Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-02
Was 1WEED'S SKIPPER
HELPED THE nOss To ESCAPE AND
GOT H36.MN,.
Widow Tells Of the TrIp-GIad Thnt
He Aided the Tammany Chief.
Although Since Pursued
by Had Luck.
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press
After losing every cent Of the S3,G.
which he received for aiding Boss Tweed
to escape from the country. james Bryari
died pennil.ss,
Eryan was a sea captain. and was fairly
prosperous until the dag when ne took the
fugitive Tanmany leader aboard his ship
and carried him away from New York
hirhor Then mis- misfortune. hcrar
Er!au did not know who his :nystcriorls
paSseni;er WIS. and he did rot care. That
WIS why he WAS chosen to 10 the work
He had the reputation of being the most
fearless man who ever sailed Il ship out
OF the port of New York. 1t was his boas,
that hs feared neither man. God nor the
devil. On one occasion when a tcrrble
storm was raging and all shipmastcrs hat.
been warned not To leave port he. to use
his own words. sailed out in the name
of the devil
How Tweed Escaped.
Bryan's widow told the story OF that run
for liberty yesterday with apparent pleas
ure. She WIS proud of the captain $
daring as he had been himself. She told
it just as he had told il TO her. She SAID:
Bryan had just come into port on the
Belle. lie found that Michael Murray and
John Norton. who owned Norton's point
coney island. had already cleared the
Frank Atwood in his name. and that she
was ready 10 go out.
He was told that he was to take two
passengers to cuba, and that there would
be good thing in il for him. lie did not
know who they We're or what part of Cuba
they wanted to 20 to- and he did not ask
any questions. II was not his habit 10 ask
hard questions in such matters.
He dropped down the bay and lay to
OF Norton's point The tug Dauntless was
alongside. and TO save time he did rot an
chor. the tug keeping the ship steady
The captain went ashore in a small boat,
leaving the ship in charge OF the mate
Ihey htd arranged signal with r"votv-
ing hight. which was shown by both the
snip and the boat. so tlla, each could tell
where the other was in the darkness.
There Was no moon. and the clouds cut
of the starlight and mude it one Of the
oiackeSt nights that had ever been known
on the bay. \ signal light on shore showed
the captain where to land. and Il few pass
words word agreed upon beforehand told him
that he had found his passengers.
Two muttled figures stepped into the
GOAT and they We're rOwed back to the
ship. The passengers went below and the
Jug took the ship through the channel
and returned. No time was lost in getting
out 10 sea.
Recognized BOSS Tweed.
I'm the morning Bryan recognized Tweed
." his pictures. which everyone had seen.
Tweed told Bryan to keep his mouth shut
ana he would he well rewarded. Bryan did
Keep his mouth shut; and Tweed gave
lim $N"S before he left the ship.
The Frank Atwood had been cleared for
some South American port. forget which
and could not go into Santiago. Cuba.
"here Tweed wanted to land.
lt .l,t
is though he WAS going To sail in and
when nenr shore IA small boat rowed along
..lnc. That had been arranged by rweeds
secretary. Sariuei Hunt. got into the small
boat.
Then Bryan turned and put out TO sea
\ Spanish sunhoat chased him and fired
several shots at him. but could not catch
him.
Tweed went under the name of John
Secor and Samuel Hunt under tho name OF
William Hunter. Bryan heard that they
had some trouble with the SeGniards when
hey landed. but Il little money fixed 1t
all right.
The police got wind OF the thing some
way. and were looking for Bryan so he
had TO stay away from New York for three
years He lived during, that time in Mo-
bile. Under the name Of John Smith,
Then Tweed : friends fixed things up all
right, and Bryan VIZ. allowed to come
gave him and built the FLYING scud. He
ilSAJ
Then he bought an interest in four or
five other ships and sold them ont again.
but somehow always seemed to lose money
on every trade.
He bought an interest IN the jos, Kelly,
and was shipwreCkrd in her off San saliva
dor, Then he bought an Interest in the w.
and II. Witherspoou. and Wac, shipwrecke.l
in her off Hattcrns. He did not lose a man
in either shipWreck, every one of the crew
getting Off safely. but he lost !; lot OF
money.
Then he bough, third interest in an
other ship. and he and th. two other OWL
srs got into quarrel, and neither would
let the other do anything with her and she
!ly AT the Erie basin for a couple
was no good, ard the Insurance com
ranes would not take her. She was sold
finally. and the Rryans' share was only
$50. The man who bought her took her
to sea, and she sank.
His Last Cruise.
The so was soon gone and Bryan had
to go to work for other owners. His last
trip was on the Concordia. and 1t was his
worst. Sne belonged to Simon Howard
who lived in Sain, Andrews. on the Vene-
zuelean coast. Bryan took charge of her
1t Charleston. and sailed her to West In
dian ports and back to Charleston. He WIS
ON her two ana Il half years. and never
got paid a cent. f., seized III. ship at
Saint Andrews for his pay. and she was
tied up.
and dragged along 50 long that he was
most starved. Finally n captain vino knew
i'm brought him hone. He still had the
claim against the ship for his two years
Ray. bu, he will never get Il cent of il
because now that he. IS dead W.. can't
40 down there and fight for II. lie said
tnut the ship was TO be sold soon. and that
wages would lie paid iirt. bu, | don't
taink W. will get any now.
IL, got home last fall and has not had
any work since. tie told me that he was
offered 81. IL he would tell all he knew
apvut Boss Tweed. but. although h. need
I'd the money badly. he said he woulIn
do IL.
'.cf course | am glad that my husband
helped s,Icn Il great man TO escape from
tn p-op. WHO We're trying to put him In
jiiI am proud Of IL.
BRYAN got William j. Sharkey out Of the
country after the murder Of Robert Dunn.
III No.
That w&s when he owned TN. F'lvng
Scud H. did not have much trouble then.
He Just took Sharkey with him when he
Va- going t. cuba.
''lf,. cid not make anything cut % II,
either. understand that Shark"y IS liv-
ing un . plantation in cuba now
Bryan de-. from dropsy after Il short
ln-S-.
Missouri Penitentiary Qunrantined.
SENERSoN CITY. Mo. March 1.-The
srate board OF health today adopted small-
rGx quarantine regulations for the state
p-f.lter-iary. Governor stephens promu!-
glf.a! the action in 4 proclamation calling