CADILLAC, Michigan, Nov. 24 --- Rest and peace have finally come to Martin Wiltsey, the 82 year old man of mystery and romance, whose last few years were spent while living on a houseboat, anchored here and there on the broad expanse of the waters of Houghton Lake.
On November 10, exactly one year from the date of his disappearance, young Thomas Sullivan of Houghton Lake, while out hunting ducks, discovered Wiltsey's dead body in the rushes near shore in the east bay of the lake.
The usual coroner's inquest was held at Roscommon and then friends of the dead recluse took charge of the remains. A few days ago they were interred on the banks of the lake, not far from the village of Houghton, and on a spot where the old man had frequently sat, silently musing and lovingly gazing at the soothing picture before him and under him. There he now sleeps and with him an eventful life has come to an end.
Taciturn by force of habit as well as necessity during one time of his life, while sojourning in the arctic regions north and from inclination during a later period, he seldom vouchsafed much information regarding himself. Only occasionally he told of happenings in the long ago.
There is reason to believe Wiltsey - if that was his real name - had come to America as one of the entourage of the ill - fated Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, after the later's execution , it is known that several high spirited young men, who had been on his staff and were spared by the Mexicans, came to the United States. Some of these with the blood of adventure in their veins went further north, into Canada and the Hudson Bay country.
A number of them perished, while others, after manifold hardships and fateful experiences, returned to the states. One of these is believed to be still living in Toledo.
Wiltsey alone remained, it is said and became a professional hunter, trapper and eventually explorer. During those years he made trips into regions where the white man was but little known.
He formed friendships with men of the most northern tribes of Indians and came near acquiring membership.
It was during those years long before the Klondike Rush had been heard from that he roamed in Alaska and the country to the east of it. He found gold. Had he spoken of this and told of his discoveries, when he returned from Canada, a much earlier chapter of Alaska would have been written.
Few men are believed to have acquired such a thorough knowledge of the Hudson Bay country as Wiltsey did. He became well known to the officers of the Hudson Bay Company and those of the Independent Trading Company. His services for guide were often requested by scientific parties and others.
Thus it was he, gathered from some of his remarks, when he did speak about himself, who guided the members of the party of Lord Sartorin, who afterward married Nellie Sartorin, daughter of President Grant.
Some 20 years ago he appeared in Michigan and located near Houghton Lake, where he bought a small tract of land, comprising of 16 acres.
Most of his time was spent hunting and trapping. He had two sons, who were supposed to be livng somewhere out west and one married daughter, who is domiciled at Holton, Michigan.
A few Years ago the old man sold his farm for $1800, and built a houseboat. On this he lived until his death.
It is a large structure erected on two scows, with a comfortable log yard attached to the bow. This large space exposed, as it was to the wind and sunshine, he used for various domestic purposes. Much of the land around the lake is as yet unoccupied, swampy and almost unpenetrable. Here he hunted and trapped to his heart's content and earned many a dollar. He was happy.
On November 9, 1911, a furious gale swept over the lake and surrounding country. Just before the storm broke Wiltsey had moved his habitat to the "cut," the connecting water passage between Higgins and Houghton lakes. And during this storm, it was, that he saved the life of one of the sons of Millionaire Michaelson, the lumberman, after whom the village of Michaelson in Roscommon County, is named.
Young Michaelson had set out from there early in the day to paddle across the lake to the Michaelson farm. He went in his skiff. While in midlake he was caught in the teeth of the bowling storm. The waves ran high, and one with a terrific smash at the side of the skiff, tore his paddle away from him, leaving him at the mercy of the elements. When his frail craft upset, he was fortunately able to hang onto it.
It was then that Wiltsey, with the aid of his powerful field glasses, discovered him and his plight. Michaelson had almost given up hope and prepared for death. In the face of his own great danger, the hale and vigorous old man set out in his own boat and aided by the wind, came in time to rescue the other. But that very night Wiltsey himself disappeared beneath the still angry waves. He had cheated death then and they now demanded a victim.
A party of campers on the shore nearest to the houseboat, who had frequently met and seen the old man, missed him the next morning and telephoned their suspicions that something had happened to him, to the villagers of Houghton. A motorboat was dispatched across the lake and the houseboat searched.
Wiltsey had to all appearances been ready to partake of his evening meal. It was prepared. Everything else was as usual. But his life belt was gone. From this the searchers inferred that for some reason or other he had gone down onto the "yard" and being afraid of being washed overboard, had placed his life belt around himself. At any rate, it was not hanging on the accustomed peg. Next it was remembered by someone that that evening faint cries for help had come across the waters. That was the last of the honest old soul.
A few days ago, Sunday, November 10, young Sullivan was out hunting. While trying to approach a flock of ducks, he suddenly beheld an amazing object just above the water and moving in concert with the gently rolling waves. It was a human skull. Scared and trembling, young Sullivan at once hurried back to the village and gave the alarm. With him a party of men returned to the spot. And they found the body of Wiltsey, standing upright in the mud. Excepting the head, which may have been out of the water for a long time, though never noticed. It was decomposed. The life belt was still in place. The field glasses, a revolver and some money in a leather pouch established the identity of the corpse without a doubt. The clothing had rotted and through it had grown grasses and rushes.
It had been a habit of the dead man to carry in his pocket a number of valu- able gold nuggets which he had brought with him from the north. They had disappeared. Undoubtedly their weight had carried them through the rotting clothing. Thus, there lies somewhere at the bottom of Houghton Lake $400 in virgin gold. The spot where the body was found is about 5 miles distant from where the houseboat had been anchored a year ago, when the "Man of Mystery " went to his peaceful end .
Researched, retrieved and re-copied by his Wilsie great-granddaughter:
Celia Ann (Wilsie) Staubach Freese
Send comments to Celia Freese
Last updated 25 December, 1999
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