MR O'BRIEN'S ESCAPE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5434, 26 March 1889, Page 3

MR O'BRIEN'S ESCAPE.

[London Cokrespondent Lytteltox Tim c.-*. ] London*, Feb. 2. Mr Parnell, Mr Dillon and the leaders of the Home Rule party are, I hear, extremely wroth with Messrs O'Brien and Healey for promoting the serious disturbances ai Carrick-on-Suir the othor day. The two culprits, of course, profess themselves as innocent as unborn babes. They always are. Poor Messrs O'Brien and Healey simply marched to the Court-house at a head of a pugnacious band of shillelagh-waving Paddies, and demanded admittance for their followers. The constabulary unreasonably urged that the court-house was already full, upon which, of course, the "bhoys" had to tise force, aud a few heads were broken. The story of Mr O'Brieu'a escape from Carrick is almost exciting. A correspondent of the Press Association writes : — A correspondent in Dublin who w;w at Carrick-on-Suir on Friday had an interview with one of the young men who assisted Mr O'Brien to elude the police and get away from the town. He gives the following account of the interview : — MR OiSRIEN RUNS. The young man said that while the gallery was being cleared Mr O'Brien rose iVoin his seal quickly and got mixed up with tiie people who were being put out of Court : and that when Mr Bodkin, Rrsidenf Magistrate, called on the police to detain Mr O'Biie:i, Sergeant Brophy made a rush and caught the hon. gentleman by the throat. As 1; ; did so two young men of powerful build crushed themselves between the sergeant and his captive with such force as to separate them, the sergeant taking away iv his hand Mr O'Brien's necktie and collar. Mr O'Brien was thus left free on the court-house door just at the moment the police oticsulc the court-house got orders to disperse the crowd, which they did. Mr O'Brien in the darkness got mixed up in the crowd, aud ran with it. My informant, who had followed Mr O'Brien, whispered to the hon. member to follow him, which he confidingly did, and running quickly by the end of the convent, eighty yards distant, they daahed up a narrow lane by the side of the, chapel to a respectable house in a back street. They whispered to the people "Mi 1

O'Brien, as they still ran. "All right, •ir, '' was the reply. ASYLUM AND TEA. In a few seconds, unobserved, they turned iuto Miss O'Neill's bakery premises in William street: "Miss O'Neill,'" was the explanation, " this is vlr O'Brien ; will you give him shelter? The police are on his track?" "This way, "she exclaimed, leading the way into the kitchen. Once securely there, the young fellows who tore Mr O'Brien from the sergeant joined them, and their counsel wa3 taken as to the course to be pursued. Miss O'Neill suggested that he ahould remain for the night ; but Mr O'Brien replied that he would leave Carrick. "If you must go," said one of his companions, '• you must be disguised. I will get you a douch hat (a description of soft hat worn : by farmers in that part of the country, and an old frieze coat, and then you'll look like an old farmer." Mr O'Brien laughingly consented to be dressed in habiliment 3 net his own. " There's another thing," said one of the young men ; " are you game, Miss O'Neill, to take Mr O'Brien's arm as lie goes through the street? That v.ould knock the peelers completely off the scent." "I would sacrifice my life to save jou, Mr O'Brien, "was the reply. ' One of the young men left at this point, and Mr O'Brien sut down and partook of tea in the kitchen. DISGUISKD AS A DROVER. In a short time the young man returned \rith a soft hat and shabby-looking, muehworn coat, the property of a cattle and pig drover. A shawl, such as country-women wear, was procured for Miss O'Neill, u;;J as Mr O'Brien and his companion stood in the kitchen ready for flight, he laughed heartily, exclaiming, "a suit of 'Blarney' could not hold a candle to this. What a pity we haven't a photographer present to take us !" The young men then left to see that the Streets were clear. One of them, proceed ing to the rear of the convent, saw a force of police stationed as if suspicion rest d there, and on his return it was decided to go by New-street. Finding no person in Willi.iti!street, Mr O'Brien, with Mis 3 O'Neill on his, arm, proceeded into New-street. At this time there was rioting in the direction of Main street, and the bulk of the po4jceiorc^ was stationed in that direction. MR o'BRIKX PRETENDS TO BE DUUNK. Scarcely had they got thirty yards down the street, which was then in darkness — care having been taken that the two lamfn at the corner of the street should not bo lighted — when half a dozen police came hurriedly up against them. When about ten yards off Miss O'Neill exclaimed, loud enough for them to hear her, "Cone you keep steady, or the police will take you ?" and, acting on the suggestion, Mr O'Brien gave a gruff reply, such as a man under tlio influence of drink might be expected to make. "You had better get along quietly," exclaimed the sergeant in charge, "or I'll give you a night's lodging in the barracks." "Don't mind him," said Miss O'Neill ; "I'll take care of him." " Very well," replied the sergeant, as he and his men turn' d up the town. Said Mr O'Brien : "By Jove 1 Miss O'Neill, that was a narrow shave !" to which she replied, " You played the part splendidly." In the darkness they reached the Fair Green, where Mr O'Brien was joined by one o£the young men alluded to. The Fair Green is situated on the outskirts of the town, and almost at the end of it runs the Waterford and Limerick Railway. Halfway across the green Mr O'Brien thanked Miss O'Neill and bade her good-bye. He and his male attendant then proceeded into the country in the darkness.