Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-05
The Murder of LunafIe Necessary
10 SAVe Min.

Ene MURDER OIL n Lunatic Necessary
TO Save a ship.
A brief mention Of this sad occur-
renee has already been made, but a full
Ter account, from the London Daily Tel
egraph of July 20, will surely be read
with interest. The Telegraph says:
A full-rigged ship, of $50 tons register
the Glance, of London, owned by Mr..
Pellier, of St. Heliers, Jersey-arrived
in the Thames last Thursday, and in due
course was locked at Eastwood Wharf,
West India Dock, The Glance left AIDE
laide, Australia, under the command Of
Captain Barrette, a Jersey man, with a
crew of twenty-five, all told, including
nine able-bodies and three apprentices,
on Friday, March II, laden pretty deeply
with a general Australian cargo, If which
a portion was wool and -four. She was
making her way by the Cape Verde Is
lands, when a trade-wind took her from
her northesstward course aud drove her
up to the Azores, and beyond this group
Of islands to latitude between 40 to 40
degrees, right facing, though a long way
distant from the coast ofNew Foundlaud.
In fine weather and under easy sail, the
Glance, in these northwestern ATTITUDES,
relieved from the pressure Of the trade
wind, was lacking to steer an eastward,
homeward course, when ahead Of her but
a short distance a flag OF distress was seen
hoisted on a vessel which turned out to be
the Jessie Osborne, a ship OF from 800
to 900 tons burden, which, as after
ward appeared, was bound for Fall
mouth. This was on the morning OF
Sunday, June q, about s O'Clock. The
Captain of the Glance at once had sail
shortened, and his ship hove to. A
boat, containing the mate and two SEA
men Of the Jessie Osborne, put of from
the vessel and came alongside the
Glance. Having come on board, the
mate pointing to the f%orecross-trees of
the Jessie Osborne, called the attention
Of Captain Barrette to the figure of a
seaman, half-elothed, 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 aocks and
pieces of ropes were falling on deck.
The mate ofthe Jessie Osborne told Capt.
Barrette that the mar was an Italian,
and that he had been very unwell dur
ing the whole passage from India; he
had, in fact, been in his berth the entire
time, but one day he jumped up, when
they all thought he could scarcely
move, and armed with a knife, chisel and
some 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 dowI
repeatedly, and the Italians invariablt
answer was the cutting with his knife OF
a portion Of the rigging, Before resort.
ing to any actual violence the captain
of the Jessie Osborne awaited the In
auenee 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 loos-
ened from their holdings. At last the
captain fred at the man from the deck
many times, seeing that the ship was be-
ing placed in great jeopardy; and hav.
ing expended his ammunition, after
wounding, but not killing him, he sent
his mate to the Glance for ammunition.
This was given by Captain Barrette. In
the meantime the mad sailor threw a
heavy block upon the deck Of the Jessie
Osborne, which struck the boatswain and
broke his arm. The mate and men OF
the Jessie Osborne having returned to
their snip, the captain recommended his
attack upon the lunatic with a revolver,
and in the meantime the Glance came SC
close to the Jessie Osborne that their
yards almost fouled. After he had been
wounded several times, and as two OF
three sailors of the Jessie Osborne were
about to run up the rigging to bring
down the apparently dying man, the lat.
ter fell upon the deck a 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, a week after
meeting with the Jessie Osborne, fell in
with the ship Magma Charta, bound fol
Falmouth, for orders. She was making
nine inches OF water in the hour, but
schooner having agreed to remain along
side her, the Glance proceeded on he
homeward way, having occupied on,
hundred and twenty.four days in th,
: voyage from Adelaide TO London,