Lincoln County advocate. (Canton, Dakota Territory, [S.D.]) 1876-1877, 1876-12-20
ACCIDENTS OF 4 LIFE.
The Wonderful Adventures OF s
New York Merchant.

About eleven o'clock on a mild De
cember night, in the year 1903, Mr.
Nicholas Young, respectable. mer-
chant of New York city, turned the
key in his store door and directed his
steps homeward.
He had been busily engaged in tax
ing account of stock, and was, there.
fore, unusually late. A model of regu-
larity in all his habits, he was never
known to be out of his house after ten
in the evening, except on such periodi-
cal occasions as the present.
he was plain man Of forty-fve,
who had never married, and
inhabited an unpretending but
comfortable abode in what was
then the semi-rural district about
Blocker street. His family consisted
solely of his old housekeeper and a col
ored man.
He had not walked far on the night
in question, when he WAS startled by a
cry as of female in distress, seeming
y proceeding from close carriage,
which was driving past at q moderate
rate of speed. The vehicle had not
gone twenty yards further before the
cry was again raised, clear and shrill,
and he distinctly saw white handke r.
chief waving from the window.
Constitutionally fearless, and endow-
ed with no small share of native chiv-
airy. Mr.. Young lost no time in hasten
ing to the rescue of the presumed cap
tive. Accident seemed to favor him,
for Just then the driver dropped his
whip, and, before he could recover it
and regain his seat, the merchant was
at the carriage door, which he attempt
ed to open. He was resisted by q
strong grasp from within, while a man
thrust his head from the window and
angrily demanded what was meant by
such unwarrantable intrusion.
Mr.. Young as peremptorily inquired
whether female was being carried off
against her will, and stated his inten-
ton of searching into the matter. He
was answered at once by blow on the
head from q slingshot, or similar in
strument, which felled him to the
ground insensible. On recovering, he
found himself lying, gagged and bound,
at the bottom of the coach, which was
being driven furiously. Defenseless as
sheep borne to the shambles, he
could only await his fate with such res
ignation as he could muster.
Hours seemed to pass before the vehi-
Gle came to a stop, when the door was
opened and ne was lifted out in silence
by two stout men. He now saw by the
glimmering starlight, and they were
standing on the end of long wharf-a
pier-the other extremity of which was
hidden in darkness. Rocking on the
waves almost under their feet, lay a
small row. boat. Into this, still without
word being spoken, he was transferred
by the same hands and it was made
fast to the stern of a sailing vessel,
which lay close by with ali her canvass
set. His two captors climbed aboard
the latter craft, whose anchor was i'm.
mediately weighed, and she stood out
to sea, towing Mr.. Young, alone and
helpless behind her.
Before morning the boat was cast off,
the sailing vessel quickly disappeared
from his view, and the unfortunate
merchant found himself drifting, with
out oars or provisions, at the
mercy Of the waves. When day
broke he had succeeded in freeing one
of his hands, and shortly afterwards re-
leased himself from al his fasterings
He now discovered that his pocket
had been riaed and his watch and wal
let taken, together with the keys OF his
office door and safe.
On the morning following Mr.
Youngs abduction, Mrs. Comfit, hi
housekeeper, awaited in vain his ap
pearance at the breakfast table. Never
before, during the fifteen years she hac
lived with him, had be been ten min
utes behind time. Of course, he might
be indisposed. With some trepidition
she went up stairs and knocked at hi
chamber door. The summons, AGAR
and again repeated, awakened no re
Spouse. He might have gone out for {
walk, though such had never been hi;
habit. An hour passed, and she grew
seriously alarmed. Finally, when {
business acquaintance of Mr.. Young
called to inquire why his store remain
ed closed, Mrs. Comht procured assist
ance; and her masters door was broke,
open. A careful search of the apart
ment only resulted in showing that j
had apparently not been occupied dur
Ing the preceding night.
Days and weeks rolled on, and moth
ing was seen or heard of the missing
merchant. Advertisements appeared
IN the leading journals, offering lib
eral reward for information concern
ing him; but none was forthcoming
The case created considerable excite
ment as well in the community a
Large, as among Mr.. Young's immedi
ate connections, but all attempts to un
rayeIthe mystery proved unavailing
and when, one morning, his Office SAT
was found open, and robbed of all it
us valuable contents, the conclusion
was generally arrived at that he ha
been foully dealt with, and that his n
appearance was not to be looked fol
q alstant relative of the lost man cam
forward, instituted the necessary pr