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The Catalpa rescue was a 1876 escape of six Fenian prisoners from what was then the British Penal Colony of Western Australia . From 1865 to 1867 British authorities rounded up supporters of the Irish Republican (Fenian) Brotherhood , an Irish independence movement, and Transported a number of them to the penal colony of Western Australia . Among them was John Boyle O'Reilly , later to become the editor of the Boston newspaper ''The Pilot''. They were sent on the Convict Ship '' Hougoumont '' and landed at Fremantle in January 1868 , after which they were moved to the Convict Establishment (now Fremantle Prison ). Two years later in 1869 O'Reilly escaped on the whaling ship ''Gazelle'' with an aid of third mate Whaler Henry Hathaway and ended up in Boston , where he became editor of ''The Pilot''. In 1871 John Devoy was amnestied in England, among others, on condition that he settle outside Ireland, and he sailed to New York City . He also became a newspaperman, for the '' New York Herald ''. He joined the Clan Na Gael , an organization that supported armed insurrection in Ireland. In 1869 pardons had been issued to many of the imprisoned Fenians. Another round of pardons were issued in 1871 , after which only a small group of military Fenians remained in Western Australia's penal system. In 1873 , Devoy received a smuggled letter from imprisoned Fenian James Wilson , who was among those the British dared not release. He asked them to aid the escape of the remaining Fenian prisoners. Devoy discussed the matter with John Boyle O'Reilly and Thomas McCarthy Fennell , and Fennell suggested that a ship be purchased, laden with a legitimate cargo, and sailed to Western Australia, where it would not be expected to arouse suspicion. The Fenian prisoners would then be rescued by stealth rather than force of arms. Devoy approached the 1874 convention of the Clan na Gael and got the Clan to agree to fund a rescue of the men. He then approached Whaling agent John Richardson who told them to contact his son-in-law, whaling captain George Smith Anthony, who agreed to help. Jame Reynolds, a member of the Clan and on the committee to rescue the prisoners, bought under his name for the Clan a three-masted whaling Bark ''Catalpa'' for $5,200 and George Anthony recruited 22 Sailor s. On April 29 1875 ''Catalpa'' sailed from New Bedford, Massachusetts . At first, most of the crew was unaware of their real mission. Anthony noticed too late that the ship's Chronometer was broken, so he had to rely on his own skills for Navigation . First they sailed to Fayal Island in Azores , where they offloaded 210 barrels of sperm Whale Oil . Unfortunately much of the crew deserted the ship and they had to leave three sick men behind. Anthony recruited native crew members and set sail for Western Australia. At the same time, two Fenian agents, John Breslin and Tom Desmond, had arrived in Western Australia in September. Breslin masqueraded as an American businessman "James Collins", with suitable Letter Of Introduction , and got acquainted with Sir William Cleaver Robinson , Governor Of Western Australia . Robinson took Breslin on a tour of the Convict Establishment (now Fremantle Prison). Desmond took a job as a Wheelwright and recruited five local Irishmen who were to cut the Telegraph lines on the day of escape. ''Catalpa'' fell behind the intended schedule due to a serious storm, in which she lost her foremast. She dropped anchor off Bunbury on March 27 1876 . Anthony and Breslin met. The first intended day for escape was April 6 , but the appearance of ''HMS Convict'' and other Royal Navy ships and customs officers quickly led to a postponement. The escape was rearranged for April 17 , when most of the Convict Establishment garrison was watching the Royal Perth Yacht Club Regatta . ''Catalpa'' dropped Anchor in International Waters off Rockingham and dispatched a whaleboat to the shore. Six Fenians - Thomas Darragh, Martin Hogan, Michael Harrington, Thomas Hassett, Robert Cranston and James Wilson - slipped down the Rockingham Road, met Breslin and Desmond and climbed into their carriages. They drove to the beach and climbed into the boat. They were half a mile (800 metres) off shore when they saw the escape was detected as two policemen galloped onto the beach. The whaleboat faced further difficulties in a storm that lasted till dawn on April 18 and cut the boat's mast. They reached ''Catalpa'' in the morning but they also found Steamship '' SS Georgette '' and a Water Police Cutter were closing in. The whaleboat reached ''Catalpa'' and because there were no official orders to board the ship, the ''Georgette'' and the cutter withdrew. ''Georgette'' returned the next morning and fired a warning shot with its 12 pounder (5 kg) cannon. Ignoring the demand to surrender, Anthony pointed at the US flag and proceeded westward. ''Georgette'' pursued until it was low on fuel and turned away. ''Catalpa'' slipped into the Indian Ocean . Due to cut telegraph cables, news of the escape did not reach London until June. At the same time, ''Catalpa'' made its best to avoid Royal Navy ships on its way back to the USA. O'Reilly received the news of the escape on June 7 and released the news to the press. The news sparked celebrations in USA and Ireland and anger in Britain and Australia. A purge of prison officials in Fremantle followed. ''Catalpa'' returned to New York harbor on August 19 1876 . George Smith Anthony could no longer sail in international waters because Royal Navy could have arrested him on sight. With the help of a journalist, Z. W. Pease, he published an account of his journey, ''The Catalpa Expedition'' in 1897 . On 9 September 2005 a memorial was unveiled in Rockingham to commemorate the escape. The memorial, a large statue of six wild Geese , was created by Western Australian artists Charlie and Joan Walsh Smith. The geese refer to the phrase "The Wild Geese", which was a name given to Irish soldiers who served in European armies after being exiled from Ireland. The Fenians transported to Western Australia adopted the phrase for themselves during their voyage to Western Australia on board the '' Hougoumont '', even publishing a shipboard newspaper entitled '' The Wild Goose ''. On April 7th 2006 a one off day of tours Will be running Fremantle Prison. The tours involve actors playing the parts of various characters involved in the Catalpa Rescue. It falls on Easter Monday close to the 150 year the aniversary of the Day. Image:John Boyle O'Reilly.jpg|John Boyle O'Reilly Image:James Wilson.jpg|James Wilson Image:MichaelHarrington.jpg|Michael Harrington Image:RobertCranstonConvict.jpg|Robert Cranston Image:Thomas Darragh.jpg|Thomas Darragh Image:ThomasHassettConvict.jpg|Thomas Hassett In song
Catalpa escape in the arts
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