Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-02-28

~ description OF MS persona ap
pearance, which was evidently but
slightly disguised.
"Langwood is probably the only
criminal in the country who would
ever conceive and try to execute such
a stupendous undertaking.. and it is
something more than a suspicion on
the part of the New York police that
he has struggled on board a couple
OF dozen well-armed desperadoes, who
could easily hold the entire crew and
passengers in check and make them
do their bidding-for a time, at least,
The idea is so replete with thrilling
possibilities that the entire commu-
nifty stands aghast at it,"
1t is to be noted that the public al
ways stand aghast" in such a case
as this; but it is more to the point
just now to say hat the article went
on, through a column or more, to de-
scribe in minute detail the circum-
stances attendant upon the departure
of Gentleman JIM" even to the num-
Der and shape of the bundles he had
in his arms. The famous robber was
very boyish in appearance, and one of
the last persons in the world whom a
chance acquaintance would think of
looking up in the rogues' gallery.
Evidently he was tout for the STUFF
in most approved stage-villian style,
with 30,000,000 as the stake. Of
course this theory, which was already
accepted as a fact, especially in po-
lice and newspaper circles. was quick
~ cabled across, and created a pro-
found sensation in London.
1t acted like an electric shock upon
the British government, and nearly
threw the foreign Office into a panic,
for was not the British minister pleni-
potentiary himself a passenger or the
Inflated oklahoma" and possibly at
that very hour being butchered in
cold blood?
The thought was too horrible for
a moments endurance, and forth
with the cablegrams began to flash
thick and fast between the foreign
office and the British legation at
Washington.
The result was that, within a few
hours of the appearance of the para
graph, one of the fastest and most
powerful of her majesty's cruisers,
quickly followed by a second and a
third, hastily steamed from Ports
mouth roads, the three spreading out
north, west and south like a great
marine fan, as they hurried to the res
cue of the "Oklahoma."
Meanwhile, four of Americas white
war-dogs were getting up steam for a
similar errand.
Not for years had there been such
worldwide interest in an ocean ex-
petition.
While the public was feverishly
awaiting news, certain discoveries
were being made by the New York po-
lice which only went to confirm their
previous suspicious. Four Or five
other hardened graduates from prison
were found to be absent from their
accustomed haunts, although known
to have been in New York Just before
the oklahoma sailed.
These discoveries had their natural
effect upon the public mind, and the
friends of those on board the steamer
began to despair of hearing hat even
human life had been respected by the
piratical band.
Three days passed by after the de-
parture of the big searching fleets,
during which time all incoming steam
ers to London and Liverpool reported
that they had not found a single trace
of the oklahoma" either in the
northern or southern route. Vessels
from the Mediterranean, the West In
dies, and South America, all made the
same ominous report.
When the civilized world opened
it's newspapers on the morning of
the t~hirty-second day of suspense
they found the answer to the ques-
ton, and the greatest marine mys-
terry of centuries vas solved.
In the small hours of the night there
had flashed across the European con-
and under the dark waters of
the Atlantic, this startling message:
Lisbon, Dec. 16.-The missing "Ok-
lahoma" is disabled at Fayal, Azores.
Many of the half-starved crew and
passengers are on the verge of in
The officers tell a most as
founding story of the steamers excit-
ing and almost fatal adventures. The
third night out the oklahoma sud-
III ~ IA Al
but irresistible influence by which
she was carried rapidly out of her
towards the south. Every eff
tort was made by the officers to bring
he ship back to her purse hut the
Zig liner seemed drifting helplessly
it the mercy of some powerful cur
-ent. The compasseS were useless,
md the wheel no longer exercised the
control over the steamers
movements
Naturally the anxiety of the Off
ers was in no way diminished when,
n the morning of the next day, which
vas then the fourth day out, another
essel, a long, ~low-setting craft of
Inning steel, was discovered of the
Oklahoma starboard bow, about a
nile ahead, but moving in the same
Erection. By careful observation it $
yas discovered that the course of the
wo steamers was identical. Both {
1ere apparently under the same mys-
influence. Instead of sight I
lg a rescuer, the oklahoma" had, I
o it seemed, only discovered an other J
ietim of the irresistible currentl l
Time and again the oklahoma" at
empted to signal the companion I
hip, but the latter made no reply. s
lose observation revealed that she {
as built on the whaleback princi- c
lie, with nothing above decks save e