Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-10
A STORY OF THE SEA.

A STORY OF THE SEA.
Tho Execution of Four Sailors who Nun
dcrcd tho Officers Of vesscl--A BRAY
Steward.
The execution of the four Gree
sailors of the crew of the British shi
Lennie, who mutinied and murdered th
captain, mate and second officer of tina
vessel, is the end Of one of those tale
Of the sea that read like the buccanee
stories of the olden time. The fou
men were hanged at Neweate, England
Two of them were twenty-one years o
age, one thirty-three, and one thirty-si,
years. Six months ago the ship lef
Antwerp in ballast. The crew consisted
of six Greeks, one Turk, one Italian
and one Austrian. The officers were
captain, chief and second mate, ,
steward, named Constant Won Hay
donck, and there was boy as cook
The chip sailed for New Orleans, and
eight days after the vessel sailed, the
crew mutinied, killed the captain ant
chief and second mate, throwing the
bodies overheard. The mutineers ther
ordered the steward, who understood
navigation, to sail the vessel and take
her to the coast of Greece, making theil
order known thus
"We have finished the captain, mate
and second, and now you are to navi
gate. We have made up our minds to
go to Greece. You take the ship tc
Gibraltar, and we will find Greece and
take the boats, remove everything Of
value out of the ship and sell it on
shore, and you will have your share"
The steward replied that if he took
charge Of tho ship he should expect
them to obey his orders. The steward
accordingly undertook the management
of the ship, and the assassins at once
employed themselves in scraping her
name off wherever it was painted and
in washing out the evidences of their
foul deeds.
They also ransacked the officers
rooms, and "Big Harry" appropriated
to his own use the murdered captain g
coat. The next day one of the crew
said to the steward that he did not think
they were going to Greece but to some
other part of the channel. The steward.
who acted throughout the entire ordeal
with extraordinary self-possession and
courage, told his suspicious questioner
to mind his own business; that he had
charge of the ship and would not be
ordered about, and if he did not keep
quiet he would blow his brains out.
The man Renken then went forward and
told the rest of the crew that they were
being deceived, and that "the vessel
was being taken up the English chan
nell"
They all came in body to the stew
ard, whose life must have hung, at this
moment, on thread, and "Big Harry"
the ringleader, on asking him what he
was doing and where he was going, re-
ceived for answer that he was to mind
his own business and leave the steward
alone, and the ship would be brought to
Greece. "TheY appeared satisfied"
said he, "and at half-past eleven at.
night altered the course of the ship for
the French coast, and on the fourth of
November took the ship into the Isle
de Rhe. 1t was very rough night and
very misty, and "Big Harry" came to
me and asked me what I did there-the
land was all around them. I told him
knew where I was, and my intention
was to lie there until we could get fair
wind, and that we might as we'll have
nights rest as to beat about and make
no headway."
During this night the steward and
his young assistant wrote twenty mes
sages, in French and English, which
they threw overheard in bottles. These
messages (the name. character and desti-
nation of the vessel bel g mentioned)
were as follows:
Der of police, steamer and men, be-
cause on the thirty-first of October,
sailors killed the captain and mates2
Keep the police below if you come, as
we may save our lives"
Many of these bottles were washed
ashore on the coast of France, On the
fourth of November the steward took
the ship into the bay Of Sable d'Olorme,
stating to the crew that he intended to
stop there all night and wait for fair
wind on the morrow. The next morn
ing Cargalis told him that if he did not
take the ship where they wished to go
he would be served as were the others.
The Lennie stood out to sea for three
days on leaving the bay, and on the
evening of the sixth, Cargalis came
again to the steward, saying:
"We want to see the land what
course have we to steer to see til e.
At this time the steward had been
deprived Of the command OF the ship,
and he, therefore. refused to answer the
question. Big Harry then said:
"Steward, you take caro- of the ves-
sci again; that fellow can't navigate"
All hands followed "Big Harry - into
the cabin and the steward intimated that |
he would navigate the vessel again and
take it safely to Greece if not interfsred
with, to Which "Big Harry" replied:
Now the first man who interfarcs |
with the steward in navigating Tie ship
I will cut off his ears"
Thus confirmed in his command the |
steward resumed the navigation of the
ship, and, the weather becoming very
rough, he suggested that the crew
should go on shore, telling them that
the country on which they would land
was republic and that there were no
police there. The six Greeks, APPROX
ing this, landed at Sable d'Olorme. For
two days the ship lay off the coast.
In the meantime some of the bottles
containing the messages had been pick
ed up. A pilot boat came alongside,
followed by the French man-of-war Ira
vailleur. The steward claimed, for him
self and the boy, the protection of the
French authorities, and narrat d the
story of the murders and mutiny. The
remaining portion of the crew was then
and taken on shore. While
this capture was being effected on board
the ship, the six men who had landed,
and who had been representing them
selves as destitute seamen belonging to
a Greek ship which had foundered,
were arrested, several of the bottles
having washed ashore and suspicion
having now been aroused by eommuni-
cation from the gunboat.
The men, having been examined be-
fore the French authorities, were handed
over to the English police, under the
sxtradition treaty between the two
countries. A two days trial resulted in
he abandonment of the main charge