The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1908-06-30
NJ
"A Strange
Elopernent.

was mate of the American brig
Homer Lee, commanded by Capsair
Saunders, and we had been lying in
ne pool at London for forty days to
ket 4 cargo for some port In the Unit
I'd States. The captain was the sole
owner of the brig. and as he was not
!: wealthy man and as the precclia.
,oyages had been without lrofit 1t lie
i-an to look MS IL 1t were the end OF
his mercantile career. On the fort.e.!i
tay. when things seemed to have
reached their worst. waterman row
I'd . gentleman out to the craft.
We spotted the man to lie gentle
man and some one not at al interested
In shipping as soon as lie came aboard.
1 believe to this day that he was a
maj Of title and wealth. though !
haven't the faintest idea of his name
He asked to look the craft over. and
our first idea was that he was looking
to buy ship. The Lee had Enc
cabin and staterooms, having once
been a passenger packet to South
American ports, and after an investi-
CATION the stranger. who gave the
name Of Montgomery and who was a
man about forty years old. announced
himself as satisfied and then desired
TO charter the brig for New York. The
story he told was that his wife was in
poor health and that the doctor hal
recommended a slow sea voyage. He
did not want other passengers aboard.
nor did he want to wait for cargo. He
offered much higher price for the
passage OF the two than we could have
got from an average cargo and wLul
furnish all the cabin stores in adj
ton. One of the stipulations made was
that we we're to engage cook above
the ordinary and carry steward. An.
other was that the two were to dine
by themselves.
We began engaging crew and tax
ing stores aboard the next day. and ir
four days we were ready. No mer.
chairman sailing the seas ever took
such cabin stores aboard. The wines
alone would have lasted half doZel
people for a voyage Of sixty days.
while the provisions were what any
rich man would have ordered for bis
pantry. Montgomery himself came
aboard at least an hour before the lady
did. She waited for darkness. and as
soon as ever her feet touched the deck
she went 10 the cabin. and tug took
cur line and started down the river.
II was ut breakfast next morning
and we were well down the channel and
had cast of the tug. when there was O
row In the cabin. We could catch
nothing that Montgomery said. but the
voice Of the lady could be heard
through the open skylight to the fore
mast. She surely had tongue on her
AS q matter Of fact. she swore like 9
trooper. and the man could not quie'
her. She called him a rascai. n rogue
n liar and many other things and
ended up by throwing crockery at him
The captain and ] heard Ii oil and
were amazed. For sick wife the lads
seemed very vigorous. IL was not fol
us 10 interfere. however. In about hall
an hour Montgomery came on deck FOL
4 smoke and a promenade. He seemet
10 think some explanation due. ard b.
said that his wife was n quick ten
pered woman and was blaming hin
that mail had not been provided fcI
her. She did not show herself durin:
the day. aud we heard no more rows
That night we had something OF gall
that remained with US for three day
and brought her seasickness. and nom
Of us heard anything from her. Mont
gomery attended her and had very lii
tie to say.
II was ON the fifth morning afte
leaving London and We were well Oh
ON tile Atlantic when Captain Saun
ders was called into the cabin b. th
woman. To his great surprise. b
found her a person at least fifty year
old. She was net even commonly goo
looking. On the contrary. she woul'
have been called homely anywhere
and the wrinkles In her face betraycI
her age. She began abusing Mon;
gomery as II he had been rickpockeI
She called him hard names. and sh
swore. she declared that she woul
20 no further In his company an
must be transferred 20 the first Graf
bound for London. Montgomery q
first tried 20 soothe her. but she yclle
and screamed and finally would hav
used her nails on his face had not tn
captain interposed. The woman d.
MED that she was his wife and sal
that he had grossly deceived her Int
the situation, and she offered CAPITAL
Saunders 500 to transfer her thu
day. Montgomery finally told her I
20 II she 30 desired, and that settle
Il. Within an hour We raised luz
Der vessel coming from the Amer
can coast. The woman was lnforme
as 60 what sort Of craft Il was an
that the accommodations would D
very meager, but she insisted on bein
transferred. She offered the other caI
tain 500 TO receive her and ives dul
landed on the lumber laden deck
Neither she nor Montgomery had ha
word In farewell. OF all her bal
gage she would take only one sing
trunk. telling Captain Saunders thI
he could have the rest for his wife.
Montgomery made no explanation