New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-12-29
HELD SHIPS CREyy,ATiBAY.

.2a5 5f HI -. s5ss Ssf S5
5 lAaAnaa With Nsteaes IL the Held Of = Hstrss
lean ship-Ths Captain, lats, ana : 8ailsr
Wounded by Him With Sheath kim 10 haA
Bound to Handle OF Shovel.
New York Sun.
Little Captain Fritz of The big ship
Granite State. clad in an ulster reach
ing to his feet, paced the deck of his
vessel as she lay in Woodruff stores in
Brooklyn, and told a reporter for The
Sun about mad Sailor Salaries and
his tragic death. It gives one an idea
OF the size of this earth and of the
slowness with which news travels
from the region of the equator, to
know that the death of Leon Salaries
occurred just a year ago this month,
and that the particulars OF his frenzy
have just reached us.
The Granite State reached Wood
| rufus stores recently, after a voy-
age of $50 days from Manila. 1t is
eighteen months since the ship sailed
from this port from Hong Kong
Among the the crew was this Leon
Salaries, and Spaniard, g. man ofquie.
manners and d popular fellow with
his shipmates. This was his second
voyage on the Granite State There
were two countrymen Of his in the
crew. The others were Swedes, Danes,
and Englishmen. During the early
| part of the voyage southwark Salaries
attended to his duties faithfully, but
| later he developed a disposition to
shirk duty, and tried to influence
others Of the crew to resist the cap
tain's orders. He became very surly.
stopping just short OF outspoken
mutlny.
| 1t was in the early part Of Novem-
Der, 1886, that the Granite State
crossed the eqNator in her course
around Cape Horn to Hong Kong.
The winds were unfavorable, and the
crew were required to be on deck long
hours during the day and night On
| one occasion Salaries defied Captain
Fritz, and said: '.This ship is a float
ing hell, but won't let you kill me
with over-work." Suddenly he disap-
peared. The Captain Fritz caused
search to be made for him, and, not
finding him, ne concluded that he had
I! fallen overheard, and made minute
| to that effect in his log. For three
days Salaries was missing, and then
| he was found concealed be-.
tween decks. A sailor saw smoke
| coming out OF hatch. and
found that Salaries was there with
his pipe. Salaries came out and went
to work again, denying that he was
i'll and spurning medical treatment.
/! For q time he was peaceful but sullen.
Then he disappeared again, this time
down the forehatch, and when he was
detected in his second hiding place he
threatened to kill any one who APP
preached him.
The ships cargo was petroleum in
cases, and Salaries made his way for
ward and barricaded himself securely
with cases of OIL He had taken about
fifteen gallons Of water and about forty
| pounds OF bread with him into his re-
treat, and he was prepared for siege
Captain Fritz ordered the mate
and members OF the crew to bring the
mutlneer on deck, but when they
moved on his barricade he held up q
box OF matches and threatened to set
fire to the inhammable cargo before
he would be taken. The captain was
now convinced that Salaries was in
sane, and he was left for the night in
his retreat That was an anxious
night on shipboard, and Captain
Fritz, with mis- wife and daughter, kept
watch on deck, fearing that at any
minute the desperate man in the fore
hole might fire the ship, although i'm
munity from punishment was prom
ised him if he would come on deck.
On the following day another attempt
was made to capture him.
Captain Fritz led the men below in
to the hold where Salaries was con-
cealed. They crawled along over the
cases OF cargo, guided by the dim light
OF lanterns. From his concealment
Salaries shouted to the men startling
threats OF death ii they approached
hln. Finally he threw a tim Der at the
mate, which struck him on the bridge
OF the nose and injured him SO that he
has not yet recovered. The Spaniard
stood at bay, bent on murder Cap
tain Fritz climbed over the cargo to
within four feet of the mailman, when,
+ WIFI a. HelCe luuSe, Cue latter SLruck
the captain on the left wrist
vita q long sheath knife
bound upon the handle of shovel,
and cut the lantern from his hand.
The tendons OF the wrist were severed,
and the falling lantern was shattered
over the cases of petroleum. With
| presence OF mind Captain Fritzsmoth-
cred the blazing wick before further
damage was done, and he aud his
men then reiterated, but not before
Salaries had slashed the jacket of one
Of the sailors with his long handled
knife. 1t now became evident to Cap
tain Fritz that Salaries must be raken
dead or alive, and two Of the sailors
armed with pistols, went below again
to dare the madman's fury. Salaries
was concealed in the cargo and the
men were afraid to approach toonear
because OF the long handled knife
and ditching spade, the point OF
which he had ground to a cutting edge.
With these weapons the Spaniard in
his protected position had his pursuers
at q disadvantage, and so they re-
60 cd to- ,.,o t.,