Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-07-19
sturaer on the Higl, Seas.

MurGer Oh the High Seas.
AS stated in the GAzhrTE, Patrick Eel
ly, a seaman on the steamship Erin, which
arrived at New York Monday, has been
handed over to the British Consul at that
port on the charge OF having murdered two
fellow-sailors on the high seas.
The Erin left London June 30, and found
her crew three man short by desertion when
she got to Gravesend. At Gravesend she
shipped three men, all rated as able seamen,
one of them, Patrick Kelly, strapping
great Irisbman, who proved to be the big
gest and strongest man in the ship. He was
six feet tell, broad shouldered, black. haired
and black.ey and had thick black beard
growing all over his red face. He had q
savage temper, too, and did not get on well
with his mates. The latter sag that he was
picking quarrel ali tho while. He had
never known any of the men aboard before.
He was put in the starboard watch with
John Parry, John Whitaker, Johu Chap
man, and Robert Harris. According to the
mans story, one day, about week out,
when the watch were all on the top-gallant
forecestle, an order was given to set the try
sail. The order interfered with something
which Chapman was doing at the time, and
he swore. Kelly thought Chapman Was
swearing at him. Chapman said he was
not. "You lie!" cried Kelly. Chapman
retorted likewise, and the men growled un-
til an officer shut them up. AT this time
Kelly is said to have warned Chapman
never to meddle with him again or be
would be dead man. Parry put in word
for Chapman and got a warning too
for himself. There was bad blood be.
tween the men from this time on, aud they
growled and spat at each other. On Sun
day, the Sth, Kelly and Chapman had row
at the mess table. Jack" said Kelly, with
an oath, don't force me too far. I'll do
you up as sure as Pm q livin' man." Kel.
ly's bunk in the forecastle was above Par
ry's, and Chapmau's was next to Parry's on
the lower tier. On Monday morning of last
week Whitaker, who had bunk next
Kelly's, was awakened by scream and
dreadful voice calling, "Oh, God!" He
looked down and saw Kelly standing by
Chapman's berth. Kelly had pulled the
sleeping man outward and downward by
the throat until his head hung over the edge
of the bunk, the face looking upward. Kel-
ly had his knee pressed on Chapnlan's
shoulder and his left hand clenched on
Chapman's throat. His right hand grasped
q sheath knife, which he had just driven up
to the hilt in Chapman's breast. Whitta-
ker looked on too horri6ed to move. He
saw Kelly draw the knife out and then look
cautiously around. The blood gurgled in
Chapman's throat and his body wrlthed.
Kelly grasped the body and tried to hold it
still. As he did SO, Parry in the adjoining
bunk woke up and cried Hello, what's
Al fob hot ho trio
to cry, too, but that his voice was gone.
and had seized the startled man by the
throat. He flung his whole weight upon
Parry, and, still clenching the latter's throat
iammed his body double, 80 that his bones
snapped. Then he jerked Parry to the side
of the bunk and got him face upward and
head downward, as he had had Chapman.
He pulled the clothes from Parry's breast,
Parry all the while struggling violent.
ly and trying to catch Kelly with his arms
But the giant pinioned Parry's right shoul-
der with his knee, and with his left hand
seized Perry's left arm. Then he raised his
sheath knife. "Help!" cried Parry. Whit.
taker found his voice at last and yelled
"Murder |" "Murder" with all his lungs.
This awoke Harris who started up and cried
"Mmder!" before his eyes we're fairly open.
"G- damn you, die" cried Kelly, and he
dug the knife into Parry's breast. Whitta.
ker jumped out of his berth and ran across
the floor 30 as to get the mess table between
himself and Kelly. Harris jumped out, too,
and the men stood awaiting what they felt
sure would be Kelly's attack. But Kelly
did not molest them. He stepped to Chap
mans bunk and pulled out of it Chapman's
coat. Upon this he wiped his bloody sheath
knife dry. AS he did go seven bells struck
-7:30 a. m. Kelly with his knife in his
hand, clambered up the forecastle scuttle
and the companion ladder, and, as he did
so, he met seaman Hunt coming down to
get the men up for breakfast. he passed
Hunt without word, made the deck, and
marched up to Chief Officer Easton, who
was in command and on the bridge.
"There's two men been stabbed in the fore.
CASTLE" he said, "and here's the knife that
did it,"
Hunt had gained the forecastle, and, after
a stupefed look at the bodies of Chapman
and Parry, rushed back on the deck with
Harris after Kelly. The men told Chief
Officer Easton what had occurred, and at
his orders they seized Kelly and ironed him.
Kelly made no resistance. In the forcastle
Whitaker crept over to the bodies of Parry
and Chapman and put his hand on their
hearts. The knife had sunk into Parry's
heart, and he was quito dead. There was
slight huttering of Chapman's heart as
Whitaker put his hand above it, but in q
moment it wasstill. Their blood was every
where.
Capt. Tyson ordered the'forecastle clean
ed, and Whitaker and others of the crew
got palms and needles, sewed the bodies up
in hemmocks, and weighted the hammocks.
At noon the same day the bodies were bur.
led in the sea. The heaviest irons aboard
were put upon Kelly, and he was locked up
in the after house on deck, with two men to