The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-09-07
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.
DESPERATE BATTLE ONA SHIPS
DECK WITH SAVAGES.
South Sea Islanders Board a British
: Ship-Killfng Four Men on Board
"A Sailors Deadly Repeating
Rifie-The Natives Routed.

SSh1iy, lcpollS tuaC U ueSpCTute COnHlCC
took place with the natives of Malaysia
Island, resulting in the death of about
fifteen persons, including Popham, the
Government agent: Martin, tie cook;
the sailmaker, one recruit and about a
dozen savages. While the captain and
two boats crews were ashore recruiting,
about fifty natives with tomahawks,
concealed in the yams and leaves, board
ed the vessel, ostensibly to recruit.
There were on board at this moment the
following: Mr.. Popham, Government
agent, in his cabin; Charles Mari, the
mate; Henry Merlin, the cook; Bierr,
the carpenter, in the deckhouse guarding
the trade which lay spread out on the
table; Lagcrblom, the sailmaker, on the
forward deck, and Thomas C%rittendcn,
able seaman, who was sleeping out his
watch below in the forccastlc.
At a signal from the King the entire
party attacked the crew. A loud and
piercing yell was instantly replied to by
a shrek from the crowd of naked savages
who thronged the deck space aft, and
instantly violent hands were laid on the
Europeans. Tomahawks appeared as if
produced by magic. Mari was seized by
the King and two others, one of whom
TOOK the intended victims thumb in his
teeth and nearly bit it off. Mari, who
was fortunately standing in the recess of
the doorway, with his attackers in front
of him, fortunately freed his right hand,
and giving the King a British blow with
clenched fist, sent him reeling. In an
instant he eluded the savage clutches,
snatched his loaded revolver from his
bed, and from the half closed door
opened fire. His first bullet sent one of
his attackers, who was aiming n toma-
hawk at him, to the deck a bleeding
corpse; the next served another, aud the
revolver was then brought to bear on the
crowds who, on the port side of the deck
house, were tomahawking the carpenter
and cook, who, taken by the
attack, were unable to reach their
weapons and offer defence, Meantime
blows in the forward cabin told how Mr..
Popham was being hacked to death in
the same cruel fashion. Expending tho
of his revolver, Mari snatched
up a Snider rife, jumped across the
traderoom for cartridges, aud continued
the fight. .
From his vantage ground Mari kept
up a steady fire, and more than one saw
age, as he made his appearance on the
~taffrail, got his bullet and fell bsck into
the sea to drown. Unable to face Mars
rifle, the savages, of whom there were
now fully fifty on board, sought to attack
him in the rear, and endcavored, by
reaching through the cabin window
;~astern, to tomahawk him. This ma
was responded to by Mari, who,
seeing that the carpenter and cook were
brutally slain within a few feet CT him,
retired into his cabin, and closing the
door, directed his bullets to the enemy
at the window.
How the government agent and Lager
blom met their horrible death can never
be accurately known. It is certain that
they were attacked at the same moment
as the others and chopped to death.
Cries of sMurder!" from Mr.. Popham
were heard, but his agonies were short
lived.
Crittenden, who was awakened from
sleep by the savage yelling, ran, clothed
only in a singlet, f,on deck. The first
spectacle which he witnessed was Lager.
blom, the sailmaker, struggling violently
with half a dozen naked savages on
the starboard side of the main hatch.
Crittenden Immediately returned to the
forecastle for his revolver, jumped OF
deck again, ran aft and found himself
also the object of q general attack. He
fired several shots with telling effect, the
recipients of the bullets leaping over.
board as soon as they were struck. Two
natives clutched his singlet, but that
gave way, and his naked body afording
no grip, Crittenden freed himself, and
making a leap into the forecastle, put or
his trousers. filed his pockets with cart.
ridges, took a Snider rife, and returned
TO the combat. Reaching the deck, he
conceived the idea of conducting opera.
tons from the superior vantage afforded
by the topsail yard, and hastily making
his way hither, he coolly sat down and
opened fire on the screeching mob OF
devils who were rushing hither ano
thither on the deck below, chopping tn.
PROSTATE Lagerblom out of all recogni