The Portland daily press., 1886-02-05
THRILLING NARRATIVE.
The Mutiny on Board Ship Frank N.
Thayer.

A despatch from Plymouth, Eng, to the
Herald furnishes the following details of the
terrible tragedy which happened on the Bos-
ton ship Frank N. Thayer:
"Last night the Union Company's steamer
German, from the Cape, arrived here with
full particulars. The steamer touching at. ST I
Helena, the officers interviewed CaF Helena
ert H. Clarke of the burn ai;d ~ oo cbid If IL
in an o{fi the survivors of his crew, TOUR OIL
!yyfSom were disabled by wounds: IL seellls hnS
that the captain and crew had just nnisne9
celebrating New Years Day, Wnen ~ MT nane+
night. while the ship was 700 miles s9uellease oo
Of ST. Helena. two Indian coolies, VINO WERE
,,loili along the deck, suddenly turned ana
stahhed the first and second mates. Inc sec
ond mate fell down dead instantly, ana nis
feIIow officer died three hours later. Oapt'
Clarke was in his cabin at the tlnie, pu.'
hearing himself called ran up tSe hue top was
stabbed in the head and seized by the tLroat. az
Ue struck ont with all his might, hitting MS
assailant between the eyes. The fellow con on
timed hacking at the captain with q kllllei
and in the struggle the Two gra9uaI;y sI;ynned %SiS in
the blood which streamed from MS sl9e, anI Ii;
fal1 beadlonp into the cabin. The eoolle evil
IDENTIFY thought his victim was dead anu lelt
him. Clarke at once armed hlmseH Win d
revolver and locked hmse IN and la5 cbiId from
what he conceived to be sudden mutiny
among fhe crew. He heard man FOUNDER
ING on the stairs, and opened the door, ca.
Meeting to get shot at coolle, Dut saw !
white man instead. He covered MN IN WIZ WIZ
the revolver, demanding. What IS the mat
terP' The poor panic-stricken fellow cried,,
| sOh. hide me, captain, hide me, captain !!
| Fearing treachery, and now unable TO stano
| from the loss of blood, the captain sat doWl
on the mat in the corner OF his capln, WlenG1'
o,1d both doors with his rHEOl
| yer. and Mrs. Clarke, who throughout pe
| hoved with admirable courage, began tC
| staunch his wounds. The two cCehes now ap
| neared at the cabin window and broke IL IN IN
| Capt. Clarke fired two shots, ana poSh ~ n
| prised at finding the captain alive. happi-
| Eantain and his wife their child We honrs
| " sleeping) the minutes seeme6ore terrible
It is Impossible to conceivenriek ANNOUNCED
situation. Shortly afteeE the Wheel. Anoth,
the murder OF lne ~ W carpenter had shared a
similar fate, .llg and and helpless eyewitness,
was trel6 clock in the morning another
Aboutell was heard by the gloomy occu.
deats of the cabin, the two coolies having
Slain third coolie, who had been their chun
| all the voyage, thus leaving no one alive ol
deck but the Chinaman, who narrates tha
the murderers had barricaded the forecastl'
from the outside. Within were the ten mel
who arrived at Jamestown in the boat.
Later, Capt. Clarke felt little stronger
anc, placing his revolver in the hands of th
man who ran to him for protection, the two
mad, Reconnaissance, and found the twC
coolies armed with knives lashed to the end
of long sticks to hurl at any one who ap
peare6 at the skylights, which were the. onl
points Of observation from the cabin. Afte
several attempts they succeeded in shootln
one coohe dead and wounding the Other
who, seeing the game was up, jumped lnt NJ
the sea. 1t was then discovered that, tn
ship was on fire. AS the coolies could hay
} no motive in firing the ship, the captal
) thinks it was due to some earelessness 9
l theirs. A cargo Of hemp had been taken
5 hoard at Manila, whence the ship SAILED
bound for New York, Oct. 81.
After the disappearance OF the. secon
+ cooIie the captain liberated the men from til
forecastle. They found it impossible to pl