The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-08
Glad IN WOMANS GARB.
A MYSTERIOUS PASSENGER ON THE
WALI4A wALLA.
Cabin Passage Taken by '.Mrs. Hud-
son." Who Turns Out to He .
Man. Gives . Flimny Reason for

VICTORIA. Dec 7-on her last trip Up
from San Francisco the walla walia had
mysterious passenger on board whose
Identity has been the occasion OF more
correspondence between the police author
tiles OF this place and San Francisco, ac-
cording to the Colonist-
The story as told by the officers Of the
steamer Is substantially as follows: A
short time before she cast of her lines In
San Francisco a woman. plainly dressed
and wearing a heavy VEIL applied at the
cffice Of the Pacific Coast Steamship COM
pany for passage to Victoria. She bought
and paid for 8 first-class ticket, which en-
titled her to cabin passage. She was
assigned TO stateroom AZ. and to the book
ing clerk gave her name as Mrs. Hud-
SON." She boarded the steamer without
delay and went ut once to her stateroom.
where she remained in close seclusion until
the following morning. the steamer then
being we'll on her way up the California
coast. On the morning following tho
steward. while making his round of In
spection, visited stateroom ~. and in the
usual perfunctory way addressed the oc-
cupant and asked after her welfare. The
answers he received and the actions and
manners of the passenger aroused his sus-
PIGEONS 10 such an extent that he notified
Purser huffman that he believed Mrs.
Hudson" was a man mascuerading In
woman's clothes. Acting on this informal
ton the purser visited the supposed lady
passenger, who was forced to admit, re-
luctantly enough, that he was man. He
said his name was Doyle and that he had
adopted the disguise In order TO enable
him 10 escape an enemy who sought
his life. He told his story hesitat-
'ingiy and seemed more than anxious
10 escape the s-queStioning to
which huffman subjected him. on the
following day Doyle appeared on deck
clad in shabby male apparel. He avoided
his fellow passengers and declined TO hold
converse with those who sought to enter
into friendly intercourse with him. In
the meantime the purser ascertained that
Doyle had no baggage on board the steam
er other than the small bundle that had
evidently contained the suit of male attire.
After passing through the straits Doyle
approached the purser and asked the cost
OF passage from Victoria TO Seattle He
signified his Intention of going to the lat
ter port with the steamer, but when the
vessel touched the wharf at Victoria
Doyle was the first one ashore. and in a
moment had disappeared from View in the
crowd. That was the last seen or heard
OF him by the officers of the Walla Walla.
81 never saw a man display such haste
In getting ashore as this man did when
we touched at Victoria" said Purser Mutt
HALL III tcSS IMAM a lie Was iOSt
to view. His sudden flight was the more
surprising because he had led me to be-
lieve that he was going on to Seattle. The
fellow had a most villainous face and
looked like man capable of committing
any act of criminality. His story about
coming on board in disguise in order TO
avoid being killed by an enemy was so
ishy that child would not have believed
H.. 1t Is my belief that he was an escap-
Ing criminal, though ] had no knowledge
of the fact and therefore had no right TO
detain him.
Chief Lees. of San Francisco, was at
once apprised OF the facts concerning the
mysterious passenger, and an attempt was
made. though unsuccessfully, to locate
him in British Columbia. 1t is now prac-
ticaiiy proven that he was not one of th,
suspects in the Baden murder case. The
question remains unanswered, Who
then. was he?"