Wichita eagle., 1889-06-21
HAGGENDORPH.


modore Goldsborough's flagship. On one Of
my FIRST nights aboard was in the mid
watch. Lieut.. Escott was officer of the
deck. My station was on the port side with
In easy call Of him, and Passed Midshipman
Guard was on the forecastle.
The night was still and rather dark, with
10 moon. A little after midnight the sentry
at the port gangway hailed boat, from
which came the return bail, "No! nor sig
nifying that it was a ships boat bringing
officers below the rank Of lieutenant. They
were two passed midshipmen, coming home
from q trip to the city.
The night continued very still. There was
no sound to be heard except occasionally the
sentrys step at the gangway. Lieut. Escott
stood stiff against the poop bulkhead, appar-
entity asleep. l had never kept midwatch
before, and was oppressed by the stiffness
had been there along time, walking alone,
when the port gangway sentry called out,
MAN overboardI" 1 sprang to his side, and
could see faint streak in the water, evident
II the wake Of q man swimming.
ITS deserterln l cried ''Shoot him,
sentry, quicki"
The marine leveled his musket, aimed and
fired. 1t was not possible in the darkness to
say whether the swimmer was hit. Mr. Es-
colt sent MIR. Guard with a boats crew to
search for the deserter. No trace of him
could be found
Peter Haggendorph's hammock on the
berth deck was found empty, and the morn
ings muster proved that he was the runaway
He was in my gun division, and I had re-
marked his very bushy hair and beard, and
had also noticed q peculiar cross eyed look
that at long intervals seemed to CLEAN
athwart his face. 1t would appear for sec
ond and then vanish.
The next day the commodore sent me to
the naval rendezvous In Cherry street to say
that he was only waiting for few more men
TO sail. Lieut.. Newman was acting as exam
liner, and l stayed while to chat with him
While there tall fellow, with very close
cut hair and mutton chop whiskers, applied
10 be shipped as an able seaman. Newman
asked him the ordinary questions, all of
which he answered inteligently. He was
sent into the doctors room for physical ex-
animation, and as he went by me / caught a
cross eyed CLEAN from his eyes which was
either Haggendorph's or precisely like it.
Its the deserter shipping again to get three
months advance wages" said to myself,
and as soon as he was out of the room / told
my suspicious to Newman. The man gave
his name as James Davis, nativity English,
and told an apparently straight story. New
man shipped him, and he went to sea with
us, and was again in my gun division
No one recognized him as Haggendorph.
He proved TO be ON overreaching, unpopular
man among his messmates, and was once
placed in the custody Of the master at arms
for gambling at cards LEARNED also that he
had deposited some money with the purser.
We were bound first for Cadiz and at the
end Of 70 weeks were becalmed off that
port. tn rater was warm, and the ships
company lulged freely in bathing. Iwatch-
ed Davi the water, and could see that he
was good swimmer. / once swan near him,
and found that. although 1 was the swiftest
swimmer Of my date at Annapolis, he was
fully my equal
On reaching Cadiz, we moored to a buoy
near the Naval hospital, between the south
end of the town and the open country on the
other side Of the harbor Commodore Colds
borough paid several visits of ceremony,
taking the midshipmen in turn as his aids;
but | accepted noinvitations for the evenings,
feeling sure that Davis was Haggend orph,
and would attempt to desert again. l was
10 arrest him il he did
Some of the men We're given liberty ashore,
but he, along with all who had been punished
on the voyage, was excepted. Davis got a
draft on England from the purser for the
money he had deposited, and when learned
from trusty quarter gunner of his mess,
whom had taken into my confidence, that
he had sent a bundle of clothing into the city,
felt sure that he meant TO cut Us again.
Every night / watched him from bunk
not far from his. The attempt soon came. l
saw him get quietly down from his hammock
and walk forward, as he had perfect right |
to do. ran up ON deck in my stocking feet,
with a small pistol in my hand, sprang over
the side and down the outside ladder He !
was already liz the water. l hailed him:
Davis, come back or you're dead mani, /
He dived and swami toward land. l shouted |
10 The sentry above:
Tell the officer CT the deck to send boat
FOR me! There's deserter in the water!'
With my pistol in one hand swan with
the other in the direction Davis had taken
toward the nearest shore. In a moment I
heard the boatswain's whistle, end the boat
;alled away.
l swan with all my might, and when nv
Get touched bottom, stood up and saw Davis
about fifty feet ahead of me wading TO shore.
called TO him to stop, and snapped my pistol
It him, but be got away.
Search by the boats crew did no good. I
vent back TO the ship rather down in tn.
mouth, but consoled by the thought that I
lad been correct in my suspicious
The commodore sent for mo next morning,
md complimented me on my swim.
I'VE don't want the rascal here among
onest men," said he, ''but he ought TO be
aught and punished, and drummed out Of
be servicen
Commodore" said I, ''if you will leave
nc ashore, viii find him and arrest him"
Il have no objections he replied, and he
old his secretary to write a letter to tue
United States consul vouching tor me. /,
I'VE shall sail tomorrow" he added. land
'ou may join Us ct Gibraltar or Spezia, as
'ou find convenient. Get money for your
ravelins expenses from the purSer.n
l at once dotted my uniform, put on citi-
ems clothes aud, with some extra linen in .
atchel, went ashore. The first call l made
vas sta theatrical coStumers, where / had
ay hair curle0 and some whiskers fastened
my checks Twas sure my disguise was Eff
cctlve. Har~eCdorph never having sacn ms |
kept In uniform l called at the consllI
nd at theotiice Of the prcfsct Of police, where
engaged detective.
he and visited Immediately the bureaus
the various diligences leaving the city
he railroad was not then firished-and ! ,
laced him IN charge Of those points, taking
pom myself to watch the shipping. Twas ,
IRE my man would try to leave the town
y sea ,
Nearly three weeks passed without ary I
ms Of the fugitive. when. one moruirg, / ,