Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-06-27
TWEED'S STRANGE LIFE ON A SCHOONER.
A STORY OF HIS ESCAPE.

STORY OF HIS ESCAPE.
The escape of William NJ. Tweed from
Ludlow street Jail, the mystery of his
long and successful concealment from
the sleuth hounds of justice who were
put upon his search, his vicissitudinous
wanderings and his final recapture and
restoration to his old prison, which he
never left again until he took the last,
long journey which puts all human be-
ings out of the reach of bolts and bars, is
romance rarely paralleled, never sur
passed. A portion of it has been told
with average correctness. There has
been missing chapter, though, whose
absence left the tale unfinished and the
plot incomplete. The &tnC0y Me1US now
presents the last link for the first time to
the public.
VIM. M. Tweed escaped from the Gus
tody of the sheriff of the county of New
York on the evening of December 5,
1875. He was at the time in charge of
two deputies of Sheriff Conner. Accord
ing to their statements, as embodied in
the published reports, his evasion of
their watchfulness occurred in his own
house, where he was visiting his wife.
1t was thought impossible that so well
known a man could effectually conceal
himself from the search which followed
with rigor never equaled in the Grim
inal annals of the country. But days
grew into weeks and weeks melted into
months, and the whereabouts of the fugi-
tive remained still unknown. VIM. NJ.
Tweed had vanished as completely from
official eyes as if the earth had devoured
him. No definite information of his hid
ing place was obtained until, after many
months the excitement of his escape
was revived by the news of his capture
at Vigo, Spain, on board of merchant
ship which was bringing him from
Cuba.
What followed is well known. His
previous adventures in the Ever Faith
full Isle are also part of history. But
there remains blank between his escape
and his landing on Cuban soil That
blank the Sunday NeaCS now fills from
information afforded by the man in
whose care the deihroned and flying
magnate left this country and the perils
which menaced him here behind him.
| The schooner Frank Atwood was, n
couple of years ago, the best known YES
sci engaged in the West India fruit trade
| from the port of New York She had
been built by Donald Mckay, the famous
Boston builder of clipper ships, for his
son. The old shipwright had expended
all his knowledge and skill on her to rem
der her marvel ofsymmetry and speed
He had succeeded. The Frank Atwood
for model and sailing qualities, was more
yacht that commonplace trader
Her voyages were called the best on
record.
Young Mckay, after voyage or two
fell into extravaganza and sold his
schooner. She became the property O
Mike Murray, the gambler of Ann street
and Clinton place, and the partner o.
Senator Mike Norton.
Murray placed in command of the
Frank Atwood a Newburyport, Mass.
skipper, named Bryant, under whom til,
vessel was sailed regularly in the frui
trade with the West Indies. Captain
Bryant was poor man, devoted to th,
interests of his employer, who, on hi
part, was a good paymaster and an eas,
chief. What follows is Captain Bryant
story, as told to u Sunday Ne1CS re
porter:
"In the middle of April, 1876, tin
Frank Atwood lay at the foot of Dove
street, loaded with a general cargo ant
cleared for Port Maria, Jamaica !
messenger from Mr.. Murray brought IN
a note asking me to see him at once. q
went with the messenger to IL AM
street, where found him in the privat
room.
Captain he said, l want to sen
two passengers out to Cuba with you
They will be on board tonight. Yo
will want some fancy stores to vary you
ordinary sea fare. Here are $50. La
in your stock at once. You are read
for sea nowP
"' Yes, sir.
One of the passengers will assum
charge of the schooner. You will d
whatever he desires, as if he was mysel
By-the-by, | will send down to til
schooner this afternoon. Give my me.
senger some token or other that the mel
sengers can bring to you as proof thu
they are the proper parties; and yo
needn't put Yourself out to tell any or
about this either
ga messenger came that afternoon.
didn't know what to give him for tokei
My wife, who was in the cabin SEWING
took sail-needle, the eye OF which w;
broken off and which she had been usir
to make crochet-holes with, out of h,
work basket, and said laughingly: 'Gi,
him this; it is not good for much else
Iput the needle in blank envelope az
sent it.
ut was getting toward dusk that eve
ing, and | was all ready for sailin
Some friends of mine were talking to n
on the quarterback when man can
down the wharf. He was an ordinar
looking, medium-sized man, dressed in
common dark suit. He strollcd along
if he had nothing particular to do ~
plenty of time to do it in. He pass,
down the wharf toward the schooner
bow. He stopped at the fore-riggin
stepped on to the bulwark, and jump
down on the deck,