The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1932-03-18
BY MILTON BRoNNER
Manager. NEA Service.

lcuropcan Manager. NEA Service.
Dublin, March 1S.-Had Victor
Herbert lived. he might have ful-
filled his ambition to write an OPP
era on Eamonn de Valera's dra-
matte escape from England $
famous old Lincoln gaol.
In all the colorful career OF de
Valera, the new president of the
Irish Free state, there is no other
event quite so romantic. There
are few more colorful events III
history,
An Irish ballad singer who stood
outside the prison walls and sang
instructions to de Valera in Cache.
and pretty Irish girls who flirted
with warders to get them out OF
the way while the Jail delivery was
being effected were among the
leading characters in this drama
Easter Rebellion.
1t took place two years after
de Valera had been sentenced 10
death before q British firing squad
for his part in Dublin's easter
Week rebellion in 1916. Though
many other Irish revolutionary
leaders were summarily shot, de
Anlefu y ucbll StAikNilNt WIS NS'''
muted TO life Imprisonment be-
cause he had been born IN New
York and therefore was. perhaps,
an American citizen. His citizen
shin status was never made eX-
actly clear, but there was sufficient
protest on this ground to cause the
British to hesitate.
De Valera served about year
OF his life sentence and was re-
leased in June. 1917. He imme--
diately set about reorgani2ing ana
extending the Irish Independence
party, known as the sim Fem,
which was closely allied with the
Irish Republican army, AS the
result, he was re-imprisoned IN
May, 1919 on charges of plotting
another. Irish uprising.
On February 3, 1919, came his
dramatic escape from Lincoln gaol.
How Delivery Was Planned.
Sean O'Cealligh, prominent
Sim Fein leader, told the story
while in Paris that same year TO
ask the peace conference to recog-
nize the provisional Government
OF ahe Irish Republic" Republic
an members of the Irish parlia-
ment. he said. had secretly dis
cussed the delivery In January,
and appointed a committee to take
charge of the release of de valera
and his incarcerated political com
rades.
The committee, O'Cealligh re-
lated, selected for the job u num-
Der OF men who had been tried
by fire and who would not be too
timid In case there was gun play"
A survey of the prison convinced
them that forcible coup would
be futile; the place was surround
ed by barbed wire acknowledgements
and patroled by armed guards.
1.-THE next move" said O'Ceol-
light. was to communicate with
de Valera. which was very diff
cult However, one Sim Feiner
started working on garden plot,
OF which there were several near
the prison. He attracted de Va
lera's attention one day by sing
ing Sim Fein songs in Gaelic, In
which he told the leader that an
attempt would be made to rescue
him. The warder's suspicious
were not aroused because 1t was
not uncommon for Irish workmen
TO be about the prison
The Irish ballad singer re-
turned several days later and
sang a ballad, in Gaelic, in which
he told de Valera that the rear
exit OF the prison was the most
feasible for the attempt and
asked de Valera to get an i'm
preston of the key to the rear
gate. In some way, de Valera got
the keys impression, wrapped II
In n paper with stone and threw
1t to the ballad singer In the gar
den plot. A key was made by the
accomplces.
Collccns to the Rescue.
But the sentries at the rear Of
the prison were a grave menace
10 the plans of the committee. sc
n telegram was sent to Dublin fol
two highly cultured young wo
men. both university graduates