Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-14
MODERN JOHN SMITH
A swANsBoRo, MAN SAVED FROM
sAvAGEs BY CHIEFS
DAUGHTER
E. M. TAYLOR WITH CANNIBALS.
Remarnnp1v Story Of Adventure
by Land and Sea.
WAITED EXCITEMENT; AND GOT IT
Left Manchester In Search Of Adven-
ture, Enlisted In the Navy, Was
Captured in the Samoan Islands,
RemnineL In Prison Three Years,
and Escaped to an Oyster s1oop-
Reached Here Friday.
E. M. TAYLOR WITH CANNIBALS=
by Land and Sea.
vAsrED EXCITEMENT; AND GOT 1T
Reached Here Friday.

and Escaped to an Oyster S1oop-
Reached Here Friday.
story which rivals In intense interest
lose Of the character OF the dreamer
of fiction has come to light through the
return of Mr. E. N. Taylor to his home
in Swansboro, after al absence Of five
years, during which time his family were
ignorant as to his whereabouts, and at
least. in despair, had given him up as
lost.
The story Mr. Taylor relates is almost
international in its scope, he having been
imprisoned for three years by cannibals
in one of the islands Of Samoa. That Mr.
Taylor escaped death is miraculous. as
several of his companions were instantly
slain upon capture. His escape is due
to the fact that one of the chiefs dauSh-
;ers-Yahow by nane-became enarnored
of him, and a la John Smith, lnterceded
for his life and was granted the boon by
her father. Mr.. Taylor, however, was
Imprisoned for three years, finally escap-
Ing, and, swimming two miles, reached
a tramp oyster slooD bound for Homo
lulu.
Manchester Too Slow.
Mr. Taylor, tired of the staid life In the
small town of Manchester. in June, 1897.
determined to see more Of the world. and
in pursuance of this intention, left for
North Carolina, where he obtained a
position with a railroad in the Tar-Heel
State. He soon grew weary of this. and.
in the early part of 1898. when the war
fever was everywhere prevalent. enlisted
in the navy and was assigned to the
Philadelphia which left San Francisco
January 81, 1898, bound for the Samoan
Island to quel some disturbance there.
The voyage over was without incident.
but upon arrival the marines, of whom
mr.. Taylor was one, Immediately went
into action.
In the first enga cement, Mr.. Taylor,
together with some Of his companions.
became separated from the main body
of soldiers and was captured.
His Companions Killed.
After a somewhat long journey into the
interior OF the island, the prisoners We're
brought to a halt and a strong guard
placed over them. In a few days the en-
tire party, with the exception of Mr..
Taylor were slaughtered in cold blood.
Mr.. Taylor does not appear to know
what was done with the corpses but as
the tribe were Gambia Is tits supposed that
they were eaten. AS before said, 1ahou,
the Chiefs daughter took a fancy to
Mr.. Taylor, and for her sake his life was
spared.
He was, however, imprisoned for three
long years, during which time a vigllant
watch was kept over him by guard of
picked men armed with boomerangS.
While imprisoned Mr.. Taylor made study
1f ttoNy nnyotn
and attempted to learn them to speak
his native tongue-to no purpose, how
ever as he says they either did not care
to learn a "heathen" language or could
not. He himself, however, managed to
acquire a vocabulary sufficient to make
himself ineligible.
The native costume consisted of wooden
shoes and breach clout trousers. Rice and
game were the chief articles of diet-at
least for Mr.. Taylor
During his Imprisonment he struck up
a friendship with the chefs daughter.
who presented him with two strings OF
pearls.
Made His Escape.
After three years Of Incarceration Mr..
TAYLOR, noticed that the guard was slack
ing its vigilance, and he determined upon
an escape. The opportunity soon arrived.
The conditions were ideal, the night be-
ring Mr. Taylor worked his way through
the Gordon of picl1ets, who, 1t is expected,
were not uninfuenced by the witchery of
Yahou, and reached the ocean. Fortu-
nately. Mr.. Taylor sighted out a t sea what
| afterwards proved to be a tramp oyster
sloop, and after a swim of over two miles
he was taken aboard the ship. more near
| ly dead than alive.
| He was Immediately placed under ar
rest, but, upon finding that he was an
American was released. Mr. Taylor says
that the pearls in his ossession-which
he had strenuously chung to throughout
| his perious service-were taken from
| him. He was then set to work as a deck
| hand.
| Aboard SHIP Fourteen Months
/ For fourteen months Mr. Taylor was
aboard this ship, not daring to ask for his
| release. However, he at last gained the
! favor Of the captain of the sloop. and, on
the condition that he would return IN six
| months was granted leave Of absence.
| Mr.. Taylor says he will return at the ex-
/ piration of this period-nit. The soop
! landed at Honolulu and obtained pas
sa ge on the City OF Pel5in. reaching San
/ francisco August I'd, last. Mr.. Taylor
| then made his way from San Francisco
! to his Swansboro home, which he reached
t Friday night at 6:15 o'clock. It is need
! less to say that his family were oyerJoyed
| to see him, and, as he said to reporter
Of the Dispatch last night, and have kept
| him busy relating MS experiences curing
| his long absence.
| Tt is understood that Mr.. Taylor will,
| in few days, lay his case before the
/ authorities in Washington. whom he ex-
! poets to take some cognizance Of the mat