Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-18
4 MYSTERY THE HURON WR ECh
The story Told by VIM. Buder.
rs 1T TRUE OR FAI.SEr


! Saturday afternoon, at o clock he received
word from Commodore Febiger, commandant o.
| the navy yard here, that man, giving his namf
as William Buder, a Norwegian, and claiming
| to be survivor of the L. S. vessel Huron
| wrecked on the North Carolina coast in Novem
Der. 1871, had presented himself at the yard
me secretary, accompanied by Commodore
Schufeldt, drove down to the navy yard. and
| saw the man on board the PaSSaic.
THE STORY BuDER TOLD
the Secretary was i'm effect that after the Huron
struck he Jumped overheard and laShed himself
10 spar with his neckerchef- Another man
Jesse Roll, Spanfard, also clung to the spar
The spar drifted out to sea, Roll became eX
hausted, Ielinquished his hold on the spar and
sank: After twenty-four hours, as near as he
could remember, Buder said he was picked up
by the Norwegian bark Forto. Captain L. {.
skare who told him that the ship was 80 mile
and Norway, and reached that port In about two
months When picked up. Buder says, he was
almost exhausted, and did not recover his
strength during the voyage. Arriving at Chris
tlanSand he went to his home. His mother took
good care Of him, and had him placed in hos
pltal. Recovering, he shipped in the Forto-the
same vessel that picked him up-and arrived in
Baltimore about the 4th Of November
THE BACK PAY DRAWN Ely ANOTHER wM BUpER.
lt was quite late saturday evening when
Buder had finished telling his story to the sec
fetafy. Mr.. Thompson did not have tiae TO
cfOSS-eNamlne him carefully. and came 70 no
definite conclusion as TO the truth of what had
been told him. He thought, however. that on
primo .f0cIe evidence the man had given what
appeared TO be truthful account OF himself
ms impression was further strengthened Dy
Tie TACT that two statements made by BIdrr
mat he had served on the st. Louis and on the
Colorado, were confirmed by an examination OF
the muster rolls Of those vessels. The Secre-
laly, though not convinced that Binder had
told the truth. has directed that he ba retained
on the PaSSaIc and taken care OF until further
developments are reached. The Secretary has
not ordered that he be given his bacE pay. and
Tie bonus due the survivors Of the Huron dis
aStef. JH 13ct. the S!D which, under the bill for
TIE reHeI Of the survivors OF the wreck, fe,l 10
Nm. BGder. has already been paid to ..Wm
bIder. =, ~ \ street. Philadelphia"
Il shall investigate tie matter thorOuy;l,y-
salctle Secretary this morning 70 Il STAR re-
reporter.
The secretaIys attention was called to taa
ing'S Baltimore .SUa:
- SURVIVOR OF THE HURON DlsAsTER."-
on saturday man giving The name OF William
Blder presented himself at the Office OF Com
modole tebager. Washington navy yard, and
stated that he was a survivor Of the crew of the
I. :. corvette Huron. wrecked November 24th
1874. on the North Carolina coast. The man was
tilesSed IN sailor clothes. and stated that be was
picked up by the Norwegian bark Forto sixty
miles from the wreck, and carried 10 NorTay
Where he had been for six months. Being ma
tive OF Norway he found friends there and rela-
tiVeS who cared for him. He says that when he
recovered the same bark Forto happened to be
IN Port in Chr1stiansand, III which lie shipped
ihlS story was published at some length in
the New York Herald of yesterday. The bari,
Foft0 oelnS yet IN port at AbbOttS wharf. Bal
UTncle, inquiry was made on board YESTERDAY
captain Skdre says that at Antwerp man Civ
ms the name OF Oscar Ginsdorf shipped as
steward. He lad on part OF the uniform OF an
american seaman. 1he bari, arrived here Oc-
loDer "a. G1nSdorff took quarters ar a boarding
mouse ana icft several days ago. While on the
voyage Ginsdorn had told seaman that he
{Ginsdorf) was once sailor on q United states
of md ha1 f1 rInal
antwerp. The name CT VIM. Buder does not
appear on the books OF the bark Forto in anv
caraclty; moreover, the Forto by the statement
oG her commander, was in the Mediterranean al
the date OF tie Huron disaster. The FOrto also
has not been in Norway for Is months. The
ships company laugh at the yarns OF BUder a )
connected with theii bark. The description OF
btdef as gwen at the navy yard. Washington
corresponds exactly with that given OF Gins
dor1l by the captain OF the FOrt0.
WHAT SECRETARY THOIPSoN SAID ABOUT It.
. OF course" said tie Secretary. after read
ing the above. Buder may be telling this story
In order TO receive back pay. Ii he is. lie has
oeen put up TO il by some party or parties DOS
Sesslng much more intelligence than he does
lie Is eVldentlya a very stupid man. He could
no' nave concocted story that would hang to-
gether as well as the one he tells does The
c.rcuInstantial evidence is strong in his favor
1he statement OF the captain OF the FOrto is
very material in coming to a final conclusion in
the case. and shall write to him for a. official
account OF what be knows about Buder'S story
compare the detailed statement, which | Shall
procure from him, with the accounts given OF
the Huron wreck by Master Conway, Ensign
Young and other survivors of the wreck. By
these means hope to find out if he is telling
the truth or not. and if he is put UP to telling
tie story, If it proves untrue, by other parties
repeat, l do not think Buder is capable of con-
coctlng such plausible story himself
THE MARINER SENT FOR.
The Secretary this morning teiegraphed to
commodore Feblger requesting that Buder be
sent 70 the Navy department. At - O'Clock
noon Ensign Lyman B. Arms, one of the officers
OF the Passaic, arrived at the department in
charge Of Buder and VIM. Bonner, one OF the
PaSSdic'S crew.
WHAT MANNER OF MAN HE IS
secretary Thompson croSS-eXamined Buder
Mr.. Hogg, Chief CLERK, was also present and
took part in the questioning. Buderi is a rough
looking, round-shouldered young man, with a
red face. He wore the sailors garb, and had a
big jack-knife in his waist, hung around his
neck by a stout laniard. He talks very poor
English, and hesitateS now and then on that
account; s4 Inere IS nothing to show, however.
that he is '.yarning.' He speaks as if he nai
10 doubt everybody was believing him.
HIS STORY AS TOLD TO SECRETARY THOMPSON TO-
DAY.
He said, on being questioned: Nv name is
William Ruder; / am twenty-three years old
and native of Norway; enlisted in the navy
about the 23d CT August. 1877, as a landsnan. I
first went on board the ST. Louis, but remained
ere 4nR Ran lew DAYS gong 70 the Colorado;
November 18th was sent to the Huron l do
not know who was her captain; knew but few
OF the men and officers; ] knew the .snrst
luff," Symonds and Ensign Young. When the
Huron left New York She went to Norfolk and
anchored there for few days. She sailed from
tnere ABOUT O'Clock; it was fearful weather
southwest winds, but not raining much. 1t was
my watch; saw no lights while going down the
coast. 1T was about twenty minutes past 12
O'Clock when left watch; she struck about !
O'Clock; was in a hammock when she struck:
got out and went on deck, but don't know ex
actly where she struck; saw the captain when
went on deck. The ship careened over to-
wards the shore on her Starboard side but do
not recollect how her bow was pointed. / left
her about quarter past O'Clock; I saw
the balSa leave the ship with Antonio
Williams and Ensign Young on It, / pOt
the balsa first, but Williams took it away from
me. saw some fellows washed overheard T
was Ia the rigging and jumped overheard and
swan TO spar, the miZZen top-gallant mast.
winch was ABOUT eleven or twelve feet lone /
lashed myself to the spar with nv handler
chief. Jesse Roll followed me, but had no ha nd
kercnlef to lash himself to the spar with. We
were on the spar about twenty-five hours toge-
tbef, put ne became exhausted and let 90
when we were about three-quarter mile from
the bark FortO. A counter current drove us out
10 sea. l DO not know how far we were out
Wnen tne Dark rescued me. had to be hauled
on BOARD by means OF a tackle being unable to
use my arms. 1t was two days after being taken
on BOARD before recovered my faculties. The
Dark was named FOrtO from ChrsstianSand
ana tWO OF former ooh tna