The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-16

Captain Sam, the lawyer finished speaking. I'm
regularly puzzled with the suddenness of it ALL
far see there's only thing be done. Let the
lad talk for himself; Til fetch him." greatly
cited, Captain Sam hurried from the room, returning
in short time accompanied by his Ralph, who
had been batting the trawl with the men.
On the way to the house he outlined to the
Ralph the history which he had intended telling him
when he became of age and briefly stated the object
of the lawyers visit.
The young fisherman TALL manly fellow,
with clear-cut features, dark hair, and expressive
black eyes-a face that would attract attention
where, and one which denoted not only intelligence
refinement expected in of his vo-
cation AS he stepped into the the lawyers
glanced at each other significantly.
"of course Mr. Ralph" said Mr. shipley the tall
lawyer, he shook hands with the latter, "you
astonshed at all this, but life is up of just
occurrences Truth is stranger than felton,
Ralph an opportunity reply Mr.
Shipey continued: your father has probably in
formed you Of mission and the story, of which
have the details, is in brief, this We happen to be
the attorneys for the Board of Lunacy Commissioners
of New York. and some time sent for to take
the deposition Of dying He old sailor
named Peter Lawson who had been the state asy-
lum years. Strange relate just dy-
ing he recovered his mind and memory and very
anxious to make the statement which we took down.
which duly atested. 1t in brief that
twenty he sailed from Liverpool to China,
while the Pacific wrecked and out of all
the and passengers he, gentleman, and child
were the sole survivors
"The passenger was fatally injured, but lived
eral days after they washed ashore small
committed the child to the of the sailor,
gave him box containing papers which he said
child's paternity and contained valued
family Jewels adjured him to preserve them, and also
telling him that his fortune in bullion on the
later the gentleman died. and for several
months sailor and the little boy lived the almost
desert island subsisting upon the provisions that
washed out the ship that had been driven the
reef and lay in narrow channel not far from shore
lone day the sailor, seeing a canoe filled with
natives coming hid the marking it's location in
peculiar way,-a fortunate circumstance, he and
the captured and taken to another island
which they finally rescued by the crew Of a
whaler brought to New York. The sailor made a
careful chart island, the situation of the wreck
and location of the box and had determined
to put boy place of safety and return for the
left the boy with his old friend,
CAPTAIN Whttefeld promising to go back for him in
the course year But the sailor never returned.
He was struck by falling block the day before the
ship sent ashore to de- but instead he
NAMED an inmate of the asylum for nearly twenty
years-a remarkable story. In false bottom OF his
chest which kept there all this time, he told
us was the chart the island and papers and
trnkes the ship, the buried box, etc.
Now the whole story. The recovery of the
property speculation with We have the chart,
ETC., suggest that one-fourth OF what
ever property recover for YOU providing money
for expenses and simply requiring contract to that
effect"
st hardly know what to say" answered Ralph.
eff have any property anywhere should certainly
like to recover IT, and If not Ralph Whittleheld
I want to know who am
Exactly acquiesced Mr.. shipley; "a very nat
ural sentiment"
what do you say, father" asked Ralph, turning
ITO Continued)