The Portland daily press., 1877-09-28
PERELs OF A SEA CApTAEN.
The Story OF the Muiiny ON the Lizzie B
Gregg.

The Providence Journal says the brief sketch
which has appeared of the voyage of the
schooner Lizzie B. Gregg from Bonare to that
port gives but faint idea of the mutiny, or of
the long and severe strain, mental and physi-
cal upon the Captain and his wife, for he and
his wife and child were on board. Captain
Anderson while in New York, before starting
on the passage shipped his crew at shipping
office. This crew consisted of three negroes and
a Gay Head Indian, the latter named Charles
Carver. One of the negroes behaved well
throughout the voyages second named Andrew
Jackson caused some trouble while in the va
rious ports, but behaved well viii le on the pas
sage; the third, q wonderfully powerful man
named James Morris, in connection with the
Indian made great quantity of trouble. In
deed be had an ugly look-so much so, that
Captain Anderson at first refused TO ship him,
but was finally obliged to fill his complement
of men, and Morris went aboard, being then
drunk and disorderly. On the voyage TO La
guyra, Venezuela, matters worked 50 poothly
enough, there being no trouble to speak Of At
Laguyra on the 4th Of August, Morris and
jackson came on board drunk and disorderly
and refusing to work, and the captain was
obliged to send ashore for officers aud they
were btaken TO prison On the 7tb, while
still at Laguyra, Carver disobsyed
the orders of the mate, and repeated this
offense again on the oh, while the vessel was
under way for Porto Cabelo, when he as
saulted the mate aud knocked him down,
threatening to split his head open, and when
the captain pulled him off he was trying to
bite the mates ear. 1t should be stated that
the captain wished to leave these men at
Laguyra, as he had got enough of them, but
the authorities would not allow it, saying they
had enough bad characters there already. On
the 10Th, while taking in cargo at Porto Ca
bello, Carver aaf AIorris were again drunk and
dsorderly, threatening to take the life Of the
captain, and they We're again put in prison.
Next day jackson, hils under the influence
of liquor had another of his spells Of refusing to
work, abusing and insulting the Captain, and
he too was sent to prison. While here the
United States Consul took the matter in hand,
and according to official papers in Captain An
derson's possession, called to see them in prison
to see if he could bring them to sound reason,
but remained convinced that it was of no use,
and considering them unmanageable and dan
gerous, authorized the Captain to keep them
on board in irons as long as necessary.
The schooner then sailed to Bonaire, and took
on load of salt, ,and sailed for Providence on the
18th ut. Soon after sailing he released the men
on their promise Of better behavior Jackson,
who, it seems was only ugly when drunk, and
whose offence consisted in refusing to work
when in that condition. kept his word and
made no further trouble, though, naturally, the
Il. Il
dence III him. There were signs of trouble in
the air, and constant watch was necessary. On
the I'd inst. the Indian assaulted the steward,
and upon the captain inquiring what was the
matter, he replied iHsultingy to the captain,
threatening him and the mate and every one
aft and saying he would kill some one before
he would be put in irons. A severe struggle
ensued, but finally the captain and mate sue
ceeded in putting ye noble red man in irons,
the latter attempting to use knife kicking
furiousy, biting the captain in several places
and severely kicking the captains wife, who
was holding the lantern while her husband
and the mate were trying to secure him. Gar
yer was kept in irons until the vessel arrived
at Providence.
About 4 o'clock Monday morning. while
Morris was at the wheel and the mate and one
of the seaman forward at work about the lib,
the captain passed along in front of the wheel,
and as he went by Morris he happened to see
out of the corner of his eyes, as be went by, the
negro rdls6 HIS manu- DIS III 10 bUrlK6. QUICK as
thought he sprang away, and succeeded in get
ting far enough from the negro so that blow
with sheath knife, aimed in all probability at
the back Of the neck, struck him in the shoul
DER inhicting rather a severe but not danger
GUS wound. He turned aud caught second
blow in the hand, cutting him somewhat, and
at the same time dealt the negro blow that
knocked him down. The mate was called aft,
and an attempt was made to put him in irons
| He fought like tiger, continually threaten
| ing the captain and mate and cutting at them
with his knife, but losing his knife he bounded
| away and went below where he got another knife
and held them at bay. The forecaste was
nailed down and Morris was prisoner he was
kept there till clock and then invited to come
| up, but was as obstinate as ever and no one
| dared to go down and cope with him. An at
| tempt was made to pin him with the jaw of the
| boats boom, q stick as large as mans ankle,
but such was his strength that he snapped that
| stick time and again with his hands, like q
i pipe-stem. Then a board was used, with the
| sameT result, and the attempt was given up, the
captain not caring to capture him by breaking
| his limbs or killing him. In the course of time
Morris agreed to submit provided he could be
| ironed with his han Is in front of him, and he
| was so ironed, though once under control he
was made secure, and kept SO till delivered up
to the authorities. 1t is supposed, from the
appearance of things, that this last assault
| upon the captain was premeditated, and part of
deeply laid plan Morris sharpened this
l
| ceeded in disabling the captain he could easily
have thrown him overheard, gone forward, as
III the captain had taken the wheel and sent
him here on some errand which was not unusual
and would not have excited the suspicious of the
mate, and watching his opportunity. killed the
mate, released the indian aud then have had
their own way. They were then near enough
the coast to have reached it, after securing
what valuables there were on the vessel and
leaving it.. Indeed they told a boy on the
the vessel that they would have killed the cap
tam and mate before this, only that the captain
had his wife aboard
| 1t was terrible voyage for the captain and
his wife. To add to their misfortunes they
were twenty-one days with calms and light
winds, making but little headway, and it
seemed at times as if they never would get to
Two men he could depend upon, and of one OF
them he was suspicious. For twenty five days
ne allowed himself but two hours sleep out Of
/ tne tWenLy-four. which he took lying on a
lounge or desk, with his wife watching over
MIN with loaded revolver in her hand. Wheth
er 1t was the watchfulness on the part of his
Wlie or the factstbat she would also have to be
Killed to prevent her appearing as witness
against them, was what prevented them
from carrying olt their acknowledged murder.
GUS designs is of course matter of conjecture,
but 1t is very likely that both facts haG theiI
weight in the matter. Worn with care
and anxiety, exhaustedj beyond the power OF
most people to understand, it is no wonder that
the Captain's hair which was grey before he
'eft New York is now much whittier, or that he
could sit in church the other evening for an
hour directly in front Of the preacher who is a
relative without the latter recognizing him, sc
changed was he in appearance.
| IL VIII be asked, why did not the captain
Il snooS tnaSe fellows as many another CAPTAIN