The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1885-09-11
A TALE OF TWO CITIES.

a. . yisl e
Tohn f. O'Rourke, of st. Louis, and Kiss
Mary Larned. of Chicago, Go for Boat
Ride on Lake Michigan and Fail to Re-
turn-Thoir Boat Found on the Lake
Shore Partially Filled with Water and u
Broken Oar. f
I CHICAGO H., September 6.--John +,
O'Rourke, q lawyer from ST. Louis, and
Miss Mary Larned, daughter of Albert
Larned, 2546 Dearborn street, went In
tow-boat from the foot of Twelfth street
Tor row on the lake Friday afternoon
ind have not been seen since. Mr..
0'Rourke is thirty-ive years DID, has
wife and three children at Kirkwood,
Mo-, a 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 Treasurer OF the w. e.
Frost Manufacturing Company, corner
Canal and Twelfth streets. Miss Larned
was boarder at a 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
and other friends were FIRE quently
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
ut 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-third street. He ar
ranged to take Miss Larned for boat
ride Friday afternoon and return in time
for supper at Mr.. Larned's, at $50 or 7
O'Clock. He hired boat from Jno Fer
haux, at the foot of Twelfth street, and
started, as Ferhaux's slate shows, at
6:25. The boat was good, well-built
row-boat, sixteen feet long and three and
half feet beam, one that would be diff
ficult to capsize. There was no sail
taken, nothing but pair of oars. and
O'Rourke and the lady evidently intended
to 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 dir ectly south, and
that was the last seen of the boat or Its
occupants. Yesterday Fernaux had a
number of men searching the shore as
far south as South Chicago, but the boat
was not found. Several theories arc
| propounded to account for the
Was Was Broken and the occapadts afa 81 eRs
boat picked up by vessel bound for the
| other shore. Another is that MIR.
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 a slight fog that evening-and
rowed the wrong way. There are
other theories, equally vague
and unsatisfactory. Mrs. Larned
the young woman's mother, Ii
almost distracted, as she believes both
are at the bottom of the lake. The fac
that the boat has not been found favors
the theory that the two are still alive
but there is grave reason TO believe thai
serious accident has occurred There
was neither wind nor storm Friday after
noon or evening. Mr.. Larned telegraphet
the facts yesterday to Mrs. O'Rourke'l
brother in St. Louis.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, September 1.-THE boa
in which j. F. O'Rourke and Miss Larnee
went for row Friday afternoon wa,
found yesterday afternoon on the beacl
at the foot OF Sixty-third street. 1t wa
righ. side up and half full of water, AM
contained the row-locks and broker
oar. Mr.. Larned isnow satisfied that tn,
missing couple are still alive. He be
lieves they broke an oar when far out ol
the lake and were picked up by sailin
vessel bound north, in which case the
may not be heard from for some days.
/ f"I..