The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-20
WAS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Further Particulars OF the Mystery Sur
rounding the schooner Ephrism and

Further Particulars OF the Mystery sur
rounding the Schooner Ephriam md
Anna.
The Philadelphia Times gives the fol.
lowing particulars regarding the schooner
Ephriam and Anna, which was picked M
at sea abandoned on Friday last. and whose
crew, as stated IN our issue OF yesterday,
are supposed TO have murdered the cap
tain:
When the schooner was found her main
sail was set. the tarpaulin was cut. and the
fore matches were open. so that In a heavy
sea the vessel would nil and sink in short
time. She had a cargo OF bituminous coal
on board. and three aud a half feet OF
water stood in her bold. As the vessel
was not leaking this water must have en-
tered through the hatchway. On the cabin
dlning-,able stood an untouched dinner.
and scattered around the floor were a num-
Der OF papers. none OF which. however.
throw any light upon the mystery. Every
article OF clothing belonging 20 the crew
was gone. hut the captains yaliSe was I'M
touched. pisordcrly appearance OF things
about the mems quarters showed that they
had packed their Kits hurrie1ly. The cap
tain's things were unmolested. The log
book and other papers belonging 10 the
vessel were carried OFF 10y the crew.
THE CAPTAIN AND TIE CREW.
4 further evidence OF the haste OF the
men to leave the schooner is that they did
not wait 10 lower the yawl-boat, but cut
the falls with an axe. The peaceful APP
pcarance Of things on deck showed that
The vessel had not passed through storm.
The schooner cleared from Richmond,
Va, with coal. Tor Boston, on June 9th.
She is owned by John a. Rainhart, OF 500
north Tenth street, Philadelphia, and was
commanded 10y Captain Samuel Harvey, Of
1872 Green street. In addition TO a captain
the Ephraim and Anna carried mate and
four sailors. The captain was thirty years
old. and has 4 wife and child, from
whom he was separated some months ago,
living NJ Cape May He was q capable and
fearless sailor. but is said 10 have been an
exceptionally tyrannical officer. His for
mer employers say he always had trouble
with his crews. and was altogether hard
taskmaSter. That something serious took
place on the Ephraim and Anna on June
10th. the day after she left Richmond, is
proved by the writing on scrap OF paper
found by the United States officers in the
cabin Of the abandoned vessel. Henry X.
Edmunds. counsel for the owner OF the
vessel, with the clerk OF the United States
Court. puzzled over the undecipherable
writing. and then took il TO Norwegian
Consul Wesiergaard's shipping-ofhce. The
translation Is:
The accident which took place on the eleventh
of June lssS.--
ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT NOTE.
There the sentence stops. The writer
was evidently not satisfied with the COM
position, for after drawing two ink lines
across the paper he begins again.
About seven o'clock on the morning Of the
tenth
Here the writer stopped again, crumpled
the paper up, and threw it upon the cabin
floor. where il was found. The writing
was upon the back part OF the mates
certificate. was in Swedish, and had evil
IDENTIFY been executed by that officer. The
corner which had borne his name, how
ever. was torn of.
on June 18th the steamship Saxon, out
ward bound from Philadelphia, passed the
Fphrailn and Anna, and she was apparently
being properly worked and exhibited no
signals OF distress. Nothing is known OF
the schooner on June 18th and 14th. On
the 18th. however. she was picked up
while plunging uncared for at the mercy OF
the waves and wind. The Signal-Seryice
charts do not show any unusual wind along
the New jersey coast between June 10th
and 18th. nor was any storm sufficient TO
damage a vessel reported during that time
between Boston and Richmond. When
seen by the Saxon the weather was calm
and the schooner was so near shore that
ayawl-boat could have easily reached it
in less than hour.
Mr.. EDNUNDs's OPINION.
Mr.. Edmunds said yesterday: 81 am
convinced that there was foul play on the
schooner. | am of the opinion that the
sailors mutlned and killed the captain and
threw his body overheard. and in order to
conceal their crime treated the mate In the
same way. The way the vessel was
abandoned and the absence OF all
clues sustains the theory OF mutiny
and murder. The only papers found
on the vessel were the scrap OF the
mates certificate. the enrolment license,
few blank hospital certificates, and the bill
of Iading Of the cargo Of coal which the
vessel took from this port to Richmond,
Va. The shipping papers and hospital
book. which would show the names, ma
tionality. and color OF the crew, are miss
n.y. IL is also noticeable fact that when
the crew left they did not burden them
selves with water, provisions. or maritime
instruments.
The Record says: "Two bloody rags
were found in the Captains cabin, as II the
!. men had been wiping up some blood-stains.
Perhaps they deserted hastily because sail
hove in sight before they could properly
get the vessel in shape TO account for the
Captains disappearance and make up a con-
sisient story. The schooner must have
been abandoned IN sight OF handsome
whore IN sight OF Barnegat Light"
Mr.. Rainhart also has received informa-
ton that on saturday night two suspicious
sailors who came up TO Beverly, y. j., on
the railroad from tue direction Of Ware
town, near Barnegat, were very anxious
10 get across the river at once. lie suS-
poets that these men were part OF the
fleeing crew.