The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-08-12
AN OCEAN TRAGEDY,
Killing Lunatic in Order to Save &
Ship.

A full-rigged ship, of 1856 tons register,
the Glance, of London, owned by Mr..
Pellier, of st. Heliers, Jersey-arrived
III the Thames last Thursday, says The
London Telegraph, and in due course
was locked 1T the Eastwood Wharf,
| West India Dock. The Glance left
of Capt. Barrette, Jersey man, with
crew of twenty-five, all told, including
nine able bodies and three apprentices,
on Friday, March II, laden pretty deep
which portion was wool and -four.
She was making her way by the Cape
Verd Islands, when trade-wind took
her from her north-eastward course and
drove her up to the Azores, and beyond
this group of islands to latitude between
10 deg. to 40 deg, right facing, though
long way distant from the coast of
New Foundland. In fine weather and
under easy sail, the Glance, in these
north western ATTITUDES, relieved from
the pressure of the tradewind, was
lacking to steer an eastward, homeward
course, when ahead OF her but short
distance flag of distres was seen hoist
ed on vessel which turned out to be
the Jessie Osborne, ship of from 800
to 800 tons burden, which, as afterward
appeared, was bound for Falmouth.
This was on the morning of Sunday,
June 81, about o'clock. The Captain
of the Glance at once had sail shorten
ed, and his ship hove to. A boat, con-
taing the mate and two saamen of the
Jessie Osborne, put off from the vessel
come on board; the mate, pointing to
the fore cross trees of the Jessie o.
| borne, called the attention of Capt,
Barrette to the figure of seaman, half
clothed, swaying to and fro upon them.
The crew of the Glance could see that
the sailor in question was hacking with
some instrument at the rigging of the
ship, and that blocks and pieces of rope
were falling on deck. The mate OF the
Jessie Osborne told Capt. Barrette that
| the man was an italian, and that he had
been very unwell during the whole pas
sage from India. He was in his berth
the entire time, but one day he jumped
up, when they all thought he could scar
cely move, and, armed with knife,
chisel, and other tools, went aloft.
For two or three days he remained in
the cross trees and owing to the danger
in which any one approaching him would
have to place himself, no sailor would
venture near him. He was asked to
come down repeatedly, and the Italians
inVariable answer was the cutting with
his knife Of a portion of the rigging.
Before resorting to any actual violence
the Captain of the Jessie Osborne avail
ted the influence of hunger, but while
he thus temporized the mailman had SO
cut away the rigging that all the sails
from the upper topsail to the royal were
loosened from their holdings. At last
the Captain fired at the man from the
deck many times seeing that the ship
was being placed in great jeopardy and
having expended his ammunition after
wounding, but killing, he sent his
mate to the Glance for ammunition This
was given by Capt. Barrette. In the
mean time the mad sailor threw heavy
block upon the deck of the Jessie Os-
borne, which struck the boatswain and
broke his arm. The mate and men of
the Jessie Osborne having returned to
their ship, the captain recommended his
attack with revolver upon the lunatic,
and in the mean time the Glance came
so close to the Jessie Osborne that their
yards almost fouled. After he had been
wounded several times, and as two or
three sailors of the Jessie Osborne were
about to run up the rigging to bring
down the apparently dying man, the
latter fell upon the deck corpse The
body was disposed of after the usual
custom of sliding it overheard, and the
ships parted company. On Sunday, the
4th of July, the Glance, week after
her meeting with the Jessie Osborne,
fell in with the ship Magma Charta,
bound for Plymouth for orders She
was making nine inches Of water in the
hour, bnt a schooner having agreed to
remain alongside her, the Glance pro
ceeded on her homeward way having
occupied 124 days on the voyage from
Adelaide to London.