The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-09-25
An Ottawa Merchant Tells a Very Strange
Story.

Story.
A telegram from Ottawa TO the Toronto
papers gives the following as statement
made by Mr.. A. d. Fraser, long missing
hardware merchant of that city, detailing
his adventures during an enforced absence
Of over year
AS near as can remember left here in
May, 1S70--my clerk says the 1st of June
for Montreal, TO transact some business.
had with me abont $500 in cash and a
On arriving at Montreal was asked by q
man at what hotel was going to stop. /
replied, " The Montreal House," aud he
took my baggage. / subsequently saw
Mr. Eastwood, who said he was going to
the Ottawa Hotel. parted company with
the last-named gentleman and walked to-
ward the Montreal House, but, when |
saw the man who had taken my baggage
driving away with it,
Having some doubt as TO his being con-
nected with the Montreal House, l went
after him, and, after following him through
o couple of streets, caught up to him and
asked him where he was going lie said
To the Montreal House," and in another
minute stopped before house, which ON
entering found to be hotel. | said, 81
suppose you think you have played sharp
this time" and at once told him to take my
baggage to the Montreal House. He said
this was the Montreal House. | repeated
my observation about playing sharp, asked
him to have drink and then take my
valse to the hotel at which I wished to
stop.
He had drink, and l also took one,
which must have been drugged, as | re-
member nothing further than that sat
down on chair, until l found myself laid
up in ward in the hospital at Cape Town.
| then discovered that had no money, and
that my watch and chain were gone. How
got to Cape Town is a perfect mystery to
me. was told by those who were taking
care of me that the captain of the vessel
which brought me as far as Madeira wished
TO land NE there, but that the authorities
would not allow him to do so, as was wild
and had no means of support. Another
captain then offered to take charge of me-
and brought me to Cape Town.
1t appears that arrived there in Decem-
ber, 1875, but did not become conscious un-
ill February 10, 1877, when felt as though
| had just awakened out of long sleep,
and asked where was. l could not be-
lieve them when they told me l was in
Cape Town, and they thought for some
time that had not recovered my senses.
They told me that had spoken quite ra-
tionally before that, but if had had then
no recollection of it. had no idea of time
until ] saw a paper dated 1877, and when |
asked the people what it meant, they again
thought did not know what / was talking
about,
OF course had no money, and the peo-
pie who took care of me were very kind
and would not hear of my paying them.
AS soon as | was able to get about l pro-
cured employment as a bookkeeper in the
Government stores, and by this means
obtained funds to carry me to London.
Strange to say, on coming to my senses at
Cape Town, / found that my vaise was
with me, and that my clothes had not been
disturbed, the clothes | wore evidently
having been provided for me by some kind
strangers.
l do not know anything about the vessels
which carried me to Cape Town. The whole
journey seems like long sleep to me.
had earned sufficient money to pay my pas
sage to England and sailed on the 9th of
July last, bidding good bye to those who
had treated me so kindly. OF course there
were many who thought me an impostor,
and if / had been left to their tender mer-
cies it is question if Ishould be here now,
/ arrived in England, after voyage of
almost constant illness, on the gath of
August, and receiving funds there which
had been forwarded by my friends to meet
me, sailed again from Liverpool on the
3Oth of August, reaching Quebec on Satur-
day.