Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-04-22
THE MYSTERIOUS WIDOW.

During the summer of 1914, the
British had not only laid claim to
all that portion of the District OF
Maine lying east of the Penobscot
but Admiral Gritfeth and Sir John
Sherhrooke, the latter theE being
the Governor of Nova Scotia, had
been sent with heavy force to take
possession, and occupied the town
of Castine, which place commands
the entrance to the Penobscot river
Shortly before the arrival of the
English squadron, Commodore
Samuel Tucker had been sent around
to Penobscot Bay to protect the
American coasters. and while the
British sailed up Castine, he lay at
Thomaston.
It was a schooner that the Com
modore commanded, but she was a
heavy one, well armed and manned :;
and that she carried the true Yankee
"grit'' upon her decks the enemy
had received from them many
proofs. On the morning of the
28th of August, messenger was
sent down from Belfast with the
intelligence that the British frigate
was coming from Castine TO take
him. Tucker knew the British
feared him, and also that Sir John
Sherbrooke had offered a large
amount for his capture.
When the Commodore received
the intelligence his vessel was lying
at one of the low wharves where he
would have to wait two hours for
the tide to set him off; but he has
tened to have everything prepared
to get her off as soon as possible,
for he had no desire to meet the
frig- ate.
The schooner's keel was just
cleared from the mud, and one OF
the men had been sent upon the
wharf to cast off the bowline, when
a wagon drawn by one horse came
rattling down to the spot. The
driver, a rough looking country
man, got out upon the wharf, and
then assisted middle-aged woman
from the vehicle. The lady's first
inquiry. was for Commodore Tuck
er. He was pointed out to her, and
she stepped upon the schooner'S
deck, and approached him. az
sCommodore,'' she asked, "wher
do you sail from here p
"We sail right off, as soon as
possible, madam
"Oh, then, 1 know you will b.
kind to me-" the lady urged il
persuasive tones. 'eMy poor hus
band died yesterday, and 1 wish tt
carry his corpse to Wiscasset, where
we belong, and where his parent.
will take care of it, e
"But, my good woman, I shan
go to Wiscasset.
If.you will land me at the moutl
of the Sheepscot, l will ask no more
I can easily find a boat there to TAX
me up"
"Where is the body ?' aske'
Tucker. -
i "In the wagon" returned the lad
at the same time raising the corne
of her shawl to wipe away the gath
ering tears. II have sum of mon
ey with me, and you shall be pai
for youf trouble"
"Tut, woman if I accommodate
lyou, there won't be any pay abou
lit"
| The kind harted old Commodor
was not the man to refuse you
favor, and though he liked not til
bother of taking the woman and he
very strange accompaniment o
board, yet he could not refuse
When he told her he would do a
she requested, she thanked hir
with tears in her eyes.
l. Some of the men were sent upo
the wharf to bring the body o
board. A long buffalo robe wa
lifted off by the man who drove th
wagon, and. beneath lay neat, blac
coffin. Some words were passe
by the seamen, as they were putin
the coffin aboard, which went
show pretty plainly that the afai
did not exactly suit them. 1t ma
have been but prejudice on the
part. but then seamen should b
allowed a prejudice once in
while, when we consider the man
stern realities they have to encoute