The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-05-20
The Jefferson Borden NEutiny.

New YORK, May 19,-Fu:l details of the
mutiDy on the schooner Jefferson Borden go to
show that the mutineers contemplated plum
dering the vessel. They murdered the mates
G. T.. Patterson and Chas III. Patterson by
calling them up at night by subterfuge-
threw their bodies overheard. Miller, the lead
er, tried to get the captain from his cabin by
saving man in the forescastle had his leg
broken, but Capt Patterson's wife had warned
bin not 10 leave the cabin without his revolver,
which saved him from attack then. He was
assailed however on reaching the deck by a
shower Of bottles, iron bolts, etc., when he
fired at them. The mutineerS then retired to
the forward deck house.
The captain held consultation with his
faithful ally, Aiken, the cook, and with his as
sistance collected all the available fire arms.
three revovers and a double-barrelled gan and
made ready for renewed attack. The men,
however did not emerge from their quarters,
and at 5 O clock in the morning, when day had
broken and singuarly enough perfect calm
had succeeded IN boisterous weather that had
attended them without intermission from Bos-
ton, the captain crept thither, and finding the
men all doing he nailed up the deck house
door. They did not offer any opposition, but
refused to surrender themselves, and declared
they would not submit.
Cart. Patterson, though in this dire extremi-
ty and suffering and anxiety which can be I'M
agined, acted apparently with great mercy, He
offered to accept the submission OF the men, on
told them if they did not he would fire upon
them and disable them. Tho men, however,
were very firm in their refusal. and at length
the captain had no alternative, as he states, but
tc fire upon them. Shot after shot was fired in
through the deck house window, and through a
hole made in the side and still though wonnd-
ed they declined to yield.
On investigation the captain found his two
mates, his brothers and the boy, Henry NAL
liende of Calais, Maine, all missing. A Swed
81, l,oI,, o,,d or Of tIn
mutineers. The men for long time would
not admit that they had thrown them overheard
and with che hope that they were still alive he
again and again demanded of the men what
they had done with them. The American,
Smith. at length volunteered to give up the
mates if the firing should be stopped. The
captain replied that as soon as the whereabouts
of the mates were made known the firing
should cease. Search was made in every con-
ceivable part of the ship, but it was not until
the men yielded that they admitted the fatal
truth, and Miller who was suffering much
from his wounds, confessed they had been
thrown overheard. They had been murder
ed before the captain was called from his berth.
The boy appeared the next day, April 2lst,
from the captain quarters, and stated that a
large handkerchief was tied tightly over his
mouth, his hands secured with rope, dragged
from his berth and dropped into the lower hold
of the forecastle He managed in course OF
time to extricate himself, climb up through the
hatchway, and in the darkness crept ait ana
hid Id the officers quarters. The boy states
that he was suspected by the men of watching
them, and they would no doubt have murdered
him had they not known him to be skillful in
the use of the wheel, and they might require
his future services.
Though the. mutiny was to all appearance
effectually guelled, the position of the captain
and those faithful to him was by no means
without anxiety. They were a thousand miles
from land, with large vessel to manage, ana
only a crew of four hands to rely upon-the
captain two men and boy. For seven days
and nights this small crew managed to keep
the vessel in its course, but with what difficult y
may be well imagined Mrs. Patterson with
heroic courage and devotion, made herself of
great use. frequently relieving her husband of
his watch, and so allowing him to take the rest
he so greatly needed.
On the 18th Norwegian bark bound for
London was hailed from which one man was
spared. On Thursday, May 9th, the vessel en-
tered the Thames, having at the entrance taken
on three extra hands and pilot, as well as a
medical man sent by the consignee. Messages
were sent on board by Mr.. Gum, U. S. Consul
in London, and arriving at the docks Captain
Patterson was heartily greeted by number Of
American captains whose vessels were in port.