Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1916 — An Irish Patriot [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

An Irish Patriot

Story For St Patrick's Day.

By NORA O’NEILL'

There are two characters in Irish history who are the very antipodes of each other. The one Is St Patrick, whose memory is revered and beloved by Irishmen; the other Dermot, who is looked upon with hatred and contpmpt. ‘‘ Dermot was one of the early kings of those sections into which the Emerald Isle was formerly cut up. The prayer of the Turks, “Allah, prevent the uniting of the Balkans!'* might have been spoken by the English of that faraway period with reference to the Irish. There was constant warfare between these Irish sovereigns, and finally Dermot, when hard pressed by bis enemy. Invited the English to come across the channel and help him. The English, once having obtained a foothold in Ireland, did not stop till they had dominated the Island. So, while blessings are to this day showered upon St. Patrick, who converted Ireland to Christianity, there Is execration for Dermot, for that constant discontent of the Irish people under British rule dates from bls giving Britons the first opportunity. During the reign of Charles I. of England one of these kings or rulers of what have since counties of Ireland was beheaded by order of the English king. He was called the O’Donohue, the O being’a prefix to the name of the ruler to denote his sovereignty. His son, a boy .of seven at the time of his father’s death, made a vow that when he grew to manhood 'he would spend his life in attempting to drive the English from Ireland. It might be expected that a resolution'formed at such an early age would not be kept. A child of seven losing a father i&_not likely to remember him

on coining to manhood. But little Tommy O’Donobue grew up among the strifes with his hereditary enemies, and when he came of age he came also to the leadership of his people, who were oppressed by those enemies. He was bound not only by the oath of his childhood, but by the indignities and exactions heaped upon his subjects, to make an effort to get rid of the bated stranger whom Dermot foisted upon Ireland. Before he was ready to strike a blow ,he wooed and won the daughter of a neighboring sovereign, the O’Grady. Kathleen O’Grady worshiped her young husband and sympathized with him in his resolution to rid the country of their oppressors. But it was hard for her to consent that he should enter upon so dangerous a struggle. Every year the conquerors were obtaining a stronger foothold both by conquest and settlement. Since the father of her husband bad been executed Charles I. had lost his own bead, and Oliver Cromwell, one of the world’s greatest fighters, had assumed the government Cromwell was of the Protestant faith and spared no pains to plant it in Ireland. To resist Cromwell was a qiore difficult and dangerous undertaking for the son than for the father to have resisted Charles I. Nevertheless the young O’Donohue had no sooner been married than be formed an alliance with a neighboring ruler and entered upon a rebellion against the English. For a time they were successful, and O’Donohue’s heart was beating with high hope when sudidenly his colleague treacherously left 'him in the lurch by making peace with the enemy. This enabled the English to turn all their forces against the O’Donobue, and they administered to him a crushing defeat The flight, the wanderings, the bldings, the constant escapes of the young form one of the most romantic episodes of Irish history. For a long (while he succeeded in concealing himself from bis pursuers, but at last was ‘captured In a starving condition. Tben (followed bis trial for treason against a power that had no right whatever in Ireland, bis conviction, and he was’sen'tenced to the kame fate his father had 'met—to be beheaded. The bride, who had consented that her husband embark in so hazardous

an undertaking, was at first paralysed at the calamity that had befallen him and her. But out of her despair came a wonderful concentration of will power that developed in cunning. While there was life there was hope. She determined to make a desperate effort to save her husband. Two things were necessary. She must assist him to effect an escape, and she must have the means at hand to get him out of the country in case he regained his liberty, for if he remained in Ireland he would be hunted and doubtless captured as he had been captured before. The latter part of the plan must be attended to first. France was in those days a refuge for both English and Irish persons who were hunted to be punished for treason, which meant usually an attempt to throw off an oppressor. O’Donohue was worshiped by his people, and his young wife had no difficulty In finding those who would provide a ship to take him to the French coast A vessel was procured and stood ready at the nearest practicable point to the jail where the prisoner was confined. Kathleen, having seen this arrangement perfected the day before her husband was to be executed, went to the officer who had captured him and begged that she might be permitted to spend a short time with the condemned mnn that night, the last that he would spend on earth. The conqueror could not withstand the pleadings, the tears, of a young and beautiful bride who was about to be forever parted from her bridegroom. He gave an order that her request be granted. After darkness had fallen Kathleen, with her sister, was carried in a “chair” to the prison, and both were admitted to the prisoner’s cell. They remained with him half an hour, when they emerged, the young wife leaning upon and almost carried by her sister. Kathleen seemed broken with grief. Her sobs were heartrending as her sister tried vainly to comfort her. The guards could not but sympathize with one who so soon to lie bereaved had just bidden farewell with the one she loved. The women went to the chair

In which they had come and entered it amid the sympathetic silence of their observers. Not far from the prison was a wood, and as soon as the mourning party were concealed In it the door of the cabin was thrown open and the figure that had appeared to be Kathleen, but was really her husband, jumped out. throwing off his woman’s garments. A horse stood ready, and. mounting it, he dashed off into the forest. Meanwhile nothing was suspected at the Jail. At the hour when the last visit to the prisoner was made for the night the jailer went into his cell. The man who was to “die on the morrow knelt beside bis cot-with his face buried on it. The jailer, supposing hlifi to be engaged in prayer, waited awhile till he should have finished. Rut the prisoner showing no signs of bringing his devotions to an end, the other addressed him, asking him If there was anything he could do for him. The figure remained silent, his face still buried in the bedclothes. Now, the O'Donohue was a tall man and his wife a small woman. This disparity in size bad seemed sure to block the plan adopted. To reduce his height O’Donohue, in leaving the prison as Kathleen, had feigned to be so paralyzed with grief as to be obliged to cling rather than walk with the sister. This enabled him to appear shorter by bending bis knees. But Kathleen, who was desirous of concealing her identity in order to give her husband" time to get as far In bis flight as possible, had no means of making herself larger than she was. The jailer stood looking at the diminutive form and was puzzled. Then it came over him that something was wrong. He called again upon the prisoner to speak, and. the latter stiH remaining silent, he went to him and lifted him from the cot. He saw at once a woman’s face and knew that O’Donobue had gone out in bis wife’s clothes. The jailer was springing away to give the alarm when Kathleen seized him with a view to delaying him. But she was no match in strength for bim. and. freeing himself from her grasp, he rushed from the cell, and In a few minutes men were hurrying to recapture the escaped man. The O’Donobue had been furnished with the fleetest horse that could be obtained, and he knew every road bypath. bog and tangled forest in the region. The pursuers, surmising that he would make for the coast, followed in his wake, but while he was helped by those on the road they were retarded by obstacles and thrown off their course by Incorrect information. In the morning the ship in which the O’Donohue was to sail was riding at anchor in the offing, when he appeared on a dune above the beach and waved to them, in a jiffy a boat was sent ashore, he .was taken aboard, the anchor was raised, and. the wind filling the sails, the vessel started on her voyage to France. The wily Cromwell was much annoyed at the escape. O’Donohue .was so well beloved tn Ireland that the protector knew he would be a constant thorn in bis side and dreaded lest the young patriot should return and head another rebellion. So the protector sent Kathleen to France with a message to her husband, offering him a pardon and the restoration pf his estate if he would’ swear allegiance to the English government By this time the O’Ddnohue had become convinced that the cause of independent Ireland was bopelesft, and. yielding to the solicitations of the wife, who had saved his life, he consented. He therefore returned to Ms native Island with hte wife, where they enjoyed a life there- . after of peace.

KATHLEEN SEEMED BROKEN WITH GRIEF.