River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-07-22
THRILLING ADVENTURE.
n Maniac Captain and "a Cabin hoy
AbOnt ON Lake Ontario sn am Open
kOat.
Toron5o Globe. July 3.

TORONTO Globe. July 3.
ON Saturday morning about 6 o'clock
the captain of The steamer Empress of
India, in coming up the lake, and when
about fifteen miles east of Toronto,
sighted II small boat to the southwark.
in the boat were discovered two per
sons who were waving their coats in
the air and shouting Mt the top of their
voices. evidently with the object of at
tracing the attention of those ON board
the steamer The captain at once call
ed the mate. and headed the steamer
forthe craft. out of which they quickly
got the occupants, whom they took on
board the steamer. They then bore
away for this city, whittier they were
bound, towing the small boat astern.
The rescued ones proved to be Captain
Maurice Fitzgerald, of the schooner
Mercic Il. Hall, and n lad about II
years of age, named William GARRISON,
one Of her crew, and the boat was the
vawl of that vessel They both seemed
quite exhausted and completely drench-
ed with water, the boat being almost
half filled when they were picked up.
Captain Fitzgerald and his companion
were rs quickly rs possible provided
with refreshments. of which they par
took in n manner that betokened long
fast
After the cravings of hunger had
been satisfied, the captain commenced
a Wild and incoherent story.
He averred that he had been chased
while III the yawl by pirates who kept
upa steady fire ON him with needle
gui4s He had seen Il light ON the lake
and heard voices calling, Sailor, come
! here p There is one of the pirate
boats now 2 he said To the mate, Mr..
Alderman, who, however, failed to see
tho object pointed out 10y the strange
captain, who, moreover, stated that
! while on his.own schooner his crew had
corspircd To rob him of 800 and then
| murder him afterwards. some of them
were in favor of cutting him up and
packing him in Il barrel, while others,
| leas ceremonious, were for SIMPLY
throwing him overheard All these
statements he called upon the boy to
cofroborate, cautioning him to tell the
TRUTH, even if he (the boy) should inn
phcate himself, and even if it would
rub him pretty hard.
The boy, who was nearly scared to
death when picked up, told an entirely
| different tale, Of which the following Is
the substance. The Mercie f. Hall
left Oswego on Thursday last, flying
| light" bound for this port, and the va
riable and adverse winds she met so
retarded her progress up the lake that
it took her until Friday evening to get
within the distance of some fifty miles
Other destination. The captain, the
boy went on to say, had been drinking
very heavily for about two weeks, and
| had left Oswego with scarcely any pro
visions, so that they subsiStcd on the
passage almost entirely on pota-
toes. At eight O'Clock on Friday
evening the captain came on the deck,
went forward, picked up a norman" Ia
large iron bolt to insert in the windlass
| to Keep the cable in its place whereon
they "let go anchor, and walking AIT,
also seized an AK. He then went aloit
the main rigging to the crosstrces where
| he kept waving the ax and norman Ill
either hand, vowing he would Kill amy
one who would attempt to onear HIM.
He also threatened to let the sail down
by The run After some considerable
Tina the boy narrates, the captain came
down on deck. and, about twenty min
utcs 10 two on Saturday morning, order
ed him into the yawl. He then com
mcnred to cut the tackels which sus-
pended the boat to the davits. The
mate tried to prevent him, but got
knocked down with the norman, so the
man succeeded in getting the boat into
the water, not however without panty
filing it with water. At first the cap
tain tied him to the bow Of the boat,
but after time released him saying,
ooh, this is you, is it, Willie?' The boy
al once went aft and seized the only
| oar they had and scullcd for dear life
for the north shore in the hope that he
woud be picked up by some vessel;
| The poor lad was nearly exhausted
when rescued, and could hardly have
held out much longer. Under the CIR
cu,nstances he behaved very coolly, for
he vas in fear every moment that the
captain would brain him with the ax or
throw him overheard.
Captain Fitzgerald was arrested, ms
appears on Saturdays police report,
and was remandcd until to-day. The
unfortunate man was suffering from an
attack Of delirium tremans, which ac-
counts for his extraordinary conduct
o -