Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-22
THE MUTNY on THE THAYER.
Tive Coolies Holding the ships Crew in
Terror for Two Days.
Fronl tae Nel0 Tork 7rl0N0e.


plain, unvarnished statement OF tn'
tragedy that occurred on board the Amer
lean ship Frank n. Thayer, on Jan. ,.
and 4, about 700 miles southeast of this
island, all of the facts having been CLEAN
ed from eye-witnesses in an investigation
lust made BY the United states Consul,
James A. Macknight, at this place. How
ever incom prehensible or incredible the
story may seem, il is the unanimous tes-
fimOny OF the captain and his wife and OF
the fourteen seamen who survived, ana
reached here early on the morning OF Jan.
IL in an open boat.
The Frank n. Thayer was tine WOOD
en- ship OF 1000 tons, built in loloat New
burypOTt, Mass, hailing from the port OF
Boston, where her principal owners ilVe'
She sailed from Manila for New YORK on
Nov. j, 1855. with full cargo or hemp.
valued at $35O,000, and with crew oil
twenty-five men, including TWO Manila
Indians and two Cinnamon. The only
Americans were the captain, Robert X.
Clarke, of Long island, and the mate and
second mate, +. Holmes and W, Davis.
The others were Germans and Scandina-
VANS few days after leaving Manila
one OF the Indians complained of sickness,
but when the captain decided that he
needed physic, and offered him dose of
salts, he made wry face and rejected it,
upon which the captain took up ropes
end and gave him cut or two over the
shoulders, and after this persuasion be
took the salts. Absolutely nothing Oc-
CURED IN connection with the Indians
that is remembered by any OF the surVi-
vOrs from that time until midnight on
Jan. 2-unless it be that the mate gave
one of them slap with his hand at the
pump early that evening, as one or two
OF the men rather feebly allege. The
names given by the Manilamen at ship
ment were, r. AgOstO and Y. Sierra, and
they were of the common type Of the In
dian coolie OF the PHILIPPINES, short and
wirys and unable to make themselves I'M
derstood in any tongue except their pa
tiso of the Spanish.
Saturday night, Jan. ., was one OF those
glorious nights that are common in the
track OF the southeast trade winds from
short distance north OF the cape to this
island. The sky was clear and densely
spangled with stars, and the breeze was
steady and all sails set. AT 10 p. m, the
captain and mate were talking on the
pOOp-deck about the splendid time they
were making, and remarked casually that
they would not call or signal at st. HeIe-
ma, but press on while the wind was 80 ia
vorable. Seeing all well at that hour, and
having no more suspicion of trouble on
hoard than of running against Lands End
that night, the captain went below and
turned in. He was soon so fast asleep
that be heard nothing of the change of the
watch at midnight. A few minutes after
the change, however, he heard some one
call ''Capt. Clarke, Capt. Clarkel' and
sprang up, suppOsing that the mate was
calling him TO look at a vessel they had
been rapidly gaining on during the even
ing. Half asleep aud in his night clothes |
he ran up the after-companionway, ana |
when he reached the top received a blow |
with knife on the top of his head. He |
saw that one of the Indians was his as |
sailant, and began to fight him as best as
he could with his naked hands. but the |
savage pressed him so closely that he was
obliged to back down the steps. The cap
tain mad struck the ruftian several blows
in the face. and prevented him from max
ing his thrusts with effect, but as the two
reached the bottom Of the steps graphing
with each other, the captain slipped in
the blood and fell. The Indian then
plunged mis- knife into his Victims left
side, and ran up the steps leaving him for !
dead.
The captains wife was aroused by his |
fall, and In moment saw him enter her /
room covered with blood. He merely said |
that he was hurt, and arming himself |
with revolver, returned to the door. He |
called 10 the man At the wheel, Malone,
telling him to shut the upper door of the |
companion way.
Il can't, sir" said he.
'Why notT asked the captain.
there's somebody there" said Ma
lone.
KILLING THE MAN AT THE WHEEL.
Capt. Clarke then shut and locked the |
cabin door leading TO the companiOnway, |
and went through the iorecabin to shut |
the doors leading onto the half deck. As |
be did so he found bis second mate, W.
Davis, lying dead AZ the door Of his room,
and hastily closed and fastened the out
side doors, oppressed by the vagueness
and uncertainty OF the danger which mad
fallen upon him and his charge. AS he
re-entered the after-cabln he heard a man
at the door. 1t was sliding panel, so he
showed it back short distance and saw
white man, one G. j. Hendricsen, stand
ing In the passage. He covered the man
with his revolver and demanded what he
wanted there. The man cried:
"Hide me, Captain, hide mew
But the captain was not treasured and
demanded what he wanted, if he belonged
TO the mutineers, etc.; but the man Only
repeated, ''hide me, hide me.v Failing
rapidly from loss of blood from his
wounds, and fearing to trust the man, as
ne would give no account of himself, the !
captain told him to go away, and again
shut and locked the door. Hendncsen
then entered the bathroom, the door OF
"AlNh uPcucu upou tue COmpanlOnWdV,
and locked himself in. He had scarcely |
done so when the Indian from whom he |
had fetreated traced him To his hiding
place and tried TO induce him to open the /
door. Fooled in this attempt he went
back up the steps, and Hendricsen saw
him stab Malone, the man at the wheel.
and throw him overheard. A moment al
ter the death moan and the struggle of
Malone were heard by the captain, the
Indians smashed In one Of the cabin win
d0Ws, and one said TO the other go ln.v
The fellow was about to obey when the
captain Tired two shots in rapid success
sion, putting them to fight with a Volley
OF oaths and curses on their lips. They
then shut and fastened the shutters of the
caoln windows and lashed the outside
doors last. Mrs. Clarke now began TO
dress the wounds Of her husband as he sat
oraced In corner where he could com.
mand the doors and windows with his re-
volVer. His head aud face we're hacked
70 pieces, and from the cash IN his lett |
side. just below the ribs, the lower lobe OF /
his lung protruded some distance. Who |
shall describe the sensation OF that can. |
tain aud bis wife at that dread hourp Tho |
little daughter clung 10 her mother dumb /
with fear, aud the poor wife, a fragile and |
timid woman under ordinary circum- I
stances, directed her best efforts with
GOODNESS and elaboration to the stoppage