The Irish standard., 1905-01-21
PASSED AWAY
Capt. Weldon, Who Took Fenian
Leader, Jas. Stephens.
Away on His Brigatine, the
Concord" is No More.

tllief role in one of the episodes of the
tenlan movement - the escape of
James Stephens from Ireland four
months after John ]. Bresin had res
cucd him from Richmond prison. Cap
tain Nicholas Weldon was the name of
the man and the fact that he snug
sled the Chief Organizer of the Irish
Republic out of Dublin at Il time when
there was a reward of f2.OOO for his
capture was only known by Il very
limited number even of the old
FenianS.
Captain Nicholas Weldon died on
December % at his residence. No.
Marine Terrace, Malahide Road, Dub
lin. in his siSty-ninth year. He was
selected for the difficult and delicate
task of taking Stephens away by John
Flood one of the men sentenced Il wear
later to penal servitude and sent to
Western Australia With John Boyle
O'Reilly. John Kenealy and other Fen
Eln prisoners. and who is still alive in
one Of the Australian colonies Flood
and Weldon We're friends from boy
hood and when it became necessary
for Stephens to come to the United
States in the hope of healing the split
between the two factions. Flood was
entrusted With the task of procuring
the means of getting away. Flood had
considerable experience with the ship
ping men OF Dublin harbor and had
succeeded in smuggling in some sup
plies of rifles and revolvers that could
not lave reached Ireland by the ord-
nary means of transit He selected
his old friend Weldon, and events
proved that he made no mistake in his
choice of men.
Stephens was rescued by John Bres-
lin, aided BY Daniel Ryrne. November
y, 1SG5. received outside the prison
wallis by Il small squad of picked men
uuder the command of Colonel Thomas
J. Kelly. How they cot out of Dublin
is told by Captain Weldon whose per-
sotlal narrative. written some years
ago is reprinted by the Dublin Free
man of january L. with the account
of his death.
The Captain says: My narrative
heginS with the carly days of March,
1866, when With John Flood an old
friend and toWnsmAn, and as fine Il
specimen Of Irish manhood as need be
1,;,
with whom had no previous acQllaint-
aF.cc, made arrangements to take
Stephens ana Themselves to a port in
tic North Of France. For The benefit
ct those who may not have a clear
recollection of those stirring timcs |
Nlay mention that at the period of
Which [ am giving account the whole
available forces of the Crown of those
EEtMls was concentrated upon one OBJ
ject--;,nd that object the recapt,re of
tue reloubtabe James Stephens; ad-
ded to which there was Il reward of
i2.u00 upon his head. So that the talk
irs Of his body alive out Of Ireland
WAS Il task of no small magnitude.
u0rr especially as the whole line of
Nuays, north and south, was placarded
with the tempting fortune of $4,000 to
any person who would give such infor-
nation as would lead to his capture;
hence the sailors who manned the vcs-
sells that left the port were. and not
Nnliltlrally on the alert as to strang-
rrs tnking passage in any of the coast
ing coIIirrS. That being the drscrip-
1ion of the craft which | owned and
commanded ut the time. the good brig
antinr Concord, may here state that
the usual number of my crew were six
men and boy. and in consequence Of
the number of those coming. to avoid
suspicion, discharged Il correspond
lng number of my men. including my
mate. which left me but two men and
10y and. nautcally speaking. the
three buffers
Now it is Il notorious fact that at
this time were two revenue cutters
one at each side of poolbe". to board
any suspicious craft outward bound.
For eight Gr nine days after our ar
engagements we We're detained in the
Lltfey waiting for a start of wind, and
making whatever preparation we could
Tor our pcrilous voyage An additional
FLIP was given to my anxiety on March
III fy Il pilot, who had Il vessel out of
port that day, and who told me he was
obliged to heave the ship to in the bay,
when 4 search of over an hour was
Nude, and not an inch of the ship but
was cvel'liauied. and every man on
board questioned
after hearing this cheering news
from the pilot, who hard little thought
what an interest I had in his yarn, l
retired to my cabin to think leave
my readers to imagine what my
thoughts were, if they are so minded.
On the 18th | had my vessel hauled
out in the river. ready to start, and at
8 o'clock p. nj. on Tuesday, March IL.
I was at the landing steps opposite
Boyds Chemical Works by appoint
Ment, when my three adventurers
stepped into my boat, and l sculled
them on board as quickly as possible