Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-06-29

Uue SdllOr, uuu bne DOy ulu, lOE tne
carpenter fell ill and died some
months after their escape from the
wreck. One day barque put into
the island for water, and when boat
came ashore, Smythe and his two
white companions ran down TO the
waters edge and hailed it's occupants.
These latter, however, were seized
with panic at the sight of the three,
whom they mistook for savages, as
they wore no clothes (like the natives),
and the boats crew thought their
frantic gestures and shouts were evi-
dences of dangerous hostility.
Scrambling pell-mell into the boat
again, they were pushing off in great
hurry, when one CT them perceived
that the skins of the supposed savages
were white. Still the sailors did not
feel inclined to stop and parley, so
they showed off and rowed out bit
into the bay.
When they had put small stretch
of water between themselves and the
shore, they lay on their oars and one
of them commenced palaver with the
white savages, whose actions whilst
the boat was being rowed away from
them would certainly seem to have
warranted the supposition that they
were unfriendly-not to say frantic.
But when Smythe hailed the boats
crew, in English and explained how
they had been cast away there, the
sailors plucked up courage and rowed
back. The three Crusoes were then
taken into the boat and rowed ont to
the ship, whose captain at once prom
ised to take them back to Sydney
1856. He was as good as his word,
and Smythe and his companions in
misfortune were landed in that Fort.
1t was we'll for Smythe that he had
taken the precaution of having his
money sent to England by the bank
officials, otherwise it is only right to
believe he would have lost it with the
sinking of the Western Star, and been
thrown on his own resources for
bare living again. AS it was, though,
he still had his snug little fortune in
the bank, and was able to draw upon
it. He purchased complete outfit,
which he wanted very badly, for he
hdu COlho uWuN VIC odfuSco
without even shirt to his back, and
once more he booked his passage to
Englan this time in the steamship
Great Britain. She was bound for
Liverpool-Smythe's native place
with cargo, passengers, and specie.
After pleasant voyage of nearly two
months she came in sight of Old Eng
land Q850, and now the most extra
ordinary misfortune of all befell our
luckless hero.
Smythe's reason actually became
unhinged at the sight of the shores of
his native land, the thoughts of all he
had gone through, and the bitter re-
fection that he had never once writ
ten to his wife since he sent her that
$1,000 some years previously. The
unfortunate man went raving mad,
and the captain Of the Great Britain
had to place him in confinement. On
the ships ARRIVAL in Liverpool he was
handed over to the care of the police,
who, after making futile inquiries for
any of his relatives, eventually sent
him to Rainhill Lunatic Asylum, out
side Liverpool.
We will now, with the readers per-
mission, leave omythe i'll the asylum,
aud go back to his wife. She had
long since given up the brokers' estab-
lishment and left the old locality, hav-
ing removed to Aigburth. Here she
made the acquaintance of Captain Jose
DiGz, who was the master of the
Spanish steamship Porto Rico. In the
tull belief that her husband was dead,
Mrs. SmytLe married Captain Diaz,
aud q child was born, a son, who was
christened Charles. Meanwhile, Mag
gle Smythe, her daughter by her first
husband, had grown to be woman,
and received several offers of mar
riage, which, however, she declined.
In 1862 Mrs. Smythe's second hus-
hand, Diaz, lost his life by drowning
in the Coburg Dock, aud, curious to
relate, it was IN 1862 that the long
lost husband and father, Smythe, was
discharged, perfectly cured, from the
asylum.
The unfortunate man paid an early
visit to his bankers, and, having easily
proved his identity. learned he was
entitled to the very tidy fortune of
$95, 900. During the several years he
had been immured in the asylum his
original account had been steadily ac-
cumulating by means of compound in
terest. He now sought his wife and
daughter, but could find no trace of
them. The old home knew no more,
and no one in the neighborhood could
be expected to be cognizant of their
whereabouts, seeing the long time
that had elapsed since their residence
there.
Smythe, however, spared neither
efforts nor money to find his loved
ones, but without success. He was
at length obliged to abandon the quest,
and settled down quietly into private
lite, taking house, which, as it hap
pened, was situated within less than
half mile from the door of those he
never expected to see again on this
side OF the grave. But most strange
and incnnonrah on eihla are tha york