Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-12-03
!, White Slave to
Savage Bushn1en

1NS09@@@319@a3& 3@9GS1
A strange experience was that of Jo-
senh j. Gill, once q resident of Brook
Ign, who died recently on shipbcard and
was buried at sea. He disappeared
many years ago, and, supposing him
dead his wife married again and
raised a family, and, acting upon the
reported death of his first wife, Gill
had also again married Had he lived
to reach his old home in Brooklyn the
reunion probably would have been I'M
paralleled in fact or fiction.
GilPs adventures in Australia would
scarcely sound credible If presented in
a dime novel. He left New York for
Australia in 1856. After his arrival no
word of him found its way to his anx-
lous relatives for four years. Mean
while he was given up as dead. Four
years later news reached Brooklyn rel
atives that he was alive, and some cor
dependence followed
Gil was the son of the late Thomas
GIL a Brooklyn soap manufacturer.
His mother, Mrs Isabella Gil of
Greene avenue, Brooklyn, and broth
er, Thomas Gill; are still living.
Joseph Gill left New York to look
after some mining interests in 1886.
-Four years later the family received
word from the United States consul at
Sydney, n. S. W., that J. J. Gin. a
wealthy miner, and four companions
had been ambushed and killed by bush
men In the interior of Australia.
The information. from such a source,
was accepted without question. Years
went by and no word was received
from Gill. He was mourned as dead.
His wife, whom he had last seen in
1886, married again in 1898, some three
years after his reported death. Mrs.
Gill had two children by her first hus-
band She is now Mrs. Frank Johnson.
of Brooklyn.
Meanwhile Gill was living as 4 slave
among the bushmen in Central Austria
liza. 1t appears that four companions
with him ut the time of the capture
were all put to death, but Gill was al
lowed to live.
He was kept as a slave. He wa%
forced to do the most mental work by
his eaptors, and altogether he led a life
of horror. So far, however, had he
been removed from civilization and 50
close was the watch upon him that
for years no opportunity of escape pre-
sented itself He was, of course, COM
pletely shut off from all communica-
ton with the outside world
Finally, however, after twelve long
years of slavery, and sixteen years of
absence from the United States, GIL
succeeded in escaping and making his
way to the coast aad civilization.
He escaped with his life, and little
else. His property was gone, his Aus
tralan friends had died or moved away.
He determined to rem in in Australia
and mend his broken fortunes before
returning home. He sought information
through a detective agency, and after
some delay was informed that his wife
was dead. Thereupon Gill married i'll
Australia. His second wife and child
survive him.
In March of this year Gill again
sought information of ais relatives, this
time with more success. He wrote from
Australia to Inspector Mclaughlin, of
the Brooklyn police. TO ask if his broth
ers were still living. Inspector Me
Laughlin found and notified the family
Some correspondence had passed be-
tween the brothers, when Joseph J. Gill
wrote that he was about to visit his
family in Brooklyn.