Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-04

men and steel,
The land Is dead that dare not fac,
the day
When foreign danger threats IN,
common veal
Defenders strong are they that homes
defend.
From ready arms the spoiler keep
afar.
Well blest the country that has son,
10 lend
From trades OF peace TO learn the
trade OF war
The man who penned these stirring
lines was John Boyle O'Reilly. whose
life was a romance OF three cont
nenu riyaling in its realities the most
fanciful fctional character OF the
pages OF Scott or Dumas And YET
II IL not for his career Of adventure
that he Is now remembered-not for
the glamOr OF his forlorn but heroic
devotion TO the cause Of Irish freedom
but for the high type Of American
citizenship which he eXemplined in
his life in tbs country and for the
pure ideals OF patriotism. duty hui
manty, equality and fraternity which
he held 10 In all his writings. and
public u.terances.
Such was the keynote Of the many
tributes paid to his memory a few
days ago at his old home in Hull. on
historic Boston harbor, on the occa-
sion Of the unveiling Of a bronze Ia b.
let TO his memory on the twenty sew
enth anniversary of his death. The
monument was unveiled by his daugh-
ter, Mary Boyle O'Reilly, Before a
large gathering Of the notables OF New
England. New York and Pennsylvania
and Of men who had known him and
] r.. "a HFrafr rod 4. In. Il.
who had helped him in his famous
escape from the Australian penal col
ony and who had assisted in bringing
him to America thru his long and ro-
niantic wanderings on sea and land
after he had effected his escape Not
a doubt was expressed by any OF the
| friends who knew him, either per-
sonally or thru his writings, as to
where John Boyle O'Reilly would
stand today in the country's crisis,
were he alive 10 express himself.
Il know of no one" said Acting
Governor Coolidge OF the common
wealth, Immigrant, or native born
who has more truly exemplified Mas
sachusetts' ideals OF America nism than
! John Boyle O'Reilly. 10 Is n wonders
ful thing that living here only twenty
years he could have made for him
self the reputation and friends he
made as patriot, orator, poet and
statesman"
The man who was bold enough in
his day to twine the green and the
orange colors above the building in
which his paper, the Boston Pilot, was
published and to call upon his coun-
trymen to forget their religious and
political chickering's, and who ventured
the prophecy that the day would
Wbap poariaa UtfraJ ,,,.
indignant with her squabbling popu-
lation, would put her foot down with
Will and tell them all--Germans.
French, Irish, Orange-"You have
had enough nowhere is only one
Flag to be raised in future in this
country and that Flag il the Stars and
Stripes" would have taken no equiv
ocal attitude In this day towards hy-
phenated treason or hair-splitting dis
loyalty under whatever name he might
find it masquerading. A lover OF free
dom and a foe to tyranny. John Boyle
o. O'Reilly was above everything else an
American patriot devoted to the ideals
of the land OF his adoption, believing
with all the fervor of his fiery Celtic
Temperament that the democratic
hopes of the world were anchored to
America-that her gospel was des-
tined to enfranchise the nations. That
was the doctrine he preached untir-
ingly, as journalist, as an orator and
as poet.
Born In an Irish Castle,
John Boyle O'Reilly was born In a
real Irish castle, the castle OF Dowth,
County Meath, Ireland, pile of stone
centuries old, dating from the days of
Hugh de Lacy, for he was of race
of landed Irish gentry distinguished
as soldiers, prclates and scholars. He
grew up amid historic surroundings
that were well calculated to make
him both an Irish patriot and an Irish
poet. His home was only a few miles
from the hill OF Tara in one direction,
and from the site of the battle of the
Boyne in another direction, the one
the ancient seat of Irish learning, the
other the grave of her liberties. He
took to the Fenian movement that be-
gan to crystaliZe I'm the early sixties as
n fish to water-a movement that cul-
minated in its usual complement OF in
formers, executions and convictions to
penal servitude. When only 90 years
of age, trooper in the Prince of
Wales own" he was arrested for "fo-
mentinc treason" tried by court
tial and sentenced to death, a sem
'tence which was afterwards commuted
W lNtHlN StdJH penal StINlluuts otN-
eral years of his time he served in
solitary confinement in the English
prisons at Pentonville, Millbank,
Chatham and Dartmoor, from which
he made three desperate attempts at
escape which were frustrated. In 1868
he was deported TO Australia, in the
convict ship. Hougoumont to serve
out there the remainder of his term.
The story OF his escape is thrilling
one.
He was placed In charge Of n band
Of convicts building roads thru the
Australian bush. One day there rode
into camp Catholic priest--a Father
Patrick McCabe, whose parish" ex-
tended over hundreds of miles of the
bush country among the convicts and
ticket Of leave men. To him O'Reilly
confided a desperate plan that he had
in view to take to the brush. hide out
for n certain time until he could
make n boat and take his chances on
tho open sea.
at is an excellent way to commit
micide," said the priest. Don't think
" II again. Let me think out n plan
for you. You'll hear from me again"
But weeks and months passed and
O'Reilly did not hear from his clerical
friend. Then one day a stalwart man
stepped out Of the bush, with an ax on