The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-09
THE SABINE.
Was there Mutiny on Boarde-RepOrted Ar
rival of Three Witnesses to the outbreak in
HOsIHn-The Vessel Ordered Home.

The y. Y. sun this morning prints the follow
ing special telegram and an appended eXplana-
tion relative to the reported Sabine mutiny. We
give IL for what it is WORTH
WAsHINGToN, Sept. S.-The cable telegrams
which reported the discovery of mutiny on the
Sabine Mt Cherbourg were true. The statement
that seven of the mutineers were hanged is un-
true. The irigate sabine has been ordered home
on account of this mutinous conspiracy among
her crew.
Three witnesses, sent by another vessel to
avoid being tampered with, have arrived In
Boston. These facts have leaked out ut the
Navy Department to-day.
The Sabine was on a fancy cruise with the
graduating class of midshipmen, some sixty odd
in number. Her commander is Captain John G..
Walker, a nephew of Senator James w. Grimes,
or Iowa. Secretary Borie and Admiral Porter
sent her out to please Senator Grimes, though
the midshipmen and men were very much wanted
in the West India squadron, where vessels are
without sufficient crews.
None but sailors were engaged in the con
spiracy. The trial is to take place ut the
Brooklyn Navy Yard after the arrival of the
Sabine.
The Gable Reports of the Mutiny.
The above despatch from the suns Washing
ton correspondence is partial cOrroboration of
an Associated Press despatch which was sent
from Paris on Monday, Aug. 30.
That despatch asserted that desperate con-
spiTacy had been discovered on the Sabine, then
lying Ill IuC pOCJ Vi NuCTDOIS. IL Sb'tICu Jll'bL
some of the crew, to revenge themselves on the
officers, attempted to set fire to the powder
magazine, and to blow up the ship. 1t also
averred that the conspirat0rs had proceeded so
far in their designs as to light fuse commu-
nicating with the magazine. The plot was frus-
trated by cabin boy, who discovered the burn
ing fuse and put il out. An investigation was
made, and the mutineers were arrested. The
despatch further said that twenty-five sailors
were implicated in the plot, and they were
t,ln i'm irons As nriutpI in the the
despatch concluded thus-"Seven have been
condemned to death, and to be hanged at the
yardarm." The New York papers, receiving the
same despatch, printed it:-"Seyen men have
been condemned to death, and hanged at the
yardarm"
On Tuesday. August so, the Navy Department
at Washington telegraphed that no official in
formation in reference to the mutiny and exc
cution had been received The Sun promptly
telegraphed to Paris, through the Associated
Press, for further information, but received no
reply on that day.
1t was not until Wednesday, August 81, that
the report was denied. On Thursday q Paris
despatch was printed in all the papers, contra
dieting the whole story in the following hazy
despatch:--
PARIS Aug 31.-A note from the American Lega-
ton contradicts the report which prevailed here on
Sunday, that dangerous conspiracy had been dis
covered on board the rigate Sabine, and pronounces
the story utterly without foundation.
We are not informed concerning to the author
was certainly not Minister Washburne, for he
was in Germany. The despatch of August %
asserted positively that a desperate conspiracy
had been discovered, while the telegram of the
31st speaks of it as a report which prevailed in
Paris on Sunday. We judge that the main
points of the first despatch were true. The
despatch was printed wrong in every journal but
the Sun, which asserted that the men were Ito
be hanged" and not 'were hanged"
The first despatch says that the crew wished
to revenge themselves upon the officers. What
the officers did to provoke this terrible revenge
is unknown. AS the vessel was on pleasure
excursion, it is possible that the cabins and
other portions of the ship had been enlarged
and reftted to give the officers plenty of room
for enjoyment, as was the case on the Ialla-
poosa, the men being crowded to the wall for
accommodations.
The records of the navy show that twenty
seven years have elapsed since mutiny of any
magnitude took place on board United States
vessel. In 1912 the United States brig Somcrs
Commander Mackenzie. sailed from New York
with dispatches for the coast of Africa
On the voyage home, and when near St
Thomas, it was discovered that Midship
man Spencer, a son of the then Secretary
of War, with about twenty of the seamen had
formed plan to seize the vessel and convert
her into pirate. Several arrests were made
an investigation was held, and the seamen and
the midshipman were executed. The cast
caused profound excitement at home, and q
Court of Inquiry was organized, the commander
was tried and his action justified. An attemp
was subsequently made to indict him for mur'
der but the Judge charged the jury that it wa,
not competent for civil tribunal to take up
| case pending before Naval Court.