THE FENIANS’ ESCAPE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3380, 27 June 1927, Page 7

THE FENIANS’ ESCAPE.

AN INCIDENT OF FIFTY YEARS AGO. The history of the convict settlement of Western Australia is replete with thrilling stories of escapes of convicts from their prisons, but no story is perhaps more interesting than that which tells of the escape of the six Fenian prisoners from Fremantle gaol. Early on the morning of Easter Monday, 1876, the alarm was raised at the Fremantle Police Station that six Fenian prisoners had absconded from the works where the men ■were toiling A run through the roll quickly revealed the identities of the escapees as being Thomas Darragh, No. 9707, James Wilson, No. 9915, Thomas Hassett, No. 9758, Robert Cranston, No. 9702, M. Harrington, No. 9757, and Mr Hogan, No. 9767. These men had been implicated in the Fenian risings of 1867, and had paid the penalty for their patriotism by transportation to this State.

The news spread with rapidity through the settlement, and, the most intense excitement prevailed. The authorities quickly instituted a rigorous search through some of the premises of the town where, it was supposed, the absconders were lying concealed. This proved futile, and when several constables had arrived from Perth, they were sent with all haste in the direction of Rockingham. It was not till 1.30 p.m. on the same day that any accurate information as to the whereabouts of the convicts Avas obtained. A man named Bell, who had arrived in Fremantle from Rockingham, informed the police that about 9 a.m. a Avliale boat had put in along the coast, manned by one A\ r ho appeared to be an American, and six coloured men. About two hours later —about 11 o’clock —he noticed eight or ten others arriving from the direction of Fremantle, in three separate traps. These quickly jumped into the boats waiting by the shore for them, and put out to sea. Accordingly, Bell, left the horses and traps in charge of his own people, and hurried off to Fremantle to raise the alarm. Having suspected the travellers as escapees, he soon satisfied himself when an inspection of the vehicles disclosed three prison' hats Avith numbers on them, a quantity of patent revolver ammunition, a cloth gun cover, and a bottle of Avine.

Subsequent inquiries concerning the ownership of the traps and horses made it clear that a man named Collins had hired a pair of horses and a Avaggonette from Mr Albert, of Fremantle, on the morning of May 17, and that another man named Jones, had hired a saddle horse. These men informed the owners that Perth Avas'' to be their destination.

Bell was unable to state how many made up the party, but surmised there were about ten all told, who were armed with revolvers. Furthermore, he was able to inform the that they departed at about 11 a.m., making for* the Southern Passage. At 2 p.m. on the same day the water police boat, with Coxswain Mills, fourwater police and two land constables sot off from Fremantle hi pursuit. About seven hours later it was followed by the ship Georgette, which carried on board the Superintendent of Water Police, Major Fiimcrty, and a party of pensioners. Sergeant M'Larty, and sevcn«land policemen. In the meantime the police had ascertained that the absconders had left the Buckingham Timber Company’s station in a whale boat, and had gone out through the Southern Passage. While patrolling along the beach, two policemen had sighted the boat bearing south under sales about four miles from (he shore, and making for Mandur.ih. These constables lost no time in pushing forward to that place in the hope of intercepting the boat. The Georgette returned from her cruise at 5 p.m. on the same day, and reported having met the whaling boat the Catalpa, that morning, off the Murray River. She was hove to. Boarding the wlialcr, the Superintendent of Water Police demanded of the officer in charge if there were any strangers on board. A negative answer was the reply to this question. He next asked if the captain of the Catalpa was on hoard, to which again “no” was the reply. When the Superintendent inquired as to the whereabouts of the captain, he was told that he was absent in Fremantle, and would not return till late that same day. Furthermore, the official was informed that he could not hoard the ship, as the captain, on his departure, had left strict orders that no one was to be permitted to board the ship. While this was going on the water police boat which had left nearly seven hours before the Georgette, came upon the latter, and reported that they had seen nothing of the whale boat. As the Georgette was short of provisions and coal, probably owing to the hurried departure, she returned to Fremantle, leaving the police boat to continue the patrol along the coast. Just on nightfall a patrol of constables returned overland from the direction of Rockingham, confirming the report made hy Bell that morning, namely, that the escapees, had pushed off from Rockingham that same day, and that they had left their vehicles and the articles just as Bell had described. Later on they were seen sailing in a southerly direction, about four miles from the shore. At Mandurah, their report goes on to state, the police endeavoured to get a boat to go in pursuit, but were too lute to do so. They lost sight of the whale boat shortly afterwards, but on the next day (Tuesday, IStli) a vessel was seen to the westward of Mandurah, and another party had been sent out to reconnoitre the coast between that place and Rockingham. At hj a.m. (Tuesday, 18th), the Catalpa was sighted off Cape Void, and four hours later the whale boat and the escapees in all fourteen men were seen also. At this juncture both the Catalpa and the police boat caught sight of the whaler, and a thrilling race to the last named resulted. The Catalpa got there first and the prisoners clambered up her sides and on to the decks, and immediately the American flag was hoisted. At this the police ran up the British flag on their boat, and came to within fifty yards of the Catalpa. At that distance the corporal in charge recognised some of the convicts among the crew, some at the time still wearing their prison dress. Immediately they ran below, but returned shortly afterwards, armed with guns, and stood in a line by the bulwarks facing the police boat. Recognising the impossibility of capturing the runaways, the police boat reported the affair at Fremantle, and at 11 p.m. the Georgette again left the port to carry on the pursuit. Early the next day the Georgette sighted the Catalpa off Rottnest, but it was not till after sundown that the pursuing vessel caught up with its quarry. The Superintendent oi Water Police demanded that the prisoners, whom he recognised on board the ship, should be given up immediately. The captain refused point

blank. The police official informed him, h#Avever, that he would have a quarter of an hour to consider the position, and that a refusal at the end of that time would Avarrant the use of force to decide the issue. The Catalpa’s captain, hoAvcver, was not to be outdone, and pointing to his flag, laughed and said, “If you fire on this vessel you fire at this flag.” Having previously fired a sh*t across the Catalpa’s boAvs, disobeying an order issued by the Fremantle authorities, the police officials found themselves in a hopeless position, and returned to Fremantle. Such is the story of the escape of the Fenians by the aid of an American agent —one Collins. The plot had been very skilfully laid and eventuated quite as successfully ,as the escapees an u even their abettors could have hoped for.