Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-15
CAPTURED BY A mADNIAN.
A Steamships Crew Terrorized by
Crazy Commander.

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Crazy Commander.
From the lve,o York sun.
When the German steamship Prinz
Friederieh Carl, of Hamburg, arrived at
Pier AZ. East river. on Sunday afternoon,
Capt. GOsof Linda, who had been her
commander. was not with her. He had
been lost at sea. His death and the Incl
dents which preceded 1t make up terri
Bile story. The officers and the men of the
Prinz Frederick Carl we're fond of their
Captain, but most of them felt almost gad
that the voyage was continued without
him, and that the ocean relieved ihem
OF a fearful dread. On the morn
ing OF April p, at O'Clock,
as the Prinz Carl dropped anchor IN Suez
Roads, Capt. Linda disappeared. he mad
been seen a few moments before sitting
on the rail Of the quarter deck, near the
stern OF tie vessel. When the crew
searched for him ten minutes atterward
no sign of him could be found on the YES
sci, and be was given up for lost. Inc
German Consul ana the agent Of the yes
sci at Suez came aboard during the day
and said they bad seen a cap resembling
a Turkish fez floating in the sea, The de-
scription OF the cap answered to that
worn by the Captain. Every one became
satisfied that Capt. Linda had been
was made Captain, and second Mate
Henry Bohm was promoted TO Chief
Officer.
The Prinz FREDERICK Carl has been out
FROM Hamburg for eight months visiting
Chinese and Japanese ports. and taking
OF q cargo OF teas and miscellaneous
goods. At Singapore a young man came
aboard as a passenger, and at Hong Kong
a fiue-lOOking young woman made the
second passenger. They both came TO
New York. Not long after the arrival Of
the Young woman on board Capt. Linda
began TO manifest signs OF insanity. He
drank heavily, and when under the in
fuence of liquor, and for two or three
days after a spree, he was exceedingly
dangerous. He would arm himself with
cutiass and pistols, which he strapped
around his waist, and parade the deck,
threatening to Kill the entire crew. The
men were frightened. and for a time
mutiny seemed probable. The fit would
wear OF, and Capt. Linda was again one
Of the kindest and most considerable Of
superiors. Chief Mate BOhm tells the story
in the following words:
Zone day lentered the saloon and found
the Captain in aterrible humOr. Several
cutlasses were near by in a locker, and
for fear that he would seiZe~One of them
and injure some one toOkthem up in my
arms and turned to walk out. The Cap
tain became more furious, and demanded
the weapons after he had run to the
door and locked it. Having no means of
escape, thTew the swords on the door
aud tie Captain seized one. Brandishing
tower his bead he cried: Il am going TO
Kill yOus Pm going to kiB every one on
board the ship He made a movement
toward me, and bending my neck / said,
'Here. Captain, kill me If you want TOP
That seemed to pacify him, and he called
the boy who was covering in a corner to
unlock the door and let me out. One day
hs appeared on deck with several postOls,
and after frightening all the men into
hiding places, he fired at Chief Mate
HlOhm, and came near killing MIN.
sA,Capt- Linda was most attentive to the
lady passengers when be was sober. 1t
was a bright morning in the early part Of
April, aud the sea was gently rolling un-
der light breeze from the south. One
female passenger was sitting ait on the
quarter deck under a parasOl, reading a
book. The Captain appeared at the head
Of the stairs leading down into the cabin.
aud when he saw the woman has de-
meanOr changed. A pleasant look had
been on his face, but now his eyes looked
.14ree, his face livid. He disappeared
down the stairway, but sprang out a mo.
meut afterWard like tiger. The woman
looked at him and screamed. Lev
cling pistol at her head,
he was about to fire, when
the woman leaped upon him and
seizing the weapon, turned the muzzle
aside. Then a struggle followed. but
some of us interlered aud dsarmed the
Captain. For weeks none of us felt safe.
We did not know at what moment our
Captain would become violent and shoot
Or sabre us. The men crept into their
hunks at night trembling, and came out
trembling in the morning. We knew we
had lunatic en- board, and that lunatlc
was our Captain. The day be was
drowned had been talking TO him only
few minutes before he disappeared, and
he seemed perfectly sane. Whether he
Tell of the rail accidentally or committed
suicide none OF us know"
Capt. Linda was So years old, and
leaves wife and two children In Ham,
burg.