Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-05-29
A CONVICT'S STORY.

|
Sharks-The Third Picked up tive
Hundred Miles at Sea, Perishing OF
| Hunger, Thirst, and Exposure. ,
A New York special of the 22d states
that the bark Carrie E. Long from Bu-
enos Ayres, picked up a half-dead Port
uguese from raft two hundred miles
out at sea. off the Brazilian coast. who
brings to New York a story full of peril
and romance. He WIS found on q bam-
boo raft on the 18th of February.
When picked up he was almost dead.
He had been on the raft ten days, and
was fully two hundred miles out at sea.
He had two companions when we start
ed out, but they were washed overheard
and swallowed by sharks. The second
mate of the bark gives the following &C
count Of the rescue: "The cook spied
him on the raft signaling to us. We
lowered the quarter-boat and made for
him. We brought him on board, along
with box of clothing and a kerosene
can that might have contained provis-
ions. The waves had been running
over him, and bis body was full Of salt
sores. He was almost dead with thirst
when we got him on board, and he
kept gasping Aqua! Aqua! We gave
him water, and that fetched him round
q bit Then we fed him. and gave him
dry clothing" ..... - .H
ado you know his name?'
"No; but we call him Monday and
he answers to that name" a0
This afternoon the rescued Portu-
guese told the following story, through
an interpreter. He said his name was
Emanuel Gomez de Silva. He was 80
years old, and was born at Pernambuco
He confessed that he had been a
prisoner on the island of Fernando de
NarOuba. He had been sentenced for
twenty years, he said, ten of which he
had served. ..I
" Why were you imprisoned 2" asked
the Interpreter.
He said he had fought with brigand;
he had cut him with knife.
".Did you kill him?"
He shook his head, and being pressed
to tell all about it, his eyes grew moist,
and he moved uneasily.
'How far is the island from Fernam-
bucoY,
TWAS some time before he understood
the question, but he finally said that it
took him three days to get to it after he
had been condemned. t-2H.
Why did you escape?" ......
He said he wanted to get home to
Pernambuco, where his mother,
brother, and sister lived. He was tired
Of prison after ten years. He could
swim; he did not feel afraid to risk the
flight. He had been q peddler in Per-
nambuco. His parents were mulatoes.
He then continued: awe were true
companions in the prison The other
two were Antonio Periero and Juan
Brohero. We worked together on
plantation on the convicts' island. They
were both lighter colorei than [ am.
One night We planned an escape. We
built raft of bamboo got a box of
clothing and a can of food and
water, and launched out in the
ocean. The first day we were
all right, but our can of water was swept
away, and at night we were all terrible
thirsty. The next morning Antonio
startled us by crying wildly, and before
we knew what the trouble was he had
been washed off the raft, and we saw a
shark lay hold of him and drag him
down." Here the man opened his jaws
and snapped to emphasize his speech,
and the effect was electric. "On the
following day Juan was washed off in
the same way. chung to the raft with
all my might. The salt water made me
very sore, very sore" He barred his
arm and his hips, and the flesh was
shown to be eaten away in numerous
places +" was on the raft three DAYS
in ALL .-...... ..fl..l.
Here the reporter told him that ac-
cording to the captains story he had
been out ten days. .tuur
mo; three" he answered, whereupon
the ships mate asserted that his pre-
vious story had fixed the number at ten.
II have no money! he said in con-
clusion. 81 don't want TO go back to
Pernambuco. [ want to stay on board
and 60 with the captain .,a-...
Capt. Park intends to hand him over
to the Brazilian consul in this city. 81
have brought him to New York; he
says, and that's all can afford to do
for him." The captain and his crew
knew uOI1lllS OIL GIlc StIaIlSo history vi
the castaway until they reached Man
tanzas, where the consular agent found
in the mans boxa yellow piece ofpaper
from which he made out that the man
and his companions had probably es-
capped from the prison on the island OF
Fernando DeNanonba, one hundred and
twenty miles from the centre extremity
OF Brazil. 'tWhen he got pretty well
over his exhaustion" says the cap
tain, I got him out on deck and made
him work. He is a stout, able-bodied
chap, and as willing as man could
be-. / guess he is grateful to me-"
Catching Bear.
According to the Manistee mich. J
Times, bears must be plenty in that sec
ton. The following is copied from its
issue of the Sth instant
We have already spoken of bear
ing in Manistee town by Messrs. Goode-
now and Thompson. We believe we
have referred to the catching Of two