, 1873-06-12
THE P0LAR1s MYSTERY.
HuddinKtonss Thrcnt to Abandon
Tyson md Two lBOntss UFo1yH--J0ess
Story OF tho pOiH0nfnRs

STORY OF tho EOl9OH1HEs
st. Johns, A. =: tJYns cerrs.ronde"es er tho Retp
Tho myetory TINT surrounds tho aoath Of Capt.
Hall has only dooponed With tho efforts now be-
1ng metlo to ltft the yeil from hia tragic end.
failure Of tho Polnris oxpodition haa 80 far beon
fnlly borne out, md tho dark suspictona hintod
ut In the )cttor Of your correspondent havo not
only been confirmed, but havo acquired q moro
aobre and tangible aspect The h o. o1Sa! report
stantially tic following facts, obtained from
geatleman who had opportuntty to con-
gg xeis' ct srsSt aS length to WITH o Capt. R,,t 19n @
portsnt itnesscB,, just before their departure by
tho Frolio. In order to make thla Htory clear and
coherent. It will DO nooosaary to ropeat o few OF
Capt. Tyaon and Ills crew, in two boats and o
Ryak, had boon separated from tho polarie, they
saw that vessel about ton miloa away. It was d
worry short day, tho aun boing visible only three
SEQ the Po1sris plainly from tho leo aoe, and 1t
soems, therefore, evident Tint those on board
tho Poariscould easily obsoryo the mon On tho leo
Zoo. There was nothing to proventth voaaol from
IN tho way Of leo Aoes; 1t seemed al smooth sail
Ing, yot Buadiugton apparently did not evon nt-
salt and stoamcd away to Northumberland 1nlot.
And horoie n circumstance which throws dark
auspicion upon Dnddlngton. aud lcnds color to
tho bollef that no purpoaoly abandoned the un-
fortunate mon on tho ice doe to what must have
seemed to him inevitable destruction. A few
months before tho 1nal parting, Tyson was sont
search: At this ttno Duddington, while under
tho influence OF liquor, Threatened to abandon
tho party on tho ice. Ho did not. how
ovor, attempt to carry out his monaco, for
thu PnlnrH. T1vG0n fhNUrf1 hn u rafftnrf
as to his relations with Buddington, adrnlts TINT
there had boon ll-feoling betweon them, that
nuddington was jea1oua Of Hall, and that ho
(Tyson), being an intimate friend Of tho 1attor,
Tho oircumstnncos Of Capt. Halls aenth, as
told by Joo to my informant. and as they hare
undoubtedly como out during tho investigation
IN Washington, aro theao: On Lis retu1n to the
Po1aris from ? sledgtng o1pedition 5whon he aad
reached tho highest northern latltudo- 80 lb),
Capt. Hall called for cup Of coffee. I1nmodt-
ately aftor taldng It he was attacked with vio-
lent illness, and died In few hours after. While
conyn}Bed with pain he called Joo to his stlo
and told him he Mag suffering from tho eifocta
Preaident Of tho United States that ho believed
himBolf poisoned"
These, says Zoo, wore tho words Of tho dying
explorer. This language acquire 8 still greater
etancos Al tho Esquinau1 wero warmly at-
services wero Indispensable to tho o1pedition, il
1ookB suspicious that they all should have boon
gont out 6y Duddington With tho mon who wore
left on the leo loo. II Buddington waa guilty,
It might have boon his wish to got rid OF tho
ERquimaux in order that they ahould not turn
evidence against him whom tho Poaris got into
port. It is also charged that Buddington wanted
to set back to Disco, in ordor to take possession
Of tho BtoreR and 81 800 In money loft In charge
Of Danish magistrate. Tho discipline on board
the Polaris after Capt. HILLS doath was very
bad, everybody wanted to bo captain.
Duddington is described by those who know
him ns good sailor, but Vory much given to
drink, and wlon intoxicated ho is aaid to lose
his identity and to DO incapable OF aelf-control.
Ho carried his excoas SO far as to drink alcohol
ont Of the lampa whom he could not obtain ar
dent spirits elsewhere, Though there rosta d
dark shadow upon Duddington, it will require,
however, moro than the facts SO far olicitod to
cloar up tho mystery that hangs upon tho Polar
tragedy.
Tho Washington Chronicle Of tho 9th has
m article upon the investigation into tho rolnris
disaster, which the Secretary Of tho Navy, Com
modoro Reynolds, and Prof Baird, are now con-
duuting at tho Washington Nayy-Yard, on board
the supply-ship Tallapoosa. Of tho epeoulA-
separated from the Polaris, tho Chronicle eaya:
" 1t seemed almost impossible to think that
Capt. Duddington, upon whom the command Of
tho PolariB deVolvol aftor tue death OF Capt.
Hall could have deliberately desorted the party
Of nineteen Of tho bent men Of the expedition,
including tho Esquimau1, upon whom thoy
mostly dopondod in those frozen and almost un-
known regions, and yet tho fact Of their having
o sufficient stock Of provisions On the leo whom
they became separated from the ill~fatod vessel
looked strange, and led to aus2iclonB Of mutiny,
intended separation, or purposed abandon-
ment Of tho .polaris. It has loaked ont during
tho investigation that Capt. Duddington waa tic
main cause Of tho ontiro failure Of tho o1podi-
tion, and With him resta = responsibility Of
having ioopardized tho lives VI Tyson, Myers,
the Esquimaus party, and eight others. Shortly
aftor the doath Of Capt. Hail. when oil discipline
on tho ahip became lax, and each appeared to
work upon hia own hook, he became Intoxicated,
and, with pistol In hand drove tho "fioo-of-ico
party" from tho ship, giving them quantity Of
provisions. and then deliberately deaerted them.
Whothor the thirteea mon, in addition to Bud
ticops oriIninis In this brutal arrangement yet
romains to be soen. Tho examination, WHOM
published In fow days. will clear up tho mys-
terry.