The Indianapolis journal., 1893-03-05
Copyright 6y he luihor.l

surance of that trust that the following
narrative is given to the world. l have
had ample time and leisure for the task,
for his provision for me meant an IEcome
of f2.0J0 "a year, so that have never since
had TO exercise my profession for gain. but
mindful OF bis example have done what /
might Tor the suffering and needy:
Twas brought up at homo by fond and
doting mother tmy father had died when l
was but SIX years old who could never
presence | seemed duuful and obedient.
when her back was turned all the evil in
stlncts of my nature were given vent.
Surrounded by servants who fawned
upon mo and did anything i wished, for
they knew the surest way to win favor
with their mistress vas TO be we'll spoken
OF by her son. learned to place no check
upon my appetltes and desires. At the age
OF eighteen | had become pleasure:hunt-
Ing. dlsslpated blackguard, the only re-
deeming point In my character being my
love for my mother. Her death, which oc-
Cured at this time, removed the only check
had ever known, and l was astonished
when my grandfather. stern and severe
old Scotch earl. who now became my
guardian. sought TO impose some limit
on my indulgence in sports and worse than
sports.
In his castle in the north, where the SER
wants were as stiff and staid as their mas
ter. with tutor, who. If he could not find
fanlt with 10y capacity and attalnments.
had much reason to be displeased with my
conduct, 1 found life very different, in-
deed. from what 1t had been in my moth
ers luxurious house In BuckInghamshire,
where all obeyed my slightest wish. and
where had but to express desire In order
TO have It Rratified. / believe at the fast
that it was to AVOID the risk of incurrng
the lastin z displeasure of his patron, my
grandfather. by his inability to control my
actions that my tutor proposed that L
should be sent To a university. 1 believe
Aberdeen. Edinburgh, ana Glasgow were
all proposed and discussed in turn, but
resolutely refused TO ge to any university
but Oxford, or to any college but Christ
Church. and to Christ Church. Oxford, /
was ultimately sent.
Here met men who. because of my rank
and wealth. would have licked the dirt off
my shoes. and who not only encouraged me
In the vices with which / was already
familiar, but initiated me into others OF
which had previously no idea.
Drinking, caro- play ing, frequentlDg prize
lights and horse races. 1t was not long be-
fore was told that my absence would be
much preferred TO my presence. and had
TO change from Christ Church to hall
where discipline was more lax, and where
future career. oven If he had been very
fiend. would be welcome. Hero MANAGED
to pass q couple of years. and to become, if
not graduate in arts. u past master in all
manner of wickednees
At length my conduct became so bad that
my further continuance at the university
PEELED. The only change at first was that
London became the scene of my riotous
living instead of Oxford. but here my Ca
reer was cut short by my grandfather re-
fusiDg tosupply me with money, AID money
lenders and tradesmen after time refused
me credit. If l survived him there was no
doubt of my riches in the end. but he was
q hale, temperate man of sixty-eight and
might live for another twenty years, while
i was mad. wild youth, whose life might
have been out short any day night IN
some of the mad brawls and riots In which
delighted.
After time. during which found that
most of the men who had profeSsed to be
Tor my money. my grandfather and patched
up a peace on the condition that 1 should
leave London and England for time; and
it was arranged that should make q vOy-
age to Jamaica and visit some estates which
belonged TO us In that island. on which
hundreds of unfortunate slaves toiled for
our benefit.
On the voyage. which was long though
not tedious to me, l discovered that had
the instincts of sailor, aud when We
reached our destination i could. as our
worthy skipper declared, hand, reef and
steer as Well as ever man on board"
cared but little for our estate. though
in the society at Kingston, where sooth to
say. the code of morality was somewhat
lax, L found some half dozen young fell
lows who eagerly joined with me In any
wild pranks l proposed. Even Kingston.
however, could not tolerate me forever,
and persuaded our attorney to purchase
for me a schooner which had come over
from the States and which, if rumor lied
not, had sometimes carried other cargoes
than beef and pork. with which she was
loaded at the time of the purchase.
| soon had her fitted as yacht. and,
keeping her mate. u reckless Southerner
from Charleston. aboard to navigate her,
determined TO become my own skipper.
The crew we shipped were curious lot.
and g naval officer with whom / had some
slight acquaintance told me that there was
not a man among them who did not deserve
hanging. and that In SIX months l should
either have my throat cut or have become
pirate. Perhaps he was but jesting but
certainly mis- words came nearer the truth
than either he or supposed.
Just as / was about TO sail news arrived
ofmy grandfather's death. killed by deer
stealer, whom he was trying to secure n lone
and unaided. My only feeling was ono of
| JOY that no shadow of restraint could now
be placed on nv actions. and that / was
the uncontrolled master of great wealth.
l wrote home at once to the agents to
say | did not intend to return to
England for some years. and that
expected them to make the estate yield
as much money as possible. which
they were to put to my credit at
draw u for it t if / wished. shed i also 0soId soId
nv Jamaica estate and nv slaves.
and remitted the bulk of the money home.
with al order for schooner yacht to be
built for me of 80 tons, which was to beat
everything ailoat for speed. and to be
armed with long eighteen amidships and
four thirty-twO-pound carronades on either
broadside. besides apple supply of
muskets. cutlasses, pixies. swords and
other small arms. IL my naval friend had
seen the order. he would have no doubt
considered that did not intend to have
my throat cut. but rather 70 set up in trade
u cutthroat myself. This vessel. L gave
direction. shouid DC sent TO Port hoy al as
soon as she could be got ready.
Meantime L and nv of vagabonds
went 10 sea In the Alligator, and cruised
about among the West Indian Islands.
making the acquaintance of many of the
slaving captains. who hailed from Havana.
New Orleans and other places which are
visited. With all these worthless my mate,
/ Arthur Wilmshurst me said he came of a
good old English stock, was intimate
terms. it was not long before he and some
OF his friends proposed 30 me that should
/ ivory. i soon consented, | believe, be-
cause the whole thing was cruel and devil
ish. had seen lovely schooners
! with their holds full of human
| misery, and l had been witness.
not only of the sufferings of the unfor-
| tunare slaves. but also of the discOmtOrts
which their presence on board necessarily
/ entalled upon the crew. / could not even
| plead the greed for money; had more
| than / could spend. simply l consented be-
| cause this was crime of which had had
| no experience.
Accordingly. went to Havana. where