Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-06-22
ERatilHtE rRAaEBY Ar SEA,
The Captain Of the ship Free.
man clark Killed and His
Assailants Thrown
Overheard.
New York Telegram.

One of the most trighttul stories OF
murder on shipboard made known
within recent years was told to-day by
the officers and crew Of the ship Free
man Clark, which left Calcutta on
February 9 and arrived at the Pierre
pont Stores, Brooklyn, this morning.
The tragedy took place on the morn
| ing of May q, while the vessel was
of the Island of st. Thomas, latitude
Is and longitude 65, and resulted in
the death of the Captain, james s.
Dwight. who was murdered by two
Cinnamon, and of his assailants, who
were thrown overheard by the enraged
crew.
A reporter who visited the ship
this afternoon received the following
account oft from Second Officer JAS.
M. Lowery. He said: II went on
duty at half past four o'clock on the
morning of May q, it being Saturday.
About half an hour later | saw two of
the seamen run aft towards the cabin.
[ ran to see what was the matter. As
| passed Mate William Williams
room glanced in and saw him en-
gagged in a desperate struggle with
the Chinese cook, who had a Ratchet
in one hand and carving knife in the
other. The Mate was shouting Muir
derl and endeayoring to defend him
self as best he could. | saw this as |
dashed by to the Captains room.
"As opened the door of it | saw
him on his knees, with his head COW
cred with wounds inflicted with the
hatctet. ran out to the man at the
wheel, and cried out to him, Ny God,
they've murdered the captain I mean
ing by they the steward aud cook,
both Cinnamon, whom we had shipped
at New York. By this time the two
tends were on deck, each armed with
a Ratchet and large knife. They were
perfectly infuriated, and looked like
wild Indians.
They ran amuck through the ship,
striking blows at every one who came
on deck. No one of the crew had any
weapons, but picked up whatever was
at hand and endea 7ored to get blow
at the Cinnamon. | ran around the
deck with the stewart in pursuit, and
suddenly thought of the captain s re-
volver. ran into his cabin, pursued
by one OF the Cinnamon, but one
glance showed that the weapon was
gone. 1t was the only pistol in the
ship. | grabbed a sword as | ran
through the cabin, and made slash
at a Chlnaman with it. | cut him
only slightly. For twenty minutes
we were fighting and lodging blows
from the fends.
THE scene was a fearful one. Fin
ally got slash at the steward with
the sword, and cut open his shoulder
Before he could regain his feet one of
the seamen, Andrew Jansen, hit him
in the head with a capstan bar, and
crushed his skull. Previously another
seaman named johnson had got
blow at him with a pump handle as
the steward dashed past. The China
man cook was chopped in the head
with an axe by 'Frenchy,' a sailor.
AS the cook struck at him with his
knife he lodged and before the hatch
ct could be brought into play, Frenchy
brought down his axe on the cooks
head. Both Cinnamon died before
noon, and were thrown overheard.
The captain was buried in the ocean
at sunset"
At the Office of Vernon H. Brown
& Co., agents of the vessel, it was
stated that the terrible affair grew out
of the fact that the captain deprived
the steward and cook OF their usual
allowance of opium. One of the angry
| Cinnamon went to the captains berth
and killed him with a Ratchet. One
blow of the Ratchet split the captain s
head open and another blow cut very
deep cash in his face. The Chinaman.
after killing the captain, went to a
berth where the mate was sleeping
and struck him on the head. The
mate was stunned somewhat,
| but he arose and grappled
with his assailant. The mate
called for help. and several Of the
ships crew came to his assistance. The
other Chinaman assisted the muir
derer in the struggle with the crew.
After desperate fight both of the
Chinaman were killed and thrown
overload.
James S. Dwight, the murdered
captain, was a native of Springfield
: Mass. He was forty-fve years of agt
aod unmarried. He was large man
weighing over 200 pounds. His dis
position was genial, and Messrs. Yer
non H. Brown & Co. state that be wa
one OF the last men who would abus,
any members Of his crew. Captain
Dwight has been in the employ OF TIL
, , line, of which Brown & Co. are agents
for ohout ton vaara