The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-08
STORY OF HIS LIFE DURING THE WINTER
How the Natives We're Deceived by Mute
Old Gray Haired Man.
THE DETECTIVES ON THE TRAIL.
A Ducking in the Sound and a Narrow
Escape From Capture.
MIDLAND, on Georgian Bay. May 4, 1916

without doubt, tho notorious William NJ. Tweed, o
New York. had spent the winter the Muskoks
River, about thirty miles from here and about l0t
miles from Toronto, The capital Of Ontario. Tho de
scrptien given exactly suits that Of the Boss ant
the reliability Of the parties from whom the following
information has been CLEANED leaves doubt that
1t is correct and that Canada, up last Friday had
been the hiding place OF the great fugitive from Now
York justice. To make the OF information and
current in this vicinity Ineligible to the road
Of the HERALD it is necessary for your correspond
detail the facts which have caused the people
in this vicinity, and important of all two New
York detectives, who have been here tor two weeks
past believe that Tweed was Canada up Friday
last About 100 miles north OF Toronto is the free grant
TERRITORY MrsKoKA,
called afer lake and river Of that situate cd
within the district Muskoka Lake about twenty
miles east of Georgian Bay and connected with that
water by Muskoka River The whole district is noted
for its hne lakes rocks and trout streams and Is only
known to the few settlers who located therein and
the adventurous sportsman angler Of the latter
being Frank Hallcck, who spent fishing its
streams new railroad touches corncr of the
district but the rest OF is very poorly supplied
with roads, the greater portion OF the traffic
being carried the waters in sumner
In winter tho people practically shut
out from the outerword and owing to their scattered
position and tho deep snow from one another
For weeks at time neighbor does not see neishbor
Tho widest part OF tho whole district is along the
Muskoka River, from tho Georgian Bay up for DIS
lance OF ten miles Tho banks are or have been COW
cred with pine and huge powders. Through this To-
cality 1t Is almost impossible to get winter time.
About six miles from the mouth OF the river Parks
saw mill, which tho ..Boss" has found
SAFE HAVEN
from the tormcnts OF New York jais aud the officers
OF justice. The mill, owing to depression in the
lumber trade was closed most of last summer and
all winter Within 1t there four of saws,
which, when going, employ considerable
number OF men, for whose accommodation a
large framo boarding house is standing near by
About fifty yards from this and tho bank OF tho
river cottage, occupied when the mill is running by
Mr. Parks his manager, foreman and housckccpcr.
There also few shantes around the MILL inhabited
by the ands who arc married At the close of last
full only three families lived around the mill in these
shantes, the boarding house beng closed the cot
tagc cnantcss The mill Is accessible during navga.
ton to small steamers and barges but during winter
only once or twice in the six mouths It DO reached
from the Colonization road The only way in which
travelling be from the mill IN winter is down
the and then 20 north--you cannot GO souh-on
the ice OF Georgian Bay; but this Only takes you to
moro inhosplabie section than Muskoka Having dc
scripcd the country and It's location, now comes
TIL. ADVENT OF THE ''Boss "
Toward the end Of last November when navigation
had closed on the Georgian Bay and all the boats on
that water had laid up tor the winter two arrived
a. Owen sound the leading port the bay and pur-
chased large stock of provisions. which were dcllv-
cred on the wharf the same afternoon Before night
the small screw steamer Ukondra tlnnian for cInl
which had conc into winter quarters, getting
up steam, but these circumstances at the time only
ceived passing notice. In the morning she gone
and SO the boxes and barrels OF provisions that
had boon purchased the day before as well ais
the two men who had bought them. The
knu bpcu lpprp Tram
quirics at Prcsqu Isle lighthouse, the Owen
Sound, called there on that same night and took
board party 81 three, consisting OF very old
man. with longish gray hair and two others one be-
Ing about twenty Ave and his companion less than
forty years This Presqu Isle is barren beach, with
only couple Of houses and trading post The party
OF three had OILY reached presqu Isle before the
arrived. and they we're conducted to it. according to
the description given by the lghthou keeper, by the
two men who had boon in Owen Sound a lew hours
before. How tho men reached Presqu Isle has not
yet been learned. The men CD board tho Okondra
at steamed away got out In the bay and was not
seen till she returned to Owen Sound two days alter
ward Who're she went Is discovered. Having
lett Prcsque Isle she crossed the bay going south OF
Christian Island, and from that TO the mouth OF the
Muskoka River, up which she assembled Jar as the
landing at Parks mill The boat at the wharf
by Park, who has business connections The Rochcs-
ter and Albany lumber markets He had not been at
tho null for months TIL this day. and had reached
by the Colonization road from Gravenhurst. the tcrm
OF the railway He told the three families residing
nj the mills that he had leased them to Mr.. Ryan,
who Is identified as the elder OF the two men who
had boarded the Prcsque Isle along with the
stout old gentleman. Ryan, shortly after hts arrival
and tho unloading OF the packages OF provisions told
the Chambers and the other two families tina they
could their effects the boarding house. on
condition that they continued to keep eye tho
mill as they had done for Parks. He also told them
that himself the OLD gentleman, his father and the
young man, his nephew, would live In the cottage
the WINTER and that they had brought enough prov
sons 10 last till spring when the mil would up
and when n boat load OF hands and neccsslrcs would
.Grrive s.Thc naivcs' were aston shcd mt these an
nouncements, but they promised assistance
and work the they rather
their visitors The Okondra left that
taking with her the two men who had engaged her at
Owen Sound which port she reached on tho second day
after her departure rom IT, At the mill the three
families moved INTO the boarding house, and assisted
Ryan and tho young man TO make the cottage
comfortable. Another stove was taken from the
boarding house. the doors and windows were closed and
other small ml rovcmcnta carried out Tho cottage
was tolcrably well furnished including four beds two
OF which used The afternoon alter their arrival
Ryan told the three that his father had had par
aytc stroke, and had
LOST rnE POWER or SPEECH
lie tthc Old mani seemed perfectly healthy, and
always walking round, carrying a large stick. The
young Henry, did all the cooking except taking
the bread being furnished by Mrs Chambers The men
supplied wood did the chores, ana frequently
employed IN shovclling walk Tor the old M A. who
daily took exercise. Mrs. Chambers came every day
10 do the beds the house being open her only al
stated m' and excluded 10 the rest The nearest in
habtcd house was seven miles back and az tho
request of Ryan neither Chambers nor his COM
panons vislted It, though they or twice
met It's OCCUPANT the woods but told
him nothing Of the residents OF the cottage Thinrs
went on In the quiet all wlnlcr aud were ONLY
disturbed once Uy Mrs Chambers tcIiing her husband
that she almost certain that she had heard The Old
gentleman In conversation with Henry. But the two
kept Il 10 themselves and everything passed on quietly
till last week. when the following
EVENTS
took plnccUn Monday last the 9th OF APRIL two
men who had engaged the ukondra last TALL. suddenly
reappcarcd IN Owen sound The ice had not all gone
out OF the sound but the Okondra was on the next day
iuesayl Under steam and ploush,ng her way through
the broken ice out Of the harbor. The two
men vcre accompanied by four strangers TO the
Captain, and before. large quantity OF provisions
were taken on nj Owen sound On Tuesday night or
rather "Wednesday morning, after great difficulty IN
breaking the ice the okfndra startled the
OF the cottage and boarding house by her whistle.
Ryan and Henry, soon followed by the OH and the
three men OF the large house, the dock, where
the SIX strangers the boat warmly shook hands with
the three 81 the coagc they pay ing especial attention
10 the old man, who unable to answer though he
could hear their greetings From Information gwen
70 Ryan w the two men who had engaged the
boat was decided pass down the river
the next day and the three men OF the mil
were gwen to understand They ithc whole
on