THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
by Duncan Ewing
ST. PETERSBURG SLAVE SUSPECTED OF KIDNAPPING WHITE BOY, ASSUMED TO BE TRAVELING DOWN RIVER
Late last week, a teenage boy by the name of Huckleberry Finn, famous for discovering gold left in a cave with his friend Tom Sawyer, was reported missing by his legal guardians, the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson of St. Petersbug, Missouri. The Widow Douglas had recently filed for custody of Huckleberry, and custody was granted to her after Huckleberry’s father was found to be unable to take proper care of his son. One of Miss Watson’s slaves was also found to be missing. It is widely thought that the slave, by the name of Jim, kidnapped Huckleberry. It is also believed that the two are moving down the Mississippi River towards the free states.
Huckleberry was last seen going to bed the night before his disappearance. The next morning, when the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson went to wake Huckleberry up, they found the bedroom window open and believed that he wandered off during the night. After calling his name several times, Miss Watson found that Jim was missing as well. Upon inspection of the surrounding area, the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson found multiple sets of footprints leading into the woods. Several candles were also found to be missing from the kitchen and it was suspected that Jim had been practicing witchcraft at night. Between the two of them, the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson quickly decided that Jim had kidnapped Huckleberry.
The Widow Douglas cannot understand why Huckleberry would let himself be taken away. “He was such a good kid,” she stated. “Even that night he snuck out and came back with his clothes all muddy. He just went out to see his friend, Tom, and I knew it was for the best. He wasn’t going to cause no harm.” Miss Watson, on the other hand, says it is just the other way. “The Huck wasn’t good for nothing,” she told reporters. “He was always messing things up and never listened.” Miss Watson also firmly believes that Jim is the cause of Huckleberry’s disappearance. “That Jim was always up to something. He was always creeping around looking suspicious.” She soon added, “I was going to sell him South, as soon as I got the chance.” Judge Thatcher, the local judge in St. Petersburg and the man that is intrusted with Huckleberry’s money, also commented on the situation, “Huckleberry and I had recently been talking about what to do with his money. I don’t know why he would leave in such a rush without talking to me first.” Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry’s best friend, came down to our office to talk to us about his friend. “We had been planning a big thing for months,” Sawyer said. “We were just about to carry out our plan.” Huckleberry’s father, who is known to be drunk and abusive, has not been seen for months and hence was unavailable to comment on the situation of his son.
There have been several reports of a young boy traveling down the river with a black man. Shortly after the two had been reported missing, Mrs. Judith Loftus, a woman who lives several miles down the river from St. Petersburg, remembers having a boy dressed as a girl come to her door. Mrs. Loftus told reporters, “I remember him very clearly. He was very bad at fooling me. He couldn’t remember what name he had given me.” She quickly added, “I gave him a few pointers to better his act for next time. I told him that my husband was out helping look for the two of them. The kid ate quickly and ran out the door.” A watchman further down the river also remembers talking to a kid matching Huckleberry’s description. “The kid lied to me. Told me his family was on a wrecked steamboat up the river. I got up there and now one was on it. I think the kid was with someone else too. I couldn’t really tell, it was dark.” Based on the time of the last reported sighting, it was expected that if Huckleberry and Jim are on the river, they could be several miles away and have a slight chance of being found. There are also several groups of slave hunters in the territory looking for runaway slaves.
The Widow Douglas really would like Huckleberry to be able to escape from Jim, or to be found, and returned home safely. Miss Watson had told us that if Jim is found, he will most definitely be sold South. There is a reward of $200 for anyone that catches Jim. If you see either of these two, please contact the authorities in St. Petersburg.
TWO CON MEN GOING DOWN RIVER, HOAXING PEOPLE INTO GIVING MONEY
Early this week, it was reported that two con men, known by the names of the Duke and King, were moving down the Mississippi River, tricking people into giving them money. It is believed that the two are on the run from authorities after committing separate crimes. It is also suspected that they are traveling with a young boy and a slave. The man known as the King, is about seventy and bald. The man known as the Duke, is about thirty.
So far, there have been two sightings of the con men. The first occurred several miles away from where the two are thought to have started on the river. This sighting occurred at a revival in the woods in which thousands of people attended. There was two people seen at the revival, a man, thought to be the King, and a young boy. At the event, the man got on the stage and told a story, convincing the audience that he was a reformed pirate that intended to return to the Indian Ocean to help other pirates. Following the story, a hat was passed around to collect money for the man, said people who were in attendance. It is unknown how much money was collected but it is estimated to be a large amount. One event goer later told us, “The man’s story was really good. No wonder we all believed it.” The second sighting of the con men occurred a few miles from where the revival was. The men were seen for three nights in the same town, putting on a show known as “The Royal Nonesuch”. The show involved one man dancing around on stage naked. One man who attended all three performances said, “It was really weird. I hope they don’t try this thing in other towns. I don’t want anyone else losing money.” It is believed that it was a scam to get the public to pay the men money. The young boy and thought to be slave, suspected of traveling with the men, were seen helping with the event all three nights. It is unknown what happened to the four following the last show, but is expected that they took to the river again.
The public is advised to not attend any events in which the con men may be holding. It is thought to be that they are thieves that are looking to gain money in any way. If you see men matching the description of the con men, you are to contact the local authorities immediately.
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