The times., 1901-03-24
lRBLAND'S JEANNE D'ARC
Miss Comes Friends Liken Her to
the Maid of DOmremy.
Born in Kerry, But With Relatives In
the Service of the Crown, She De-
fes Her Family by Denouneiug
England Mt Home and Abroad.

Maude Come is the daughter of an Of
fcer in the English army. the niece Of a
British general, the cousin OF a British
captain, the only sister of the wife Of
Colonel Pitcher, now serving the Crown
in South Africa, and a member OF a fam
lily that has for generations belonged TO
the landlord classes. She whose early
life and surroundings would have tended
to make of her an ardent English sym
pathizer has cast aside all personal feel
ings and family ties to undertake and
carry on the work for the freedom of
Ireland.
She was born in the County Kerry-no
matter how long ago. for she is a young
woman yet. says writer IN the st Louis
/ star. After her early childhood. spent In
her native country, amid scenes OF com
paFative pleasure. she was taken to the
( Continent to complete her education She
/ studied in France and Germany, where
she received training and education far
/ superior to the average Irish Iassie
| When she was but seventeen years of
age, on visit TO her home, she was an
unwilling witness to peculiarly cruel and
/ heartrending eviction OF a poor Irish
| family The case was extreme. Several
! children and an invalid mother were driv-
| en- out into the rain and cold because
/ tHey were rev cents Den1nd IN their
| rent The mother died during the night
/ from exposure. This sight and the mem
/ ory of 1t alienated the young girl from
/ England and converted her entirely to
/ the cause of Ireland. Her antipathy 70
! the British dates from this eviction
The sight has remained with her ever
/ since. IL has stirred her to revolutionary
action and thoughts. II has endowed her
| with eloquence. and has imhued her with
| an almost superhuman ability in leading
/ others toward the salvation OF ireland.
She has denounced England and the Brit
| ish in many countries, but has devoted
herself mainly to work In three king
doms, where she has addressed meetings,
visited political prisoners, and in every
way kept the public attention fixed ~on
the unfortunate life and condition of Ire
land For several years she has been the
very life and soul of the amnesty move
ment in England and Ireland. She has
visited America several times, and her
work here is well known Against Eng
land is Maude Comes motto. When the
entered the field to assist the Beers as
much as she could. She has spoken
throughout Europe, ana has succeeded in
arouslng much sympathy for the burgh-
country She is a very effective speaker.
and brands the rule of the English and
the army, in which her father served, and
Tor which her entire family is personally
I concerned, in language most volatile. Her
principal success in the matter Of the
Boer war has been in preventing the
young Irish boys from joining the Brit
fSh army. She has travelled throughout
the length and breadth of Ireland several
times IN this work. and has enlisted the
support of the mothers and sisters Of the
Island IN this endeavOr. She has sue
ceeded in making the service in the Brit
lSh army odiOus to the Irish mind TO
degree never before conceived.