The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-10
A TERRIBLE MUTINY.
Two Malays Murder Five Sailor
and Capture a Ship.

Two NIalays Murder Five Sailors
and Capture Ship.
Captain Robert K. Clarke, of the ship
Frank N Thayer, on which two Manila sea.
men mutinied on Jan q and after killing
several of the crew set fire to the vessel,
arrived in New York a few days
ago and told the story of the mutiny.
Captain Clarke said that all went well on his
ship until the night of January 2. The YES
sci was then in the southeast trade winds,
sailing along rapidly in smooth sea. It was
beautiful starlight night and before retir-
ing Captain Clarke had q chat with MIR.
Holmes, the mate whom he informed that
which was then some 700 miles distant
About midnight Captain Clarke heard
some one calling him. He thought that the
mate had had some ordinary trouble with
one or two Of the seamen, and he arose slowly
and, still in his night dress, started up the
forward companionway. When near the top
he felt a knife slash across his forehead
while a hand seized him by the throat.
Then he observed his assaiiant,
who he now saw was one of the Manila sea-
men. He struck the man blow in the face.
Then they grappled and the man gave him
stab in the arm, as struggling together they
slipped gradually down the companionway.
The captain felt his assailant's knife penetrate
his left side and then turn partly round.
Then the captain slipped in his own blood,
which covered the steps, and fell back head
long into the cabin. His aSsailant hurried on
deck, evidently having given him up for
dead.
captain Clarke rose and staggered into the
after cabin. He Immediately locked the
door opening into the forward cabin. Mrs.
r1o,,l,a -bo bo1 han ri tho ct, poIu
on her feet. In the dim light Of the cabin
she saw her husband stagger in completely
covered with blood. She ran to him and
putting her arms around him led
him to the sofa Then she rushed to
the berth, and hurriedly taking one OF the
sheets. tore this into bandages, with which
she quickly dressed his wounds. The captain
rose, and, taking a revolver, went to the
after companionway and called out to the
man at the wheel to close the outside COM
panionway door. The latter replied that
some one was in the way, and that he dared
not obey the order.
The captain then locked the lower door of
the com panionway A moment later he
heard man floundering down the steps Of
the after companionway. He opened the
door and covered the man with his revolver.
"Oh, hide me-" cried a terrified voice.
The captain feared treachely and
locked the door on the man, who
proved to be white seaman named Hen
dricksen The latter was then heard to enter
the bathroom, where he locked himself in
The exhausted captain soon heard one of the
cabin windows smashed in, and looking up
he saw the treacherous faces of the two
Manila seamen glaring down wickedly at
him. He fired two shots. and the coolies dis
appeared.
Captain Clarke and his wife were not then
aware that the two Manila sailors were the
only mutineers. These two men, it seems, ,ap-
preached Mate Holmes and Second Mate
Davis at midnight when the latter were
about to change the watches, and stabbed the
two officers, killing them instantly. One
Of them then went and called to the
captain, and after he, as he imag:.
inged, had dispatched the latter, rejoincd
his comra lie on deck. The two mutineers
then barricaded the forecastle door on the
outside, after which they murdered Maloney,
the sailor at the wheel: Carpenter Booth, and
A. Serian, coolie sailor, all Of whom hap
pened to be on deck. All Say, the Chinese
cook, was the only other man on deck The
two murdercrs pressed the Chinaman
into their service. and forced him to cook for
them. One sailor had hidden himself aloft
-Four of the seap1en who were barricaded in
the forecssUlc had been wounded by the mur-
ueferS, "QOM Uney Hau az HlSG aLCSHIPIe1 "
resist But neither they nor the six able
bodied men who were locked up with them
daredto sally forth.
The murderers remained in possession OF
the vessel all day Sunday. In the mean
time Captain Clarke. with his devoted wife
and his little child by his side. lay apparently
at the point of death On Monday morning
the captain felt much stronger. He went to
the bathroom, wha:e he founl Hendrie-
sen, who sail that the coolies were the
only mut;nec"s. The captain then de-
cidcd to make q sally. He had two revolvers
and horse pistol. He took revolver him
self and gave the pistol to Hendrlksen. Insn M
he handed the other revolver to his wife.
"Leave two shots in that he said to her,
land if am killed you give one of them to
our child and put the other in yourself"
The two murderels. with long poles to
which they had lashed knives, stood on deck
ready to harpcon any one who came up from
the cabin. The captain saw one Of the vii,
lains and fired, wounding him. The fellow
immediately ran forward. Captain Clarke
then burst through the forward CABIN
door, and at the same time tho I'M
prisoned men in the forecastle broke
through the balricadc, and the man who lad
been hiding aloft came on deck. The wounded
murderer then gave wild yell, ami, running
to the side, plunged overheard. The othcl
villain jumped down the ,vent;lating hatch
While the captain and several OF tht
sailors were approaching. this. hatei
smoke began to pour up from It, IN.
wretch had fired the hemp in the cargo II
a moment he appeared springing out OF tht
smoke Then he glured wildly about hln
and giving fiendish yell, ran to the side anc
plunged overheard.
All attempts to quell the flames proved fu
tile. The fire was soon in complete control o
the Thayer A small quantity of provision
were slowed in the largest beat, and afte
the wounded men had been placed in the bot
tom Mrs. Clarke and her child and tn
uninjured men got in. The boat with
it's seventeen occupants lay by the burn
ing ship until the following morn
ing Then they stcered for st. Helena, which
they reached on the following Sunday. Gap
tain Clarke says that he cannot account to-
the lnutiny.