Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-06-10
A STORY OF THE SEA.
The Execution Of -Four sailors who MUIR
dered the Omcers of Vessel--A Brave
steward.

4hb tAUCtAtAou VI Tue NHE0th
sailors of the crew Of the British ship
Lennie, who mutinied and murdered the
captain, mate and second officer of that
vessel, is the end of one of those tales
Of the sea that read like the buccaneer
stories of the olden time. The four |
men were hanged at Newgate, England. |
Two of them were twenty-one years of |
age, one thirty-three, and one thirty-six
years. Six months ago the ship left |
Antwerp in ballast. The crew consisted |
of six Greeks, one Turk, one Italian
and one Austrian. The officers were |
captain, chief and second mate, q |
steward, named Constant Won Hay
donck, and there was boy as cook. |
The ship sailed for New Orleans, and,
eight days after the vessel sailed, the
crew mutinied, killed the captain and
chief and second mate, throwing the
bodies overheard. The mutineers then
ordered the steward, who understood
navigation, to sail the vessel and take
her to the coast of Greece, making their
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 to
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 the 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 captains
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 q 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, D
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 I 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 1 did there-the
land was all around them. 1 told him
I knew where I was, and my intention
was to lie there until we could get fail
wind, and that we might as we'll have Q
nights rest as to beat about and make
40 Roadway"
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 mentioned
were as follows:
"MAGIsTRAEs-Will you send mum
Der of police, steamer and men, be
cause on the thirty-frst of October
sailors killed the captain and mates
Keep the police below if you come, al
we may save our lives"
Many of these bottles were washed
ashore on the coast of France, On thu
fourth of November the steward tool
the ship into the bay of Sable d'Olorme
) stating to the crew that he intended t.
stop there all night and wait for fai
) wind on the morrow. The next morn
ing Cargalis told him that if he did no
| take the ship where they wished to g
he would be served as were the others
The Lennie stood out to sea for tire
| days on leaving the bay, and Oh tn
r evening of the sixth, Cargalis cam
again to the steward, saying:
"We want to see the land wha
course have we to steer to see it 2"
, At this time the steward had BEEF
deprived of the command Of the ship
and he, therefore, refused to answer tn
question. "Big Harry then said:
"Steward, you take care of the yes
: sci again; that fellow can't navigate"
All hands followed "Big Harry int
the cabin and the stewardintimated tina
D he would navigate the vessel again an,
o take it safely to Greece if not interfereC
s with, to which "Big Harry" replied
4 "Now the first man who interfere
n with the steward in navigating the shi]
q 1 will cut off his ears"
@ Thus confirmed in his command tn
steward resumed the navigation of tn
ship, and, the weather becoming YER
, rough, he suggested that the GREY
:. should go on shore, telling them tina
: the country on which they would Ian,
= was republic and that there were n
police there. The six Greeks, approx
: ing this, landed at Sable d'Olorme. Fo
9 two days the ship lay off the coast.
= In the meantime some of the bottle
containing the messages had been pick
ed up. A pilot boat came alongside
8 followed by the French man-of-war Tra
n vailleur. The steward claimed, for him
It self and the boy, the protection of til
J, French authorities, and narrat d til
II story of the murders and mutiny. TIL
remaining portion of the crew was the
@ arrested and taken Oh shore. Will
b this capture was being effected on boar
IS the ship, the six men who had landed
o and who had been representing them
@ selves as destitute seamen belonging
j. Greek ship which had foundered
IS we're arrested, several of the bottle
y having washed ashore and suspicio