Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-02-02
MUTINY AND MURDER.

From the New York Herald.
A story of mutiny and OF a desperate
struggle was brought by the brigantine Ma
tal of Gaha, Sweden, which lay Wednesday
night in the Atlantic Basin, Brooklyn. 1t
was related to reporter by Mate Bokberg
and A. B. Seaman and G. 0. Carlsen. Over
the door of the cabin was an evidence OF
fight for life in deep mark made by the
blade of a mutineer's broadaxe.
The Natal arrived Wednesday after nav
ing sailed around the world. The List time
the Natal left the Atlantic coast Of North
America she sailed from Boston, bound for
Brisbane, Queensland. Aboard were Cap
tain Enstrom, Mate Sylvanius, the second
| mate. who was young sailor Of nineteen
Years the captains son, carpenter, stew
ard, and Rerus, Johaussen and Toton sail
ors, When two months out Captain En-
strom lay doing one night on the transom
seat iu his cabin. From pleasant dreams
the captain was ruiely awakened by
stroke with a broadaxe welded by the car
pcnter, which laid open his face on the right
sd.. from crown 10 cain. He 9rasped the axe
helye as the weapon descended second
time. and in tia! way escaped second
wound The carpenter quickly drew bis
sheath knife, plunged i. into tho captain's
throat under the left ca: and twisted 1t
around The captain clutched the knife
blade, which cut his fingers to the bone,
drew i, out and grapp!ed with the car
penter.
TIE male, attracted by the captains cries,
hurried TO his rescue, and the TWO officers
chased the carpenter out Of the cabin just
as the steward was seen advancing with q
capstan bar to reinforce the carpenter.
The mate and captain narrcaded the
cabin door hurriedly, stanched the blood
which flowed from the shippers wounds
! with lint from the medicine chest and got
from the captains stateroom two guns anu
two revolvers After loading the weapons
they made sortio. They were met by the
carpenter, steward and the three sailors,
who were variously armed with sheath
knives, broadaxcs and capstau bars. In the
fight which followed the captains pistol
was captured and the mate received from
it bullet under the right eye and one in
the Chin He was also cut on the legs,
arms and body. The mutineers were ropt-
ed, however, aud retreated over the deck
to the forward hatch, dropping into the
hold.
The captain and mate battened down the
forward hatch, making as they supposed.
al! the mutneers prisoners. The only man
who had not been seen WAS the second
mate, Young Enstrom. His sailors cap,
| with a clean cut as long as IL broad axes
blade, was found in q pool Of blood on deck
| beside some Of his clothes and bucket, III
| which he had been washing them. The
! mutiueers had killed him and thrown his
| body overheard.
Captain Eustrom and his mate, after bat
teniug down the hatch began taking in the
topsa,ls and the flying jib. When the mate
went forward to the .jib downhaul he found
the sailor Johansscn skulking behind the
cap-tan armed with capstan bar. Sylvia
MUS covered Johanssen with his revolver
aud ordered him to surrender. The cap
| tain came forward and began to reproach
| Johanssen, when the latter said that he had
been coerced by the mutineers aud was on
ly too willing to lend a hand if the captain
and mate would trust him. They took him
at his word and he went to the wheel and
thereafter worked faithfully.
For four days the three worked the yes
sci and then the captain and mate loosened
the fore hatch and, firing a pistol into the
hold called on the mutineers to tumble
upon deck, to throw down their weapons
and surrender. The mutineers came up
one bv one and were ranged in line on the
4 port SLUG Ol Tue sup. lucy IhAON ao"h
| their knives, but VIXEN asked for the re-
volver muttered that they had lost it in the
hold.
Captain Enstrom believed that the mutt
neers lied. He had neither leg irons nor
handouts with which to secure prisoners,
and so shot the carpenter and steward where
they stood Then he asked Toton and
Rufus if they would turn to and obey orders.
They promised to do so aud their first duty
was TO heave the corpses of their late COM
rades in rebellion overheard.
The FIVE men worked the brigautine
safely into Brisbane There the three sur
vivng mutineers were arrested, examined
and released by the colonial authorities:
The wounds of Mate Sylvanius did not heal
and he was forced to enter hospital. The
last heard of him was when the brigantine
lay at Port Natal on her way to New York.
He was still in the hospital.