The Irish standard., 1908-06-13
the Two BURkES
Men Referred to in John Mitch
els "Jail Journal
Still Living In Tasmania, Both
Hale and Hearty.

in aid of Eva" Of the Nation" (Mrs.
Kelvin 1zod o'Doherty) is making sub
stantial progress. Mr.. Hugh Mahon,
member of the Australian Parliament,
mentions in the Sydney Freeman hav-
ing met. while lecturing in Tasmania
for the fund, an old '4s man. a friend
Of Mitchell, of whom he writes:
Readers Of John Mitchers "Jail Jour-
nal" will recall his references to "the
two Burkes" of westbury, who associ-
ated with the author in his abortiye at
tempts to escape from the north end
of the island. That is just fifty-five
years ago. yet "the two Burkes" are
still at Westbury. hale and hearty. The
younger of the two. Mr.. Dan Burke.
has teen Warden (Mayor) of westbury
off and on for nearly fifty years, and
sat for several terms in the Tasmanian
Parliament. He is now in his eighty
first year, yet last session did the prin-
cfpal part Of the plowing on his own
farm! Tasmania's superb climate, a.
good constitution, open-ai occupation
and healthy. sober habits conjoined so
as to give Mr.. Burke the appearance
of so or thereabouts. His ruddy COM
plexion and bright eyes, which light
up as he recounts his wanderings with
the famous young Irelander, denote
perfect physical health and give prom
Use of his attaining a century. Mich
ael remarks, concerning Tasmania,
that our species grow to a splendid
perfection here; but the finest speci-
mems of the genus are those who have
been born in the northern hemisphere,
and who come hither children They
have both the European stamina and
the Southern culture in SO matchless
a climate" Dan Burke's personality
corroborates these observations. He
was an infant. when his father; moth
er and family, including cousins-a
party of over twenty-left their native
Tipperary. At the time of their ar
rival in Hobart, Arthur was Governor
the Arthur who lent his name to the
grim and hopeless penitentiary on the
southeast coast, which Marcus Clarke
has made familiar in His Natural
Life" Free land, rich and luxuriant,
through which splendid rivers cours-
ed to the ocean, was then being par
celed out to all comers But the Burkes
got none. Dams father interviewed
the Governor. Everything went we'll
until towards the close, when, satis-
fled as to other details, the Governor
asked Burke: ."What is your religion ?'
The answer came with Celtic fearless
ness and directness: "a Catholic: and
a Catholic I shall be to the end. what
ever happens" That settled the mat
ter. Burke was dismissed with a curt
and supercilious admonition against
volunteering unsolicited statements.
For years the Burkes strove for their
rights; and yet, though helped by peo-
pie Of supposed influence with the
home government, not one of the fam
lily ever obtained solitary acre as a
grant from the Tasmanian authori-
ties. Hearing that the Launceston
celebration of st. Patrick's Day was in
aid Of the widow Of one of the Tas-
manian exiles (Mrs. O'Doherty), Dan
Burke came in from his home, some
twenty-five miles. distant. His recol-
lection of the city by the lamar goes
back to the middle '30s. Most of the
very old landmarks have disappeared.
but Mr.. Burke pointed out the site of
the courthouse where Mitchell was
hauled before an offlcious Bundle for
being outside his assigned district
without passport. This man, one
Gum (who bore the nickname of
"Wingey," from having lost an arm in
bush-ranging encounter) had great
antipathy to Irishmen, originating in
suspicion that the leader of the band
WHO WOulucQ IllI1 WAS an lr1Sn eS-
capee. Mitchell had innocently come
to Launceston at this time Tin the
winter of 1851) to meet his wife and
children, who were expected from Ire
land; but by Gunn's order he was
thrust into Jail and detained there till
the passport arrived from Hobart Two
years later. Mitchell was again in
Launceston. this time in fruitless at
tempt to secure passage in steamer
to Melbourne or Sydney. and it was
on this occasion that he came into con-
tact with the Burkes and the other
daring spirits who planned and par
ticipated in his perilous, enterprise.
Dan Burke's recital of the experiences
of the party is substantially in accord
with Mitchel's own vivid description in
the "Jail Journal Mitchell had been
nearly fortnight in hiding at Burke's
farmhouse in Westbury before essav-