, to
Laguayra, off the Venezuan coast.
This is the only voyage he was ever
known to talk about.
1t was hardly a month after the
present Cuban revolution began before
Captain O'Brien was heard from. No
one expected him to restrain himself
How many expeditions the strange,
white haired man has guided to a
snug haven on the islands coast is a
matter of conjecture. He is seldom at
home nowadays. He is loved by all
rebel sympathizers. Those foremost
in the councils of the revolutionists
deny all knowledge of the adventurer
The most exciting episode in which
he has figured during the insurrection,
so far as known, was during the win
ter of 1896, when he attempted to pilot
the Three Friends to the Cuban shore
He did not take command of the boat
a blur Then the silent man whom
the mixed crew had regarded as an
unwelcome intruder doffed his sty-
lish derby hat, slipped on a dark blue
seaman's cap and assumed entire
charge of the pilot house. His knowl-
edge of southern waters is thorough,
but he was unable to quickly avoid a
Spanish cruiser which bore down upon
the little filibuster. Then began a
chase which finally ended in Spanish
humiliation, but not before it had
seemed certain that the Three Friends
would be blown out of existence by
shot and shell
The unframed crew of the steamer
were panic stricken. There was hard
ly an American among them. Prayer
and eXhortation rose to heaven
O'Brien was the only thoroughly un-
alarmed man in lie little band. Hour
after hour he held the vessel to the
course, calmly estimating the compar-
ative speed of pursued and pursuer,
and never uttering word that was
not a wisely planned command The
weather was bOisterous, and O'Brien
was wet to the skin, but never for a
moment did his tired muscles relax
their grip on the great spoked wheel.
Governments have tried in vain to
catch or kill the stout hearted marin
er. Probably no man is more cor
daily hated or more closely watched
In 1
of adventure has brought TO him is Il
secret that has never been divulged.
He has competency, without doubt
but neither that nor the entreaties of
his family will deter him from con-
tinuing in his career OF mystery and
peril,
-u-e, .,..