The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-05-26

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vengeance, and, a great patriotic SER
vice. Abner Taft. who conceived and
organized the enterprise, had instruct
ed his helpers 10 secrete food about
the deck and to hold themselves ready
to await his signal. Accident, too,
had placed the eighteen Econspirators
in the same watch, and had IT not
been for this mere chance, it seems
difficult to understand how such >
plot could ever have been successful,
fa They had waited wearily for several
week IS for an opportunity which should
warrant them in striking the blow.
Fate at last smiled on them. ns
One gusty November night, Captain
Scott and his officers were indulging
in carouse of unusual extent. The
crew had been severely tasked for
several nights, as the weather had
been severe aud tempestuous, and
slept deeplEs No better time than
this to consummate the project. One
of the plotters stole forward and slip
ped into the hold. where he lit bun
die Of oakum which had been provi
ded. The cry of FIRE was sounded on
deck, and portion of the watch
above rushed below to extinguish the
flames. Instantly, Abner Taft and
his seventeen conspirators sprang like
tigers on the rest Of the watch. Some
were stabbed straight to the heart
with long clasp knives; some were
strangled with fell, deadly grasp;
some were hurled overheard into the
seething foam. The gigantic Marble
header flung three men over the rail
az if they had been infants. No sounds
were heard. so swift and pitiless was
the execution, except some terrible
gasp or hiccough Of dying wretch.
In moment Taft and his followers
were masters of the decks Instantly
the hatchways and cabins were closed,
spiked fast and barricaded. The
deck carronades, which were always
kept loaded. were dragged into posi-
tion so as to command all avenues of
egress for those confined below.
While canonneers stood by the pieces
with lighted lime-stalks, the rest of
the mutineers proceeded to get the
vessel about. Il r-5s
Abner Taft jammed the helm hard
up and lashed it fast, while he order
ed the men to let go the. ee-braces
and square the yards. The head Of
the gallant vessel played off rapidly,
and soon she headed northwest. As
the daring leader afterward said, with
an unseemly profanity, he was bound
either for hell or Boston Harbor." !"
In the meanwhile, the crew below
had extinguished the fire after hard
fight, but found themselves imprison-
ed, while the mysterious noises on
deck told them of some remarkable
event having transpired. AT first,
Captain Scott and his lieutenants, in
the stupidity of their debauch, had
failed to notice the strange events 60
ing on above them. but the noise of
the hammers spiking the matches, the
rolling of the caronades, and the flap
ping Of the yards impressed at last
their drunken senses with the alarm
ing truth. With the instincts of dis
cipline and obedience, the crew. in
their alarm and amazement, waited
for orders from their superiors.
They had not long to wait. Cap
tain Scott, though a tyrant, lacked
neither courage nor energy. With a
torrent Of fierce imprecations, he or
dered his men to cut their way out to
the decks.
While the axes were piled furious
ly, stern voice above was heard,
ringing out like trumpet of doom:
Keep doom below for your lives!-
There be six cannon mouths guarding
tn hatches," said Abner Taft.
Ill cut every bit of flesh off your
bones, you devils!' shouted the Eng
lish captain, toaming at the mouth
with rage. Again, to his imprisoned
men: "Cut for your livesi'
The axes flew in the hands of the
English, and soon they had chopped
the matches in fragments. As they
thronged up, the carronades were dis.
charged at close range, and an awful
silence followed, broken with low
moans The slaughter had been fear
full. The hatchways were again closed
and fastened. Three different at
tempts were made by the English
crew TO break forth, attended with
similar results. -
In one Of these Captain Scott and
his officers succeeded in escaping from
the duran.e OF the, cabin, and, stung
into a reckless fury, charged with the
sword and pistol On the fierce band
that held the docks.
Abner Taft met his chief persecu-
tor, cutlass in hand, and short
sharp combat was ended by terrible
stroke, which beat down Captain
Scott's guard and Glove his head to
the very jaw. Those bloody stripes
we're at last avenged! The other off
GERS shared a like fate, as they fought
with dogged courage that refused
quarter But why prolong the bloody
and monotonous record. and describe
the fruitless efforts of the English
crew to recover the advantage
Suffice it that destiny smiled, as she
so often does on deeds of apparently
hopeless daring. on the exploits of the
Marblehead hero and his followers.
The winds were fair and light, so
there was not much more difficulty in
working the ship, and all things con-
spired 10 the hoped-for end. Abner
Taft had laid the ships course as
nearly as possible for Boston, and his
fishing experiences had made him
familiar with the Massachusetts, wa
ters.
So, at the end of the second day
from the uprising, the good townsmen
of Boston were amazed and alarmed
at seeing a British sloop- of-war come
into the harbor, the hated ensign fly
ing at the fore. There were bustlings
and congregations of fearful faces.
There was still deeper amazement,
mingled with joy, when the union
jack was lowered and the American
flag went to the tore in Its stead, for
the Marblebead men had improvised
national colors from old bunting.
There were bon6res and ringing Of
bells, and almost frantic rejoicings
over the hero of Marblehead, and he
and his two comrades were escorted
to their native town by a great nro-