The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-29
IRELAND'S JOAN OF ARC.
Maud Come to Battle for the Beers on
the Rostrum.


NEW YORK, Jan. 2S.-The steamboat
George Starr, flying the Transvaal and
Orange Free State flags, with a commit
tee of prominent Irishmen on board,
dropped down to quarantine at IL o'clock
this morning to meet the French line
steamer La Normandie. on which Miss
Maud Come is a passenger from Havre.
Owing to the prevailing heavy weather at
sea the Normandie is hardly expected to
arrive before tomorrow morning.
The United Irish German and Holland
societies of New York have made elabo-
rate preparations for the reception of Miss
Come, who is to lecture and work in this
country for the purpose of exciting Ameri-
can sympathy for the people of the Trans
vaal who are. fighting against England.
Miss Come will be readily remembered
the young woman who has long been
known as the Irish Joan Of Arc" This
title was given her by the people of Ire
land in appreciation of her ardent espous-
al of the cause of their independence. This
will not be the first visit that Miss Come
has made to America. Three years ago
she came here on a lecturing tour endeav-
oring to arouse in the "sons of Ireland in
America the spirit of '9S which dominated
their ancestors in their great struggle Of
1885," and to solicit means for the allevia-
ton of the misery of those who were then
in destitute circumstances in the Emerald
isle. Ever since the beginning of hostilities
in the Transvaal she has been conducting
pro-Boer agitation in her native land,
advising the young men of Ireland to keep
out of the English army, and 1t is said
that the atmosphere of unrest that now
pervades Ireland is partly the result OF
this fair patriots lectures. which in them
selves are convincing, but are backed by
beauty of face and figure that is no less
winning. 1t was when she was only four
teen years old that Maude Come came into
her home one day and informed
her father that she was going
Ito 90 something for Ireland yet"
This statement had something of the
effect of a thunderbolt upon the father
who was loyal to British interests. Col
Come was of Irish family, but was a Con-
servative, and as British officer served
many years as an attache at the court
of st. Petersburg. His wife also shared
ardently his love for the mother coun-
try, and it. was considered very strange
indeed that the only child's idea should
be so diametrically opposed to their own
But soon after her dramatic declaration
TO her father Miss Maude was sent to Eng
land to receive her education, and, once
there, she went in society, learned music
and art, and became famous for her
beauty and cleverness. But these accom-
plishments were only arming and strength
ening her for the work which she was to
take up later in life
In 1856, when Miss Come was only twen-
ty years DID, her father died. leaving her
a snug fortune and valuable estates in Ire
land Her mother had died during her
early childhood. that she was now left
an orphan. She travelled in Europe for
awhile with cousin and returned to the
old home just in time to see the end of
the McGrath tragedy. which is still fresh
in the minds of the sons of Erin.
The story of these wrongs and sufferings
proved the stimulus that fired her TO imme-
date action, and so earnestly did Miss
Come work for the next two years that.