Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-11-26
TERR0RIZED BY ONE MAN.
A SPANISH SAILORS MAD RESIST
ANCE TO AUTHORITY. @

He Refuses to Work, Threatens TO Fire
the Ship, and Wages "a Bloody Battle
in the Hold with the Whole Crew
Winding Up by Cutting His Own
Throat.
NEW YoRE, Nov. 28-The American ship
Granite State arrived here after a passage
OF 100 days from Manila and an experience
that has rarely been equaled ON the high
seas The story told by her skipper, Capt.
Fritz, is recital of desperate deeds which
would appear extraordinary ev in the
pa ,es of a dim, novel. The subject of the
tale was Spanish sailor named Leon
Salaries. it was in the middle of November
that the man commenced his Inurderous
WORK On account OF squally weather much
ca e was required in the handling of the
craft, all the crew had to reIna cons antly
on deck. Salaries was asked one morning 10
ASST in sIne work. He turned to Capt
Frllz and 81 d:
'Tll be - if / do This is floating he'll,
and | won't allow you to kill me by work.
The captain spoke to several of his own
men and asked them to advise Salaries to
obey instructions. They were going for
ward to try persuasion when Salaries stepped
forward to the fore-hatcb, which was partly
open, and shouted:
"lf you COM near me swear by all that's
good I'll set fire to the cargo in the hold
am well prepared for this attack, and will
stand no non -ense.n
The men did not heed his threats, but con-
i
reached the after end of the forecastle when
Salaries pulled box of matches from his
pocket, ami, after ign,tiug ono, held it aloir
TO show he wIuii carry out his designs. The
men stopped short, and Cant. Fritz called
out: For Gods sake, come back; tn man
is mad"
The vessel was loaded with oil The en-
ragged Spaniard then lowered himself down
through the hatch on to the top tier of ca 81
oil, and crawling up forward into the eyes of
the ship secr-;ad himself in the cargo. The
wife and dauEht of Capt. Fritz were on
board, and ,hev, fearing the man would set
fire to the ship, begged the officers to go for
ward and promise him immunity from pun
ishment if he would return II work The
captain Endorsed tue order, but though the
mates called to the Spanlard though the
hatch he refuS to come back TO the deck.
All that night the captains wife and daugh-
ter paced thu cabin, expecting somethiny to
happen every minute On the early morning
of the following day the crew agred to o
below an try to capture Salaries Their last
order from Capt. Fritz was to take him alive,
if possible, and not harm him Capt Fritz
led the mel. 1t was very dark between
decks, and tn At they might not have struy-
gle in the dark lanterns were procured. They
had era We'd al M on the case-oil for only
few seconds when the voice of Salaries made
them halt
Go back" he shouted, "ur I'll Kill your
Capt Fritz was the ueare,t to him, and
proved the obj,rt of his wrath
With a sheath-kuife which L. had fastened
to The handle of a shovel he made a lundre
al the captain. The KIN fe landed on the
wrist of the hand which held the lantern. 1t
was almost severed from the arm bv the
blow, and the lantern fen to nieces on the oil
cases. The flames from it burst up, and but
for the captains presence of mind a fright
tul disaster would have occurred The cap
taiu, wounlef As he was, succeeded in extin-
gushing the flames. while in dismay the men
however, and us Sted that th man should
be taken, A few hours after this st ond
attempt to capture the Spaaiari was
made. Two Of in, sailors now carried
pistols. hut thouGh hey fire nearly thirty
shots in all direttions the SpanIard escaped
injury.
After the charges had been exhausted Sa
lares began his work. He crawled silently
up 10 the men, AMI with the shaatl-knif. on
the shovel handle, nearly cut in twain the
back of one OF the Danish sailors Following
up e onSlau ,ht, b. stabbed sam Robert in
the Jeff eye, an Alexander Crigg on the
right arm. He then moved further forward.
The blood was pouring from the wounded
men, but they det rmnei o take Salaries He
first tried 30 lreak the lanterns by firm
quons which were used to stow the cargo.
tut when that had failed be became quiet
For an hour tha crew searched ahailt the
cargo without falling across : lar-S. but they
final Y found hin We lg- ! 10 tween two boxes
II" was dying, having cut his threat Ten
minutes alter being brought on deck be died.
The body was buried nj So