The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-05
OUARTERMAN RETURNS.
HE SAYS He WAS KIDNAPPED AND
TAKEN TO SEA.

Two Men Entered His Room at Doug
las and Chloroformed Him - Then
They Carried Him Away in an IN
conscious State AT a Favorable
Opportunity He Escapes.
WAYCRoss, Ga. May At. A. Quarter
man the young man who disappeared 50
mysteriously at Douglas on the night OF
March 20 last, arrived here this morning on
the Brunswick and Western train from Al
bany. His disappearance was, up to the
present time, the sensation of Coffee and
adjoining counties Farmers, merchants
and others abandoned their work and went
ia search of his body, which they supposed
had been thrown into some creek or river.
Every swamp, ravine or thicket IN Coffee
county was searched. Ponds, pools and
lakes we're dragged, but to no purpose. De
tectives were put TO work, but they could
find no clew. Suspicion rested on several per-
sons. who came very near being lynched.
All that was done failed to find any trace
of the young mans whereabouts. bis ar
rival here this morning caused very little
surprise to q great many, while Others be-
lieved arnly in his strange story.
He was seen at the Strickland house. and
this Is the way ne e1ptalneu tne udb1eT AZ
his own words:
81 had been out to church. l came back
and went to bed did not notice that any
thing was wrong. ! had scarcely gone to
sleep when / was aroused by noise near
the bed AS l attempted to raise up man
grabbed me by the throat and put his knees
on MY breast in such position that could
do nothing to help myself The other man
applied chloroform to my mouth with
a cloth of some kind. From
this time / could remember very
little Iudistinctly l remember travelling
and swallowing something bitter which |
thought was opium. The next thing
that recollected was lying in very dark
close room on some straw feet wide and
5 or 6 feet long.
ON SHIP.
'Iknew it was on a ship of some kind, as
] could hear the water splashing. l was
very weak when l first gained
consciousness After / had lain
there for several hours the Hdoor.
which was fastened by an iron bar, was
opened by a man in sailors garb. He
looked at me and said: You've got back
TO life again, have your / said nothing to
him. as | had decided that / had been kid
naped, and determined to make my es-
cape the first chance 1 got. The man sent
down some very coarse bread,
water and fish, and commanded me
to eat it before he came back. This l did,
although il was a very hard job. had de-
termined to do as they told me tn order to
throw them off their guard 80 as to make
my escape. 1 continued to live this way
for at least three days. l could not see any
thing. it was 80 dark. After
some time the small tugboat
was brought to a standstill and
remained this way for about two hours.
When the door was opened two men com-
yr,apdaA ma N ont daOk which I
did. decided this would be my best chance
for escape, but did not attempt it at first.
One of the sailors told rue to get off on the
wharf and walk between them. He added
that if | attempted to get away | would
be killed instantly. We walked across
the wharf, which was about fifty yards.
This was at night, just before daylight.
After walking some distance we came TO
corner, and determined to escape. broke
and ran back to a ship that was lying in the
harbor. As ran two shots were fired at
me, but no attempt was made to recapture
me- AS soon as got on board
the large schooner / asked for the captain
and was told to wait on the deck for awhile
and he would be out. l waited about an
hour. The sun was then up. He sent for
me 20 come 10 his room. | told him my
story and asked where his ship was bound
for. He said he had just come from Pensa-
cola, Fla, and that he was on the point of
leaving IOr central AIneTlCan pOr d. ne
said his name was Capt. Williams. applied
to him for position. He said he did not
need any more sailors. He needed deck
hand or two. He said it would be very
hard work, but advised me If had been
kidnapped to remain on his vessel. He said
] would be very apt to be recaptured il I
remained on the wharf then commenced
work. found it very hard, but soon got
used TO it. This was on April 6. We sailed
direct to New Guatemala. We touched at
ports all along the way going north. We
arrived at Mobile on the night of May /.
The captain saw an account of my disap-
pearance In a newspaper at New
Orleans. He paid me off at Mobile
and l started at once for
Waycross. wrote to my folks from Mo-
bile and telegraphed them from Smithville
to meet me. l cannot imagine the object
of the men in kidnapping me unless it was to
get reward. l have a faint recollection
of hearing them speak about getting re-
ward, though l cannot remember their ex-
act words | was not abused in any way.
They were kind but firm. l offered no re-
sistance after the scuffie in the room, as |
realized that l was completely in their
power.n
Mr.. Quarterman thinks that he was prob
ably taken in a wagon to the Ocmulgee
river and thence in the tugboat via Bruins
wick to Key West, where he escaped.