New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-19
hI'KAY,s LAST LEAP.

| Romantic Lover Becomes DeTnn1ed by
Fright and Leaps Out in ATidOcean-
| Three seamen Witness IL, but Allow
Aim TO Go TO the Bottom.
| From the New York Herald, April 30
| A remarkable case of selfdestructiOn on
the high seas has been reported. 1t appears
that among the steerage passengers on
board the steamship Atlantic, leaving Liver
| pool on April Is, party consisting of a
| young girl named Linsley, accompanied by
her brother and lover, by the name of Nc,
Kay. were messing" together on the way
to the West. Mckay was an Irishman,
about twenty-slX years of age, and by trade
baker He had the reputation of a nice
honest, quiet fellow, and strictly temperate.
He was of a cheerful disposition, and when
he came on board was in extra good spirits
happy, probably, in contemplating the
pleasant prospect of being together on a
voyage across the mighty deep with her to
whom he was subsequently to have joined
his fortunes, and for the journey through
life.
Mckay soon made the acquaintance of
his fellows craftsmen, the ships bakers, and
as they were rather busy he volunteered
his services one day, and went into the
cOOk-rOOm to assist. Everything went on
right till Saturday, when there was CON
siderable sea on. Every time a big wave
caused the ship to heave a little more than
usuaEthOugh, considering all things, she
behaved IN a stately manner. so much so
that the motion was scarcely perceptible In |
the saloon, the aft and forward parts, of |
course, had more mOtiOn-sOme of the |
cooks OF bakers would say, in a Joking |
manner, "there she goes" or words to that I
effect This frightened Mckay and made |
him very uneasy. Toward evening he spoke |
to Mr.. Linsley, the brother of the young /
woman he was engaged to, and asked him /
II he thought there was any danger Lins- /
ley told him there was not the slightest !
and after while succeeded in removing /
his fears and got him to bed. He slept well |
during the night, and when he awOke in the |
morning appeared all right, and laughed /
heartily at his fears expressed the daY be-
fore All day Sunday there was a strong |
northeasterly wind and high sea, but still |
no danger.
In the afternoon, however,, Mckay be-
came frightened again, and asked several
persons if the snip was going down. They |
all endeavOred to dispel his fears by assur-
ing him there was no danger whatever, but !
still he became more frightened and nerv-
Gus. AT about half-past six he went into |
the cOOk-roOm and commenced assisting |
one of the men. After sitting there nearly |
an hour, during which time he remained |
perfectly mute, he suddenly leaped to his
feet and said, "Can go out?"
"Can you can go outs Why, of course,
4
Immediately after this he arose, walked
on deck to the side of the ship, put his hand
On the rail, and, without saying a word
eaped into the water. He was never seen
or heard of again.
Now comes the strangest part of the
story. Although three men saw him Jump
over, not one of them attempted to rescue |
lim or give the old alarm of "a man over.
'oardP' Nor did they give any other alarm |
Until ten minutes afterward, when one of |
hem, in quiet. characteristic manner, in |
Ormed one of the officers that some little /
ime previously man had jumped over
,oard. This was so contrary to the manner |
n which seamen usually act on such Occa- ,
ions as this that the officer was inclined TO
elieve that he was trying to deceive him;
nd after he had spoken to the other tive
len who saw McKay's last leap he was
lore in doubt than before, and did not
redit the story till he looked over the list
ext morning, and found one man missing.
he cabin passengers all shared the officers !
oubts and many would scarcely believe it !
hen it was officially reported in the morn
lg, so remarkable did it seem that a man
hOuld, without reason or explanation, Jump | !
rom steamer in mid ocean, when the act
lust result in death. :
Mr.. Linsley says Mckay never drank. y
nat he had no troubles of anv kind that |
-Ould be apt to affect his mind, and that !
JIG Va AzS 4HLlllyJ 80 lar as ne was aware, | :,
ad been insane. There is no doubt that
le heat of the cook room, where he had
elected to spend portion of his time. \
Dmbined with slight sea sickness and his .
'ars that the ship would never reach land.
Orked unfavOrably upon his mind, caus :,
g temporary insanity. y
Perhaps, after all, the unhappy Young =
feature who was so summariIy deprived of y
or a1lanced husband was more thought | y
than the loss of the man. Being greatly "
rooted BY sea sickness, the news of her u
Ver's untimely end was withheld from VI
Or as long as possible. At length her ..
'other informed her of the sad circum- VI
anoe, and then heart-rending scene Oc- ~
lrred u
She rose and staggered toward the hatch. =
ay, begging him to allow her to 90 M. but ="
lding that he would not, she raved and
ept, threw herself down on the floor COW
ed with sawdust and eVinced an unusual
gree Ofmental agony. At one time she
wed her lot should be cast with McKav's. M
en- in death; in another moment sbe nm. | s.,
aided the cold hearted men who had per- an
tied him to become prey to the waves st,
tbOut even an attempt at rescue or alarm. fa,
e presented a most melancholy aDpear- ar
ce, and refused to be cOmfOrted The ut- VIZ
)st sorrow was expressed for her by all All
2 passengers on board, and sense of in WI
ynatiOn pervaded the company owing to lar
, utter recklessness of the seamen who | RI
" the man fall into the water and failed | toI
report it in accordance with the ordinary | m
es on shipbOard. #
Frs. Horace GreeIeS ia a v,a+ivo of ATo4t 70 -.