The Washington times., 1922-09-07

reveals hotc he personally eLuded
the spy net OF England, and tells
Of his perilops adventures.
BY HAYDEN TALBOT.
Copyright. 1888, New York American.
CHAPTER Q.
Section 2.
REGARDING the stories told OF his
exploits, Michael Collins. In his
revelations to me, cited many in
stances Of his narrow escapes when
capture seemed almost certain. AZ.
ter telling how he organized Sc
cret service system of Irishmen, he
went on:
"One occasion which perhaps re-
ceiyed greater publicity than any
other-when British soldiers sur.
rounded the entire square In which
was situated the Mansion House
in which ! had been seen to go
has been distorted in every way
"A secret meeting of the leaders
Of Ireland had been arranged in an
inner room of the Mansion House
at 3 o'clock In the afternoon. A
dozen of US all believed we had
managed to get into the house un-
observed and unidentified. But Joe
O'Reilly, my personal bodyguard,
walking with two girl friends on
Grafton street in the afternoon,
happened to hear a Black and Tan
just ahead of him telling q COM
rade there was to be a big show
around the Mansion House In an
hour or so.
Trapped By Black and Tans.
Joe waited to hear no more, left
the girls fiat, and took II on the
run to the Mansion House. He
burst In on US like a cyclone and
announced the impending raid. The
others rushed out the back way
and made good their escape, but I
remained behind to safeguard in
valuable documents which we had
been studying and which we
couldn't afford Just then to destroy.
Two minutes later the Black
and Tans, In armored cars and
afoot, came rushing from all direc-
tions and quickly formed a Gordon
that completely encircled us. The
lord mayor hurried in, demanding
to know what / could do to avoid
capture.
"It was easy enough-requiring
the sheets Of two beds from the
upper part Of the Mansion House.
With these was made a rope which
O'Reilly lowered down the chimney
from the roof to the round room
and up the chimney climbed.
When the Black and Tans came
swarming in, the lord mayor de-
nounced their intrusion as unwar.
afoh Nd x.,ttk
germicide sprayer which inadvert.
emily he pointed most of the time
straight at the immaculate intruders
Searched in Vain.
For four hours they searched the
house-everything in 1t, except the
chimney of the round room.
1T seemed a waste Of time, mas.
much as a hot fire was burning in
the fireplace. lit that fire, climb.
ing the sheet rope with the first
smoke.
Half way up the chimney was the
flue Of a fireplace on the second
floor. Climbing Just above this flue,
I managed to set out Of my ciothes
and stop the chimney with them.
smoke then exiting through the flue
into the room into which o'Reilly
had gone. and opened all windows TO
create q draft.
Above the bundle of clothes.
which effectually blocked the chin.
ney, there was no smoke to amount
to anything. But as night came
on was chilly man In the nude.
Meanwhile, however, the Black
and Tans showed no intention of
leaving the house until they found
me.
"o'Reilly, whom the Lord Mayor
had Identified as one of his clean
ers, started away on a bicycle to
get supper and was allowed to pass
through the Gordon on the the
strength Of the lord mayors word.
Collins Makes Escspe.
within an hour he returned, re.
entered the house and resumed his
floor scrubbing.
Half an hour later, when Il was
quite dark, y Black and Tan officer
hurried down the steps to the front
entrance Of the mansion house and
made his way quickly past the Brit
Ish troops stationed three feet apart.
"It was the only time I ever wore
a British uniform and the only time
I ever resorted even to partial dis
guise.
where end how OReilly pro.
cured 1t, never asked. It was
enough that he had the presence OF
mind to 60 and set It, don II under
his own clothes and get II to me.
Realizing that he might have dis
obeyed one Of our cardinal rules
under no circumstance commit an
act Of violence except under explicit
orders.
InfOrmers Discouraged.
"The Gordon surrounded the Man.
sion House all night, and was only
withdrawn when the hunters 0nally
were convinced that their infoI ma
ton had been false. Meantime.
Irishmen anxious to sell inforn,a.
ton to Dublin Castle learned that
whenever they did 80 II was known
to US Immediately.
Gradually they began TO realize
that the very Black and Tan 70
whom they soli information was one
OF our agents within the castle. II
they had doubts about II we saw 10
4 that they disnppeared--our freeing
hem after capture and after provlng
the truth to them accomplishing our
purpose.
From then on they toek pains to
acauaint others who were consider.