New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-18
MIIRDERED IN HIS CABIN.

INV urrtNEERs KILLED BY THE OFFICERS AND
CREW. r.,
when the American ship Freeman Clark lett Cal
- on February last she was commanded Dy
Gun lanes 5. Dwight. When the vessel arrived
this mort yesterday morning First ohcer
H,,,am Williams was in command. captain
NIGHT had been murdered, under circumstances
,.eorl,ar atrocity, on May ~ by the COOK ana
VI % the vessel both MalayS. The first officer
-.o,ylv escaped like fate. The two mutlneers
I;lled It was only through unforeseen circum-
w. II is believed by the vessels crew. that
1-aa,cr tragedy did not take place.
Tho vessel had on board cargo ofjutc, consigned
=, verpon H. Brown & Co.. of tins city. She had
,,eviously set sail from Bombay. The voyage was
r,.de without any incident of note until latitude
80 north longitude go west was reached on Sat
uriay. MAY 27 On Friday night, before going TO
he'd. Captain Dwight complained that ne
did not feel right. He not at all sick
and had no definite cause of complaint. Neverthe-
lees he seemed to be unaccountaby depressed ia
snirlts When he left the deck for his cabin he
called the second officer James NJ. Lowry. and
shook hands Wi him. The incident was windy
recalled by Mr. Lowry after the mutiny had oc-
onrred Ii was about 1870 D. III. on Friday that
the captain went to bed. Second Ohcer Lowry
went of duty at midnight and at o'clock on sat
urday morning his watch was resumed. Shortly al
ter Captain Dwight had gone TO his cabin he called
out of the aft cabin window TO Mr..
Lowry to take out dog which haH
been chained 10 the cabin table, for little
exercise. Mr. Lowry thinks that the mutneorS
originally intended to carry out their plans at mid
might, when there little chance of interference
but were prevented from dong 50 by this trivial
occurrence he dog was put back INTO the cabin
by Lowry about D "A. IN. The second Olncer took
enp of coffee from the steward and then went for
ward about 5:lj
DETAILS OF THE TRAGEDY.
II was about this time it IS supposed, that the
steward and the cook. armed each with Ratchet
aud an ordinary butcher knife, went INTO the cap
talns room and hacked and stabbed the unfortunate
commander To death. The murder completed,
the two villains went through the cabin
10 First Officer Williams's room, forward. Mr..
Williams was sleeping, but he aroused by a
cut over he head from of the assailans. Just
rs the cook raised his hatchct to lniiict another
blow, a seaman named Francesca, who had been
attracted to the room by the mates cry OF " Muir
der" rapI led with the assassin. The four men
struggling together, got out Oh the forward deck.
IL the mean line Second Officer Lowry had heard
Mr. Wlams's calls and saw the struggling men,
He ran for help to the Captains room, and found
his commander crouched ON his knees by his bunk
bleeding profusely and moaning.
"The captain's murderedW cried Mr.. Lowry to
the man at the wheel, and he then dashed back to
the forward deck. His appearance attracted the at
tentlOn of the cook who ran toward Lowry, crying:
81 will kill you, you -----" Lowry He'd
into the captains room and secured the captains
sword. Running around to the forward deck he
found the steward and the hrst officer clinched.
Lowry cut the steward twice over the shoulder with
his sword. and the mutineer released his hold of
Mr Williams. seaman named Andrew
Johnson who had reached the spot, fol-
lowed the cuts with a blow on the stewards head
with q capstan bar. Charles johnson, the ships
carpenter, who had been on deck only few
minutes seized IRON pump handle and te!led the
steward. The latter died in about fifteen minutes.
Meanwhile Francesca, who had first come TO Mr.
Williamss assistance, seeing the cook run after
Lowry, ran to the carpenters shop and secured an
axe. The cook, finding that his intended victim |
had eluded him, rushed toward Francesca. The |
latter was chased to the aft deck, where |
he turned his pursuer and bOth men |
struck at each other with their weapons at the |
time. Francesca received cut on the heat |
and he gashed the cooks lace severely. me |
mutueer then fed forward and was hit with |
aw-hammer by another sailor The murderer fell |
and almost instantly died.
Mr.. Lowry the carpenter aud several seamen |
attempted III vain TO revive Captain Dwight. lie |
fingered for two or three hours and then expired.
The gishes the back of his head and on his |
face are described as something fnghuuL |
Fourteen wounds were inflicted on his body |
is supposed that, awaking under the assault he |
sc zed his revolver which hun over his head, but
before nc could use ii che weapon was struck with
Ratchet. Attcr the murder the steward took the |
revolver and pointed II at some OF the men during
the struggle. Evidently, however he dld |
not know. how to use il, and could not |
discharge it. First Officer Williamss wound re- |
ceived III the affray was not very severe The |
two Malays were said yesterday by Mr. Lowry to |
have been buried" after the affair. The carpen- |
ter said that three bodies were thrown overheard,
but who did tins he did not know
SKETCH OF CAPTAIN DWIGHT.
Captain Dwight was born in Springfield, Mass. |
He was forty-sx years old, his birthday anniver- |
sary having occurred few days before his murder |
He was unmarried. He had been captain for |
about twenty years, for the last SIX years COM |
handing the Freeman Clark. First Officer |
Williams Is about forty years old. He is native |
of Germany He had been twelve months first Off |
Ger of the Freeman Clark and has been in
the mercantile navy all his life He has been the
master OF several ships. OF the mureIeTs the cook
taken on board the vessel at this city "a year
ago The steward, who had been on the vessel ABOUT
eighteen months, was taken on board at Singapore |
They became lncensed at the captains forbiddmg
them 10 smoke opium. They are said TO had
cause OF complaint also III the refusal OF Captain
Dwight TO discharge them at Calcutta, as they had
requested him 10 do when the ship touched that port
Early on the morning MAY "a, Second OlfcerLOwry
says that he Dotlced the cook sharpening hatchet
and two knives When asked why he did SO, the
cook replied BY lnqulrIng II Sandy Hook was in
sight. Lowry laughed at the query as the ship was
only of ST. Thomas. The two murderers the
only Malays OF Cinnamon OIL the ship.
The owner OF the Freeman clark is Kilby Page,
OF Boston. When the vessel arrived yesterday she
went " PieTeponts stores i'll Brooklyn 10 dis
charge. tribune reporter went on board
and the numerous blood stains
still lett on the floor and the doors
OF the rooms of the captain and
the first officer. The pillow-case and bed
clothing of tue captains bunk were dyed brown
red After the afiray was over the decks said
10 have been almost covered with pools and smears
OF blood. Up to late hour yesterday afternoon 1t
was not known whether or not the police autbori-