River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-01-18

eral reward for information concern
ing him but none was forthcoming.
The case created considerable excite
ment as we'll in the community at large,
as among Mr.. Young's immediate con-
nections, but all attempts to unravel
the mystery proved unavailing and
when, one morning, his Office safe was
found open, and robbed of its valuable
contents, the conclusion was generally
arrived at he had been foully dealt
with, and that his temperance was
not to be looked for. A distant rela-
tive of the lost man came forward, in
stituted the necessary proceedings and
took quiet possession of the property
which Mr.. Young had toiled through
so many years to amass.
TIE return now, to our Inflated nero
himself.
After drifting in his boat for two
DAYS, the weather being fortunately
calm and moderate, he was picked up
by homeward bound Italian brig. As
Mr.. Young spoke only his native Ian.
puape. of which none of his rescurerS
understood a single word he could con-
municate very little respecting HIM
self. and was barely able to make out
the name of the port to which they
were sailing. Just before entering
the Mediterranean they were chased
and captured by pirate, to whom
they could offer no resistance. Their
vessel was scuttled, and themselves
were carried as slaves to the coast of
Morocco. By the Italians Young had
been treated kindly /; at the hands OF
the half-savage captors, he met with
nothing but hardships, being forced
to toll almost necessarily beneath a
burning sun.
After three years of this suffering,
NEGLECTED. his escape by the aid a of fell
low slave, an Englishman, with whom
he was sometimes allowed to go fishing
and with whom, under cover of night
he flung himself overheard and swan
to the opposite coast for Spain, where
they found themselves with no poss
essions but their clothes ontheir back.
They managed to make their way to
the nearest seaport town whence they
| intended, if possible to procure . pas
sage to the United States. All went
| well IA ship was soon found, which III
few days was to weigh anchor for New
York, and on which their services
were at once engaged for the voyage.
Almost on the eye,sOf their embarka-
ton, a fearful murder was committed
in the house where the fugitives were
lodging. Circumstances pointed strong
ly toward them as the perpetrators,
and they were arrested on suspicion.
Poor, friendless, and ignorant of the
language of their prosecutors, they
were unable to make an adequate de-
Tense, and were summarily found
guilty. Mr.. Young's unfortunate com.
panion was executed. and he himself
sentenced to the galleys for life.
After he had undergone the linger-
q horrors of this worst of punish
ment for FIVE years, the real murderer
was made known by q deathbed con-
| fession, and Mr.. Young was set at lib
erty. His story had excited the active
sympathy of several humane indiyid-
nails, and he found no difficulty in pro-
curing means of transportation to his
own country. In few weeks he once
more trod the streets of New York,
nearly eight years from the time OF
his enforced departure but he re-
turned to find himself a beggar. His
relatives had thrown away his proper
ty in wild speculations, and died the
year before hopelessly insolyent.
Broken in health ard spirits, and
premarm ely old, the once prosperous
merchant, after his prOtracted misfor
tune, incurred solely by yielding to q
sudden impulse of humanity, was
driven to the occupation of selling
small wares at stall outside Wash
ington market, and might have been
regularly seen thus engaged for sever
al years. until Frustrated by linger
ing sickness, which brought him tC
his end, under circumstances of Ia
mentable privation.
Who shall say that the ways OF
Providence in this world are not in
scrutable!