Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-11-09
TWEEDS ESCAPE.
An Astounding Story Of a Rum
away.
Hiom the Chicago Post


NEW York, Nov 6.-Great excite
ment has been caused to-day among
Tweed's friends by the reception by
to-day's steamer of copy of the,
Cork {Ireland) Journal of October
%, containing the following :;
1.-The steamship Persia put ashore,
yesterday at Queenstown a man who,
tells remarkable story to the police.
who tssk him in charge. He claims
that in the early part of September he
arrived, in destitute circumstances,
at G6beraltas THAI whsSe there news
came of the arrest at ,Vigs, Spain, of
the famous bandit, Tweed. who robbed
so many people in New York, and also
that the United States man-of.war
Franklin was ordered to take the rob-
Der chief home, Not finding any
other way of getting something to eat,
this man, who gives his name as Du
Kass, enlisted as common seaman on
the Franklin, and sailed on her from
Vigo fer the United States September
q. He never saw the prisoner, he
says, the man being confined to the
cabin. From conversations overheard
between the officers he understood that
the Franklin was sailing under sealed
orders not to be opened until we'll out
TO sea.
Oct 9th all the officers, save those
in charge of the vessel for the watch,
were summoned to the cabin, and a
long meeting was held. The rumor
about the ship was that the orders had
been open and that the prisoner Was
being tried When the officers came
on deck again they all looked very
solemn. Four days later, or Oct. Is.
Du Kass says that all hands we're
called ON deck at noon The marines
were formed in hollow square In
the center stood a man with his arms
and feet bound, and his face covered
with black Grape. He describes the
mans figure as being rather short and
SLIM
At signal rope with moose at
one end was run through block at
the end of the maintop yard arm.
The moose was then placed over the,
prisoners neck. In doing this not a
word was spoken, The most astound-
ing and incredible part of Du Kass'
narrative is that in moving the head
of the condemnd the Grape was loosen
ed and fell from his face, and that that
face belonged to j, Wilkes Booth, the
assassin of President Lincoln of the
United States. He declares that he
has seen Booth in plays dozen times,
and cannot be mistaken. though he
knows that he is reported to have been
killed long ago, The mans face was
very pale. his eyes were closed, and
he bowed his head forward as if to.
hide himself The muffler was at once
re-arranged and the man hung. No
prayer, not word was said, and at
midnight that night, without burial
service, the body was tossed into the
deep. All this happened, according
to Du Kass, in latitude, so deg. 10
min and longitude 40 deg. II min
At night the ships route was changed
due south for the Pacific. This did
not suit Du kass, who seems to be 4
particular sort of fellow, and sailing
vessel being about a mile away and
the sea calm, he slid over the side Of
the Franklin, undiscovered and swami
away to the OF her ship which he found
to be an East Indiaman outward bound
and driven from her course by a heavy
storm. This left him in worse
plight than ever. Rut.about noon the
next day the Persia hove in sight,
took him on board and landed him az
has been stated. The police regard
kass with much suspicion, and In-
spector O'Mallagan has determined to
hold him subject to orders of the Con
sui of the United States go"
| Du Kass IS described by the journal
|, as man of perhaps ifty-fve years of
age, about five feet ten inches
in height, rather corpulent with long
full face and heavy gray beard. His
face Is a peculiar one, combining the
good humored simplicity of workman
with the sinister lines of a knave.
The captain of the Persia has been
telegraphed to for information as to
tho man.
| LATER.
"Since the above was written, says
the Journal, ga dispatch has been re-
eeived from Captain Mandranning. of
the Persia, which states that Du Kass
was picked up in mid ocean in an open
boat on which war painted the name
U. S. s. Franklin and that he then
refused to give any account of himself
The crown has ordered the detention
Of the prisoner until the United States
has been communicated with. The
rumor on the streets this morning that
the Franklin had been signaled off
Sandy Hook caused great excitement
among the Tammanyites who, relying
upon the statements in the Cork Jour-
nal. inferred that Tweed had in soma
manner mado his escape. The faisity
eff the rumor has made them more than
ever hilarious, and bets are freely
made az to his escane