Huntsville gazette., 1885-09-12
A TALE OF TWO CITIES.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES.
John F. O'Rourke, of st. Louis, and Mss
Mary Larned. Of Chicago, Go for q Boat
Ride on Lake Michigan and Fail to Re-
turn-Their Boat Found on the Lake
Shore Partially Filled With Water and
Broken Oar.
CHICAGO /, Ill, September 6.-John F.
O'Rourke, lawyer from st. Louis, and
Miss Mary Larned, daughter of Albert
Larned, 2546 Dearborn street, went in a
row-boat from the foot of Twelfth street
for row on the lake Friday afternoon
and have not been seen since. Mr..
O'Rourke is thirty-ive years old, has a
wife and three children at Kirkwood,
Mo-, suburb of st. Louis, practices law
in the St. Louis courts, and is said to be
in wealthy circumstances Miss Larned
is twenty-six years old. Her father is
Secretary and Ire easurer of the w. E.
Frost Manufacturing Company, corner
Canal and Twelfth streets. Miss Larned
was boarder at ladies' seminary in
Kirkwood for the school year ending
June last and during her residence
there became intimately acquainted with
the O'Rourke family, who occupy high
position in Kirkwood society. Mr..
O'Rourke is an expert oarsman and an
owner of several boats, which he keeps
for his own amusement. Miss Larned
treated to boat rides on the Missls-
sippi by Mr. O'Rourke dur.
ing her stay in Kirkwood.
She returned home in June
when school closed, and in July Mrs.
O'Rourke spent week in Chicago as the
guest of the Larned family. Mrs.
O'Rourke was delighted with this city
and desired her husband to settle here.
Mr. O'Rourke came here Tuesday last
with the expressed intention of buying
property here and making this place his
permanent residence. He put up at the
Sherman and was frequent visitor at
Mr.. Larned's. Thursday evening, when
at supper at the Larned residence, he
spoke of negotiations he was en-
gagged in for the purchase OF
property on Lake Park avenue,
near Twenty-th!rd street. He ar
ranged to take Miss Larned for boat
ride Friday afternoon and return in time
for supper at Mr.. Larned's, at 80 or
O'Clock He hired boat from Jno. Fer
haux, at the foot of Twelfth street, and
started, as Ferhaux's slate shows, at
5:25. The boat was a good, well-built
row-boat, sixteen feet long and three and
half feet beam, one that would be dif-
ficult to capsize. There was no sail
taken, nothing but pair of oars, and
O'Rourke and the lady evidently intended
t. be back within an hour.
Fernaux and other boatmen on the
shore commented on the expert manner
in which Mr.. O'Rourke handled the oars.
They saw him row around the Twelfth
street pier and head irectly SOUTH and
that was the last seen of the boat or its
occupants. Yesterday Fernaux had
number of men searching the shore as
far south as South Chicago, but the boat
was not found. Several theories are
propounded to account for the.
disappearance. One is that an oar
was broken, and the occupants OF the
boat picked up by vessel bound for the
other shore. Another Is that Mr.
O'Rourke, who is said to have suffered
from heart affection, after severe physi-
cal exercise may have been overcome
when far out on the lake. Another Is
that he lost his way in the fog-there
was slight fog that evening-and
rowed the wrong way. There are
other theories, equally vague
and unsatisfactory. Mrs. Larned:
the young woman's mother, ls
almost distracted, as she believes both
are at the bottom of the lake. The fact
that the boat has not been found favors
the theory that the two are still alive,
but there is grave reason TO believe that
a serious accident has occurred. There
was neither wind nor storm Friday after
noon or evening. Mr.. Larned telegraphed
the facts yesterday to Mrs. O'Rourke's
brother in St. Louis.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, September THE boat
in which j. +. o 'Rourke and Miss Larncd
went for a row Friday afternoon was
found yesterday afternoon on the beach
at the foot of Sixty-third street. It was
righ. side up and half full Of water, and
contained the row-locks and broken
oar Mr.. Larned isnow satisfied that the
missing couple are still alive. He be-
lieves they broke an oar when far out on
the lake and were picked up by a sailing
vessel bound north in which case they
NAV not be heard from for some days.