The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-10-04

u saw him once" continued the Cap.
tain, painting the photograph Of a fine
looking old lady. He told me 1t was Beams
mother. Well, to come to the day the
accident occurred. was on deck at the
time, and Bean and Cotton were sitting
forard. | was just going to call the young
chap aft to help the sail.maker, who was
working on the poop,when squall came
along. The mate sang out, the royal hal.
yards were let 60 and Cotton jumped into
the fore rigging to get aloft and stow the
toreroyal for it was darkening up to wind
ward. Bean also got into the rigging and
seemed to want to get up, but Cotton got
ahead of him.
"He laid out on the yard. got hold of
the canvass,and the next thing we knew
something came whirling down onsdeck
with thud that made me shudder. The
first one at the poor fellows side was
Bean. He turned him over, for the face
was toward the deck, and then he fell
down in a fit and the boatswain attend
ed him. The watch carried Colton's
body aft. His neCkswas broken. pulled
off the shirt and then l knew the whole
story" and the skipper took glass of
sherry, and his eyes were moist.
what was the mysterY2" asked the re.
porter.
"Well," said the Captain, "iust this.
Cotton did not belong to our side of the
deck. The body that was sewed mp and
launched into the deep was a young
woman, and she was Beams wife for l
found the marriage certificate in Beams
trunk with some letters that partial
ly explained the matter. But IN tell
you about that afterward. As soon as
Bean got right he came aft, looking like
aghost, and he knew by my face that l
had discovered the secret.
Captain" said he, taking off his hat
would you have any objection to letting
me stay alone with it this night?"
II let him stay all night by the body,
and can imagine what the poor fellow
suffered, never saw such despairing
face on man in my life as that which
met me when opened the cabin door
and the hands were summoned for the
funeral services, He stood by until the
last mOmentand the body slipped off in
to the sea, and the shot carried it down,
down into the blue depths, he watched it
until it disappeared. Then he jumped on
the topgallant rail, and before any one
could grab him he was gone."
"And the letters2"
"I hunted through his trunk" said the
skipper, "and found a bundle of letters
which am going to inclose to his friends
at home. From what | could learn from
them it appears that Bean (Which was an
assumed name) was a young fellow of
good family, but very wild. The girls
people was also well off and reputable.
She knew him from boy and ran
away with him, and they were married.
He went to sea after that and she went
back to school When he returned, they
tried to make it up with the old folks, but
they would not have it, So the young
fools, without sixpence to bless them
selves with, come on board my ship,
Sounds like novel, but it is all just as |
told you, and here are the proofs"
"Have you any objection to my giving
the name of the ship" said the reporter.
"Well," said the skipper, II don't like
that sort of sensation, and the owners
don't want these sort Of things about the
ship in the papers. Here is the boat
along side." said the Captain, and the re-
porter took seat in the stern.sheets and
was soon at the landing.