Daily Republican., 1882-06-19
TRAGEDY AT SEA,
TREEM AN CLARK KILLED BY
CAINAMEI.

NEW lORk, d unb lt.-olo OF Lne
most trightful stories of murder on ship
board made known within recent years
was told to day by the officers and crew
of the ship Freeman Clark, wbi III left
Calcutta on February 9 and arrived at
the Pierrepont Stores, Brooklyn, this
morning. The tragedy took place on
the morning of May u, while the yes,
sci was of the Island OF St. Tho1a as,
latitude Is and longitude IS, and re-
suited in the death Of the captain,
James S. Dwight, who was murdered
by two chinamen, and of his assailauts,
who were thrown overheard by the en-
ragged crew.
A reporter who visited the ship this
afternoon received the following &C
count of it from Second Officer James
M. Lowery. He said:
81 went on duty AT half-pass four
o'clock on the morning of May II, it be.
ing Saturday. About half an hour
later saw two OF the seamen run ait
toward the cabin. l ran to see what
was the matter. AS l passed Mate
William Williams room ! glanced in
and saw him engaged in desperate
struggle with the Chinese cook, who
had hatchet III Que hand and car
wing knife in the other. The Mate was
shouting, Murder " and endeavoring to
defend himself as best he could. |
saw TT is asl dashed by to the captains
room.
Gas ! opened the door of it | saw
him on his kness, with his head cover.
ed with wounds inflicted by the hatch
| nhi t,,t ha at hn
and cried out to him: My God, they 7e
murdered the captain' meaning by
they the steward and cook, both China.
men, whom We mad shipped al New
York. BY this time the two tends were
ON deck, each armed with hatchet
and large knife. They were perfectly
infurIated, and looked like wild Indians
They ran amuck through the ship,
striking blows at evtry one who came
on deck. No one of the crew hld any
weapons, bat picked up everything
that was at hand and endeavored tog +
a blow at tho Cinnamon. Iran around
the deck with Che steward in pursuit,
and suddenly tLought of the captains
revolver. | ran into his cabin, pursued
by one of the chlnamen, but one glance
showed the weapol was gone. it was
the only pistol on the ship. l grabbed a
sword as he ran through the cabin, and
made slash at the Chlnaman with it.
cut him only slightly. For twenty
minutes We were fighting and dcdging
blows from the tiends.
"rhe scene was a fearful one. Finally
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
on the head with a capstan bar, and
or ushed his skull Previously another
sea man named johnson had gJt blow
at him with pump handle as the ste
ward dashed past. The Chinamau cook
was chopped In the head with an AK by
'Frenchy, a sailor. AS the cook struck
al him with his knife he lodged, and
before the hatchet could be brought
into play, 'Frenchy' brought down his
AK on the cooks head Botn Cinnamon
died before noon, and were thrown
overheard. The captain was buried in
the ocean at SUM ct.
At the office of Vernon II. Brown 4
Co., agents OF the vessel, it was stated
that the terrible affair grew out of the
fact that the captain deprived the st0.
ward and cook uf their usual allowance
ofopium.
One of the angry Chinanen went to
the captains berth and killed him with
a Ratchet. One blow of the hatchet
split the captains head open, and
another blow cut a very deep cash in
his face The Chinaman, after killing
the captain, went to- a berth where the
mate vas sleeping and struck him on
the head. The mate was stunneu some
what, but he arose and grappleL with
his assailant. The mate ca led for help,
and several of the ships crew came to
his assistance. The other Chinaman
assisted the murderer IN the struggle
with the crew. After Il desperate fight
both of the Cinnamon were killed and
thrown overheard.
James s. Dwight, the murdered cap.
tain, was a native of Springfield, Mass.
He was forty-fve years of age and uu-
He was large man, weigh.
ing over 200 pounds. His disposition
was genial, and Messrs Vernon II.
Brown state that he was one of the
last meu who would abuse auy mem
bers of his crew. Captain Dwight has
been in the employ of the line, of
which Brown 4 Co. are agents, for
about ten years.