A CONVICTS WAGER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 28 September 1907, Page 1

A CONVICTS WAGER.

' Under date August 9th, a London correspondent writes :— lt has just transpired that among tbe reoent visitor to Achill Island, County Mayo, was the notorious James , Lyfl'chehaun, who ' was sentenced for lite in 1895 for arson ; and attempted murder, but escaped 1 from Maryborough Gaol after completing seven years of his sentence. Lynchehaun's visit was the result of a wager made in Cleveland, Ohio, where he has been living for some time. In revisiting the scene of his nefarious exploit's he of course ran a* great risk of recapture, which would have meant the completion of his life sentence. Lynchehaun's career may thus be summarised : Born in Achill Island in 1859. Settled in Galway as .school teacher. Became steward to' Mrs' M'Donnell, Achill. * _ On dismissal cruelly assaulted her, set fire to her farm and gdt away. Joined the Manchester police, and subsequently the Liverpool force, under assumed names, while still being "wanted." Arrested and sent on a car to Westport. Escaped by the way .and was at large three months. Caught, tried, and sentenced for life in 1895. Escaped from Maryborough" Prison, 1902. - ■ .._ Recaptured in Indianapolis, 1903. Extradition refused by the United States, on the ground that the crime was in the nature of a political one, incidental to the attempt to overthrow landlordism. Lynchehaun's first escape from custody was a clever bit- of work. He was being conveyed by ear to Westport Gaol, seated between two policemen and handcuffed. En route, \Vhilst his guardians were engaged in lighting their pipes, he sprang from the car, and taking full advantage of his knowledge of the country was out of sight before his guards could pull up the conveyance and follow. For six months he eluded capture, and his arrest was really due to the fact that he desired a hard-up friend to get the reward of £100 offered. He was tried at the Castlebar Assizes on the charge qf attempted murder and sentenced for life, but escaped after seven - years' incarceration. The exit to the roof was insecure, and Lynchehaun noticed this. His cell door had a white indicator to show when it was bolted. He plugged the socket of the lock bolt, so that it did not shut, but counterfeited the white indicator by a piece of a leaf from a book. He made up his bed to look as if he' Tvere asleep, crept out to the roof, slid down a pipe, and climbed the wall by help of planl*£ used by the builders. During the futile search for him for .iliany months afterwards several people, including a clergyman at the Oval, were arrested or detained by the police .owing to some fancied resemblance '-to the prisoner. Recently a well-dressed man- of middleage arrived at Maltafannx*. railway station, ten miles frpm Achill- Island, and engaged a local car owner to drive him to see his friends. He gave the name of Cooney, but the car-owner recognised him, and told him so, though he kept the secrete An extraordinary part of the story is that Lynchehaun was arrested when in Achill Sound on a charge .of breaking into the house of a- man named Sweeney at Polranny. He was .taking his dinner in the New Hotel, at .the- time the police asked Sweeney's, servant girl to go into the dining-room to identify him, which she did, as the man .who \yent through the window- of 'her' master's house, he and his wife being absent. .' Lynchehaun was taken toythe Achill Sound Barrack and charged, but the girl refused to identify him as the housebreaker, so he was released. He disappeared from -the island soon afterwards. A, few. days later the car owner who hai^ recognised him as Lynchehaun received a postcard from the ex-prisoner, who was then on his way back to America. JHe congratulated the car owner on his smartness, and said . he was the only man in the British Isles -who had recognised him.