Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-12-02

men stabbed to Death-The Murderer
Killed After IL Desperate Resistance
From the San Francisco Chronicle, Nov 10.
The whaling bark Florence, which for
about a year past has been cruising in
the Japan and Ochotsk seas in search
Of monarchs Of the deep, arrived in
this port last evening with cargo of
oil and bone, consigned to H. G..
Wright. Capt. Williams, as a terrible
addenda to the customary embarrassing
reports of wind and weather, furnishes
the details OF succession of casualties
of the most thrilling and blood thirsty
character. From his statement tie fol
lowing terrible story is cleaned:
On the way to the vessels destination
she1but in at Pleasant Island, small
island about Is miles in circumference,
situated in the South Pacific ocean, in
longitude % minutes south, latitude
167 degrees, 5 minutes east A large
number of the natives of the island,
accompanied by w, J. Stewart, white
resident of the island, we're allowed to
board the vessel, and furnished the
crew with fresh supplies in abundance.
After stay OF two days the vessel was
prepared for sea. It was presumed
that all of the natives had left the yes
sci and had returned to the island.
After the vessel had progressed a
short distance on it's route, a stow away,
in the person Of pper-colored native
of the island, was found concealed in a
hiding place below deck. He was con-
veyed before the captain, to whom he
70
vessel in the capacity of seaman. He
was accordingly furnished with clothing
and other appurtenances of sailor, and
was formally christened with the appel
lation of "Jim." The new recruit
prosecuted his allotted labors with all
the zest and recklessness indicative of
an old seaman, and attracted no atten-
ton until about the middle of Febru-
airy, when something peculiar was mani
fest in his conduct. He talked and
muttered in an incoherent manner, and
accompanied his gabbling with ges-
lures Of the most frantic character By
order of the captain he was ordered
" forward" and the occurrence slipped
from the minds of the officers as mat
ter of little moment. Shortly after his
retirement to that portion of the vessel
the cry of "man cut" mingled with
screams of terror, were heard coming
from that direction. The captain has
tened to the spot and was appalled, by
the shocking spectacle which greeted
his eyes. On the deck, stretched out
cold and dead, lay the bodies of two
seamen, mangled in horrid manner.
One of the seamen was Ernest Thola, a
Frenchman, whose stomach had been
ripped open. The other unfortunate
proved to be an American named G.. A.
Cooper. His body was perforated in
seven different places. The deck was
slippery with the blood which had flow
ed from the wounds of the murdered
men. From the statements of the sea-
men.who witnessed the occurrence from
a short distance, the captain cleaned
the following particulars:
The day had been exceptionally srltry
and disagreeable, and a portion of the
crew were passing their time in laying
in the top-gallant forecastle. Jim,
the native, whose eccentricities excited
some attention, had joined them, after
receiving the admonition from the cap
tain.
His advent among them did not cause
much attention, and he passed compar-
atively unnoticed. In one moment,
suddenly and without the slightest
warning or immediate provocation, the
native drew the knife which hung IL the
Frenchman's sheath and stabbed him in
the abdomen, dragging the knife across
the body and inficting aghastly wound.
The Infatuated native then sprang
at another member of the crew
and effected violent l11nge at him, but
fortunately the assailed seaman was too
agile, and escaped with a six-inch rent
in his shirt The unfortunate Cooper
was the next one attacked, but unfortu-
nately he was not armed at the time,
and his attempts to defeat the natives
Infatuated assault were utterly useless.
He did not fall the deck, however, until
he had fought like a demon for his life,
and had received seven terrible stabs in
the breast, face and thighs.
After this terrible struggle with
Cooper, the native sprang into the
forecastle, where he imagined himself
free from harm. The crew were afraid
to venture after the demon through the
hatch, and Notwithstanding the repeat
cd orders of the captain, declined to go.
AS a last resort the captain ordered that
the bulk-head separating the crew from
the forecastle be torn away. The sail
ors went to work with a will, and in
brief period had torn down suf-
fcient to effect an entrance into
the murderer's hiding place. All at
tempts at a pacific capture of the wretch
were utterly futile, owing to the fierce
ness of the natives dispositions He
stoutly resisted the endeavors of the
crew to capture him, and attacked them
with unexampled ferocity. In one of
the struggles sailor plunged his knife
into the natives heart and he fell to the
deck dead. Late in the afternoon the
three bodies were committed to the
waves. The triple tragedy cast gloom
over the whole remaining voyage, and
the superstitious propensities of the sail
ors were heightened to an inordinate
degree.
On the morning of the Goth of March
following, the cook of the vessel sum-