, 1886-05-19
A NARROW ESCAPE.

my Office the following advertisement met
my eye:
aoNE THOUSAND DOLLARS RE
ward will be paid to any person who can
give precise information as to how the late
James Smithson met his death on boaro
the William Curtis on the night of the
sd OF August, 1854. Address,
JACOB SHARPER, Esq.
No. 246 Fulton street, New York"
You will wonder why this made me
turn pale and sick, but it did, and for this
reason; l knew the late James Smithson.
l was his fellow-passenger on board the
William Curtis, and | was one OF the per-
sons who last saw him alive. We were
coming from England. / TO make my fort
une, he to return to his native land; and l
had felt for him an instructive ~repugnance
that ! took little pains to conceal.
l remember one day after dinner we
were sitting in sulky silence over our
grog, when n sudden lurch of the vessel
sent the scalding fluid out of my glass all
over his clothes.
Course you,' he exclaimed, "you W
ward fool-what are you doing' Can't
you hit out like n man II you want to vent
you spleen, and not throw boiling water
over me like n dangerous idioti'
had already began to explain, but was
silent for n little after this attack, and
then merely said: There was no inten-
ton to insult or vent spleen; the occur
renee was merely accidental"
"Hang accidentsl I've found accidents
happen very conveniently sometimes; and
you shall pay for this rs soon as ever we're
out Of this nccursed tub. If you are n man
which | d~oubt-you shall give me n meet
ing for this, / promise you; III try whether
you can handle a pistol as well rs you can
throw glasses, you cowardly Britisher."
"If you use such language to me I'll
"Throw another, won't your you plucky
bantam"
al was maddened beyond all endurance,
and | rushed at him and struck him full in
the face MS he stood up. He fell, and as he
rose drew ont his revolver and shot at me.
! stopped, and the ball shattered the swing
compass in the skylight; he raised the re-
volver again. but the steward and captain
having by this time arrived, the pistol was
taken from him.
explained the circumstances, and the
captain Mt once said hat unless W. would
give our word not to renew the dispute in
any way he would put us both under lock
and key.
After some little demrr we agreed to
this.
/ went to my state-room and turned in,
and determined that | would not again
spenk to the brute. In the morning | met
the captain at breakfast, and he cautioned
me in n friendly way against Smithson.
Mind what you're about; don't give him
a chance. He would think no more of
dropping you overheard or putting a knife
into you han l of cutting this bread.
Don't you go too near the rail, and see that
there is n bit of rope over the side If you
go forward, and If you do find yourself n
mile away over the quarter some fine
night don't say | didn't warn you. Clear
away steward"
MIR. Smithson hasn't set down yet, sir, -
Never mind; he's sulking, perhaps; clear
away"
| went on deck and came down again Mt
dinner time. We were all ~seated-that is
ihe chief officer. the captain and myself
when we missed Smithson.
Call Mr.. Smithson, steward We
mustn't spoil our dinner with his sulks."
The steward opened his door and came
back.
He's not there, sir"
Not there2 Where Is he, then, Has
anybody seen him this morningi"
Inquiry was made and no one knew
anything about him. TIL men had seen
him go Onward ut about eight bells, but
no one had set eyes on him since.
"Whcre car he be-" said the captain.
"lie must be in the ship, unless you took
my hint the wrong way and put him out
of the way, youngster."
81 can assure you | never left my room
until breakfast time This morning cap
tain
ain n further search we failed to find
any trace OF the missing man except one.
A large brass Delaying pin was discovered
damned between the iron that supported
the stnrhoard forechains and the vessels
side. 1t must have been thrown over
board, and by one of those mysterious
chances that sometimes occur, lodged it
self there. 1t could not nave been put
there, for the man who saw 1t could not
reach 1t without the assistance of two
others. 1t WINS brought on deck, taken to
the cabin and examined. Nothing was
found on IL; IL was as clean as il it had
never left the rack. Where did it come
from II was soon found to be one Of the
spare pins round the foremost rail. The
two things looked like foul play. could
not deny 1t. TIL steward remembered
that Mr.. Smithson drank n good deal after
! left the cabin the night before, and the
man ut the wheel thought he seemed a
little unsteady, but he lost sight OF him as
he went forward.
The entries were made in the log, and
life went on in Its old course, except that l
was regarded with n suspicion and mis-
trust that made me envy the victim or
suicide who calmly slept In the sea be-
meath me.
The voyage ended, the whole story was
laid before the authorizes at New York.
and after n merely formal examination
was told that there was no evidence
against me, n | left the place, vowing
never willingly to set foot in IL again.
II is no wonder. then, that knowing all
this, | should be startled to see this adver-
tisement. 1t had for me the horrible fas-
cinntion of the snake. | knew that out OF
1t would spring misery and trouble unend-
ing, and yet | could not AXE my eyes of
IL, The ten years' interval shrank up into
n dream time, and the feeling was AS il |
had but that heard the stewards
voice; Hes not there, sir" II upset me
for the day ] could do nothing.
had not long to wait the fulhllment Of
my prophetic feeirgs About n fortnight
after the date Of The advertisement, | was
waited on by an extremely polite person,
who said: IL have called to settle this little
account OF Messrs. Wilson Brothers. VIII
You give me n receipt"
sat at the desk. wrote out the receipt.
and signed II, he looked over my shoulder
all the time. When | turned the line I'M.
der my name. and put the dot at the and.
he touched me on the shoulder and said;
y thought so. l arrest you for the murder
OF James Smithson.H
u am"
'You know I shnll have to repeat all you
ray, so don't say anything. How's bust
ness in these partss It's rather dull in
New York"
/ was stunned; I made no answer.
-How will you go' Quietly. J suppose;
most gentlemen do. but just az you
please and he pulled out OF his pocket q