tales-of-Fogo-Island

The Disappearance of Bill HurleyOn the morning of November 22, 1932, Gertie and Nora Burke got an earlystart on their chores. Gertie sat in the rocking chair, putting the final toucheson a pair of vamps, while Nora carded a basket of wool from the springbefore. Gertie was fourteen and Nora was twenty-four years of age.A gentle tap on the kitchen window broke the silence of the morning. Thesisters rushed to see who was outside. As they pushed the curtains open,they saw Mr. Frank Burke. He had come to inform their brothers, Tom, Lewisand Cyril, that Bill Hurley was missing. He wanted them to help with thesearch. Unfortunately, the three men had already gone out birdin'.Bill Hurley was a bachelor who lived alone in Oliver's Cove. The day before,he had taken a ten-pound tub and left the community. His nephew, JackHurley lived next door and noticed that Bill did not come home. There wasreason to worry because Bill was in his early eighties. The people were afraidthat he had fallen down and was too weak to make it home.Mrs. Gertie (Burke) Dwyer clearly remembers the weather conditions on thosetwo days, "November 21, 1932 was the loveliest day, with no wind. Later inthe evening, a wet snow began to fall and it stayed like that into the next day.The morning of November 22 was dull and dismal, with an easterly wind."As word spread, a group was formed and the search for Bill Hurley began. Bythis time, the Burke brothers had returned from birdin' and joined the effort.Every able-bodied man in Tilting took part. Some men from Joe Batt's Armand a police officer, Constable Cross, also helped look for the missing man.First, the group checked the area around the 'Long Woods' and 'Donovan'sRidge'. These were good berry-picking grounds. When this failed to provideany clues, the search turned to the barrens and marshes. Some thought thatBill had gone under the meadows' in Oliver's Cove. If he had gone this way,he may have tripped and fallen into the harbour.The case of Bill Hurley may be the only unsolved 'missing persons' case ofFogo Island.