Omaha daily bee., 1886-11-26
DESPERATE FIGHT AT sea-
A Ships Crew Set at Defiance BY Spanish
Sailor.
THREATENED TO euRN THE SHIP.
Secretcd Among Barrels of Petroleum
the Mutinccr Makes Terrible
Resistance with n Knife and
Then Suicides.
Fighting n Nutinccr.

NEW YORK, Nov. 25.-Thc American ship
Granite State. which arrived here yesterday
after passage of l3) days from Manila, had
an experience that has rarely been cuualcd
ON the high seas. The story told by her
skipper. Captain Fritz is a recital of dcS-
peratc deeds which would appear eNtraordin-
airy, even in the pages of a dime novel. The
subject of the tale was Spanish sailor ,
named Leon Salaries. 1t was in the middle
Of November that the man commenced his I
murdorous work The ship was then sail
ing along in the south Atlantic with unfavor-
able winds On account of sQually weather
much care was required in the handling of the
craft, and the crew had to remain constantly
on deck. Salares was asked one morning to
assist in some work. lie turned to Captain
Fritz and said: "l'll be - ii | do. This is
a floating hell, and won't allow You to kill
me by work" The captain spoke to several
of his men and asked them to advise Salaries
to obey instructions. They We're going for
ward to try persuasion when Salaries stepped
toward the forehatch, which was partly
open, and shouted: "lf you come near me |
swear by all that's good I'll set fire to the
cargo in the hold, | am well prepared for
this attack, and will stand no nonsense"
The men did not heed his threats but con.
tinued to move forward They had Just
reached tho after end of the forecastle when
Salaries pulled a box of matches from his
pocket, and. after igniing one, held it alolt
to show he would carry out his designs. The
men stopped short and Captain Fritz called
ont For Gods sake, come back; the man
| is mad"
The vessel was loaded with oil. The en-
| ragged Spaniard then lowered himself down
| through the hatch on TO the top tier of case
oil, and crawling up forward into the eyes of
| the ship secreted himself between the cargo.
| The wife and daughter OF Captain Fritz
| We're on board and they. fear
| ing the man would set fire
! to the ship, c-ged the officers to 90 forward
| and promise him immunity from punishment
| if he would return to work. The captain in
dorsed the order, but though the mates called
to the Spaniald through the hatch, he refused
to come back to the deck All that night tho
| captain wife and daughter paced the cabin,
expecting something to happen every MIN
ute. On the early morning OF the following
day the crew agreed to 70 below and try TO
capture Salaries Their last order from Cap
tain Fritz was to take him alive if possible,
and otharm him. Captain Fritz led the men.
| they might not have struggle in the dark
| lanterns were procured. They had crawied
| along on the case of oil for only a few sec
onds when the voice of Salaries made them
| halt.
"Go back" he shouted, cor I'll XII your
| CAPTAIN Fritz was the nearest to him, and
naturally proved the object of his wrath.
| With sheath knife which he had fastened to
the end of shovel lie made lunge ut the
| captain. The knife landed on the wrist of
the hand which held the lantern. 1t was al
most fevered from the arm by the blow, and
! the lantern fell to pieces on the oil cases.
The flames from it burst up, and but
for the cantain's presence OF nina a
| trghtiul disaster would have occurred.
The captain, wounded as he was, succeeded
!! in eXtingushing the flames, while in dismay
the men retreated to the deck. The captain
| was game, however,and insisted that the man
| should be taken. A few hours after this q
| second attempt to capture the Spaniard was
! made Two of the sailors now carried pis-
tolls, but though they fired nearly thirty shots
| in all directions the Spanard escaped inj jury.
| After the charges had been exhausted Salaries
began his work. He crawlcd silently up to
| the men, and with the shcah-knitc on the
hovel-handle, nearly cut in twain the
| back of one OF the Danish sailors.
| Following up the onslaught he stabbed Sam
Robert in the left eye and Alexander Crigg
on the right arm. lie then moved further
forward. The blood was pouring from the
wounded men, but they determined to take
Salaries. lie first tried to break the lanterns
by firing quoins which were used to stow the
cargo, but when that had failed he became
quiet. For an hour the crew searched about
the cargo without falling across Salaries, but
they finally found him wcdged between two
boxes. lie was dying, having cut his throat.
| Ten minutes after being brought on deck he
died. The body was buried at sea.