River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-09-22
WITHOUT AN ENDING.
An Old Salts Start on an Excit-
ing Narrative.
Interesting PreIimInsries to story He
Hadn't Time TO FinfSh-A War
Time Adventure with n Zig
sailing Nessei.

ADVENTURE WIN n
sailing Vessel.
The sunlight streaming through the
half-Opened port east a ruddier glow
upon the bronzed visage Of "A coinmau-
der Of one Of the big passenger steam
ships which ply between this aCd Ea-
rOpean ports. Seated opposite 10 him
was an inquisitive young man, pencil
and notebook in hand
Yes" said the captain. reaectively,
- have had some strange experiences
during the forty-odd years that l have
spent upon the ocean and have seen
some strange scenes But You want to
know the most singular Of :nem all?
Let me see-did I ever tell You of a
passenger / once carried who was ar
rested wnen the ship reached her dock
for numbering himself? Never heard
OF II, eh2 And / 10 not suppose YOU
can imagine how such a thing as liv-
ing man being arrested for numbering
himself is possible.
well, ! can easily pardon your in
credulity, for one cannot readily see
under what circumstances living man
could be accused of assaSsInating him
self Taken all in all that perhaps is
the most remarlIa bic incident that ever
came under my observation. I may as
well admit that vanity may have had
something 10 do with placing it IN that
category. as il was through my per
sonal efforts that the tangled sl1ein
was finally unraveled and the mystery
made clear"
The captains pipe went out, and
a Al
refilled. The Young man resharpened
his pencil and prepared to write
tragedy.
You see, added the narrator, med
itatively, a he watched the blue smoke
curling upward from the repleuished
brier-root, the captain of passenger
steamship nowadays has 10 be some
thing Of a detective as well as most
everything else. Frequently ne has TO
listen 70 the complaints Of passengers
who claim 70 have lost articles of Jew
elry or money, but il Is rarely the ease
when they can simplify the question
by indicating the person or persons
suspected OF appropriating their val
uables.
Even IL we were permitted TO do so.
we could not suhject all our passengers
10 the humiliation of being searched.
and 1 would hesitate a long time be-
fore / would take the responsibility of
having any Of my passengers treated
in such a manner. But the complain
ants, as a rule. are never satisfied short
of anything else. The customs officers.
however. afford US great assistance in
such instances. I will tell YOU of a
case IN point which happened on board
of a ship l commanded some years
ago
That Of the passenger who was inn
plicated in his own murder" inquired
the young man with his notebook.
'No: l am coming to that. This is
70 merely illustrate what was Just say
ing about the relationship between
captain and passenger Never mind
the name of the ship; and, by the way,
you must not use mine, either; agents,
You know. don't approve of their cap
tains talking too much.
The incident took place several
years ago in the course of voyage
from Liverpool To Boston. On the
morning IF the third day ont the stew
ard awakened me and said that a pas
seuger was anxious 10 see me on mat
ter % great Importance / told the
steward to find out who the passenger
was and ascertain the nature OF his
business. The steward returned with
the information that the man was
jew and appeared 10 be greatly per
turbed about something. which nc de
cliucd 70 communicate to anyone ex-
cept myself. I sent him word 10 wait
till was dressed, and then had him
shown into the cabin.
''IIe came in. hat in hand, evidently
greatly disturbed about something.
The cause of it, which l finally man
aged To gather from his rather inco-
herent sentences. was that he had been
robbed during the night. Com, with
me, said l. and show me how this rob
berry occurred
His staterOom was n double one
opening upon the upper deck. Three
other men of his own race occupied it
jointly with him.
Now tell me what you lost and
show me where 1t was when you saw it
last. ! said.
The Jew-his name was Simon. if I
remember well-almost went into con
WILSON'S.
Lost: he exclaimed. .Mein frieu.
hat lost eberything'
''He then explained that all his saw
iugs OF lifetime had oeen invested in
diamonds. These. he said, had been /
concealed IN a false pocket in his trous-
ers and the aperture sewed mp.
And where did you place your
trousers last night?' inquired.
''fle indicated a hook within arms
reach Of the door. The pocket had been
neatly slit open, apparently with some
sharp instrument. When ! discovered
that the door had not been locked dur
ing the night I immediately formed my
own conclusions regarding the case.
Whom do You suspect of having
done this?' I asked.
1T SEEMS that ne also had formed an /
idea. aud gave it rs his opinion that (
some member of the crew had made 4
tire ineision and distracted the bag OF 4
diamonds during the middle watch
"'CoIld not one Of your companions 4
have done it As well?' l asked. ignoring .
the suggestion about the sailors. for .
felt assured that none of the seamen +
was concerned IN the robbery. a 4
sailor would not have been 80 partic- I
ular about Sitting pocket. but would 1
have taken trousers and all. and. after 4
helping himself % what was in the 4
pockets. would haze thrown the gar
ments overheard
simon. however, was positive that 4
his travelling companions had nothing
10 do " 18th tine theft. and. returning TO
the sailor question again. he insisted /
that every member of the crew be
searched. This refused 10 do. and
subsequently, the matter was dropped
But was not at all surprised 10 find
few DAYS later that his companions had
been industriously circulating the
story Of the robbery of their friend,
and had SO worked on the sympathies
OF the other passengers that a good
round sum was subscribed 10 help
make gcc1 he loss
The ship reached her port without
suv new developments In accordance
with the theory had formed. I sent
for the boarding officer Immediately |