The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-25
A FEARLESS SKIPPER
HE HELPED BOSS TWEED TO ESCAPE
FROM NEW YORK.

vOUt uut LttT AFTER M1eIOftunE ana
Bad Luck Followed Him Until He
Finally Died Penniless.
After losing every cent Of the $50, 900
which he received for aiding Boss Tweed
to escape from the country James Bryan
died penniless OF his home in New York.
Bryan was sea captain and was fairly
prosperous until the day when he took the
fugitive Tweed aboard his ship and car
ried him away from New York harbor
Then his misfortune began.
Bryan did not know who his mysterious
passenger was to be, and he did not care
That was why he was chosen to do the
work. He had the reputation of being the
most fearless man who ever sailed a ship
out of the port Of New York. 1t was his
boast that he feared neither man, God nor
the devil. On one occasion, when terri
bic storm was raging and all shipmasters
had been warned not to leave port, he, to-
use his own words, "sailed out in the
name Of tho devil"
Bryan's widow told the story Of that
run for liberty with apparent pleasure.
She was as proud of the captain s daring
as he had been of it himself. She told 1t
just as he had told it to her. She said:
Bryan had just come into port on the
Belle He 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 to go out.
"He was told that he was to take two
passengers to Cuba and that there would
be good thing in 1t for him. He did not
know who they were or what part Of Cuba
they wanted to 90 to, and he did not ask
any questions. 1t was not his habit to ask
hard questions in such matters.
"He dropped down the bay and lay to
off Norton's point. The tug Dauntless
was alongside, and to save time, he did
not anchor, the tug keeping the ship
steady against the tide
1.-The captain went ashore In a small
boat leaving the ship In charge Of the
mate They had arranged signal with a
revolving light, which was shown by both
the ship and the boat, 10 that each could
tell where the other was In the darkness
"There was no moon, and the clouds
cut off the starlight and made 1t one OF the
blaokest nights that had ever been known
vi UAC pdys "A plS OA bAOIo 6uUW-
ed the captain where to land, and few
passwords agreed upon beforehand told
him that he had found his passengers.
1.-TWO muffled figures stepped into the
boat, and they were rowed back to the
ship. The passengers went below, and the
tug took the ship through the channel
and returned. No time was lost in get
ting out to sea.
Sin the morning Bryan recognized
Tweed by his pictures, which every one
had seen. Tweed told Bryan to keep his
mouth shut, and he would be we'll re-
warded. Bryan did keep his mouth shut,
and Tweed gave him $50, 900 before he left
the ship.
"The Frank Atwood had been cleared
for some South American port, I forget
which, and could not go into Santiago
Cuba, where Tweed wanted to land
Bryan ran his ship toward the harbor
as though he was going to sail in, and
when near shore a small boat rowed
alongside That had been arranged by
Tweed's friends in Santiago, and Tweed
and his secretary, Samuel Hunt, got into
the small boat.
"Then Bryan turned and put out to sea.
"A ppttHleu CuttStN Hill tIu
several shots at him, but could not catch
him.
"Tweed went under the name Of John
Secor and Samuel Hunt under the name
Of William Hunter. Bryan heard that
they had some trouble with the Spaniards
when they landed, but little money fixed
it 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 tho name of John Smith.
"Then Tweed's friends fixed things up
all right and Bryan was allowed to come
back. He took the $50, 900 which Tweed
gave him and built tho Flying Scud. He
sailed her for awhile and sold her for
1880.
."Then he bought on interest in four or
I've other ships and sold them out again,
)ut somehow always seemed to lose money
IN every trade.
He bought al interest in the Joe Kelly
md was shipwrecked in her off San Saliva
lor Then he bought an interest in the
" and H. Witherspoon and was ship
wrecked In her off Hatteras. He did not
osO man AL SAUioI ICCht ivory OuO
# the crew getting off safely, but he lost
lot of money
"Then he bought third interest in an-
ther ship and he and the other two own
rs got into quarrel, and neither would
ct the other do anything with her, and
he lay over at the Erie basin for o couple
f years until the dockage ate her up She
vas no good, and the insurance companies
you'd not take her. She was sold finally,
nd Bryan's share was only $3.50. The
IAN who bought her took her to sea, and
he sank.
"The $3.50 was soon gone, and Bryan
I'D to go to work for other owners. His
sst trip was on the Concordia, and 1t was
is worst. She belonged to Simon How
I'd, who lived in St. Andrews, on the
'enezuelan coast Bryan took charge of
or at Charleston and sailed her to West
indian ports and back to Charleston. He
as on hor 21 years and never got paid a
mt. He seized the ship at St. Andrews
,r his pay, and she was tied up.
1.-THE matters got mixed up in the courts
nd dragged along SO long that he was
lost starved. Finally captain who knew
i'm brought him home
Bryan got William ]. Sharkey out Of
10 country after the murder Of Robert.
unn in 1876 That was when he owned
le Flying Scud. He did not have much
ouble then. He just took Sharkey with
I'M when he was going to Cuba. He did
1t make anything out of it either. Iun-
,rstand that Sharkey is living on PLAN
ton In Cuba now"
Bryan died from dropsy after short ILL.,
,ss.-New York Press.