The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-03-19

cling about that country and visiting
China he finally found himself at Yoko-
hama dead broke.
"I didn't feel like sending home for
money" said he, land heard considera-
BILE of sealing schooners which stopped at
Yokohama on their way to and from Vic
toria. / went to Johnny Kernan's board
ing house, and explaining my case to him
asked him II he could ship me in sealer.
/ had no experience on the sea, and that
was dead against me, but he said that II /
did as was told he would fix me all right.
Two days after l was shipped as an able
bodied seaman on the schooner Helen
White, Captain Pearce, which left the
Same day for the seal rookeries or the is
lands off the coast of Siberia.
lit didn't take the captain long to find
out that wasn't sailor, and because /
didn't know how to trim the sails and
handle the wheel 1 was pretty badly used
by him. told him my story, but he
didn't believe it and said 1t might do to
tell in Yokohama, but it didn't go with
him. We had been out ten days. and the
vessel was riding the waves like a cork
while 1 was at the wheel. When the
schooner's nose went down II the helm
was eased, 1t kept her head from going
under too far. The captain was forward,
taking the sun to get the latitude and
longitude, when the schooner gave a lurch,
and down went her nose into big wave.
81 was excited and failed to ease the
helm up, so we shipped big sea, which
Knocked the captain from his feet and
smashed his sextant. AS he arose the sail
ors roared with laughter, and aggravated
by this he rushed back to the wheel and
all L., -, H.. l.. n II
accused me of having trioked him and said
he would fix me so that would never ship
on another boat of any kind. 1 wasn't
used to that kind of talk, so 1 answered
angrily that l would remember his treat
ment, and he would hear from me again.
You'll get no chance said he, and was
put in irons for "a hours.
1.-Two days after this we put in at q
harbor at the southeastern end of the is
land of Sakhalin, off the coast Of Siberia.
There is no habitation where we shipped,
but Captain Pearce determined to have
fresh water, and II possible, some fresh
meat, as the place abounded with deer"
The schooner lay to, and the captain
took Stone ashore with the crew of the
longboat and contrived to lose him in the
interior of the island. When he returned
to the beach, the schooner had disappeared.
Presently little Russian steamer hove in
sight. 1t approached the island, hove to
and sent boat ashore.
IAN officer came ashore and in broken
English began to question me as to my
presence on the island" says Stone 81
told him, and he asked me If had per-
NIT. OF course hadn't, so was taken
out to tho ship and put In irons. The
man-of-war steamed to a harbor on the
same island, known as Alexandritfs,
where che governor Of the place lives. 1
was taken before him and questioned. He
asked for proof of the truth of my story,
and had none to give him.
"Then 1t was explained to me that
would be confined until the opportunity
offered to send me to Vladivostok, the
nearest port on the mainland. was taken
to prison, and there / made the discovery
that was on convict island. Five days
later l was taken to Vladivostok and
again taken before the authorities to tell
my story. l was told that 1 was not on
the island for any good, and they seemed
to think that was either nihilist or a
spy of some kind. They wanted proof of
my story, and was informed that would
be kept in confinement until they were
enabled to verify my story by communion
tion with the United States. / was sent
to the city prison and badly fed for three
days, when at the instance of an English
man, Mr.. Brinnard, who is employed by
firm at VladiyostOk, and who acted as
interpreter at my hearing, / was again
taken before the authorities and was told
that If would give my word not to at
tempt to escape would be given outside
work to do.
"The following day was taken before
the authorities again and was told that
the United States government had been
communicated with, but that / was not
known. They said would have to go to
St. Petersburg, and demanded that they
telegraph to the United States consul at
Yokohama. Mr.. Brinnard did this for
me, and five days later was released and
told that would have to leave Russian
dominions within "a hours. / did not
know what to do until Mr.. Brinnard met
me and told me he would get me away TO
Shanghai the next day. About Dec
arrived at tho latter place and was sent by
the United States consul to Yokohama"
There Stone shipped on the English
steamer Kisaw and worked his passage to
Boston. He was we'll treated on the Kisaw,
and tho captain gave him e2 los. in Eng
lish money. Stone says he will probably
bring suit against the Russian govern
ment.