The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-08-21
A FAMOUS ADVENYURER
Meets with a Violent Death in
the West Indies,
HIS ROMANTIC HISTORY,
Asoholarly Eugllshman who Wasted
His Life Once Celebrated
Cricket Player - His Ca.
Feer in America,

NEw YoRE, August 2O,-The steamship
Muriel, OF the Quebec line, reached here
yesterday from the West Indies, Her
captain reports that, by the falling Of q
derrick on July q, while the Muriel was
unloading cargo at the port Of Spain, the
Muriel's purser, Charles A. Absalom,
and the West Indian Superintendent oi
the line, ], H, Dupont, were killed,
AbSalom's was a wasted life, A graduate
Of Oxford, at the head Of his class, well
bred, q thorough English gentlemen,
with excellent opportunities and adyan'
tages such as fall to the lot Of few men
in this world, he threw himself away
andbecame wanderer without home,
He was a great traveller, and had read
and seen almost everything Of interest
on earth. In his youth he was one OF
England's most famous cricket players,
and hisname will recall to every Brltisher
at home or abroad the stirring matches
Of ten to fifteen years ago between Ok
ford and Cambridge. He had no supe-
rlor as a batsman and was perhaps the
fastest runner that ever belonged to a
university eleven, For several years he
held the record at 100 yards, When
Lord Harris started on his tour around
the world at the head OF as strong q team
as ever left the tight little Island, AbSa.
lom was his right hand man. For six
months they played cricket In the Brit
ish colonies, being treated royalty wher-
ever they went. In Australia this re.
markable man became the talk OF the
continent by playing his games bare
headed in the broiling sun when the
mercury registered 120 degrees. Not
even a native was capable OF performing
such a feat, The habit Of going without
his hat grew upon him in early lie, and
clungto him I'LL the day OF his death.
BECOMES AN AMERICAN.
When he broke loose from home as
soClatlons, on account Of a love affair It
Is said, be bought rife and dog and
for eight years buried himself in the
heart OF the Rocky mountains. Here he
became the friend Of numerous Indian
chiefs and many tribes In Washington
Territory came TO know him we'll. He
was an especial favorite OF the Spo-
kanes, and from them received q curl
ous name, which signifies in English,
"White man who never wears q hat"
While hunting one day Absalom fell of
a ledge receiving injuries which brought
him TO New York, where he might find
proper treatment. He was In hospl-
lal for several months and when dis
charged accepted the Office Of purser on
the steamer Arinoco, plying between
this point and Bermuda. From that
vessel he was transferred to the Muriel
In order that he might have a look at
the West indies. It soon became known
throughout the windward Islands that
Absalom was on board and wherever
the Muriel touched the colonists be-
sieged HIM 10 come ashore and join In
their games Of cricket. His fame pre-
Ceded him wherever there was a bat, a
ball and q wicket. While in the tropics
Absalom did what no West Indian
would dare do-slept on deck bare
headed aud In dew. Aboard ship he
was never known to undress and go 10
bed In a civilized way. He had an iron
constitution,