The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-03-29
KILLED AT SEA.
On the Steamer Corona" Last Tuesday,

yesterday afternoon Glo OulCorS mdu
known that a man had been killed OF
board the vessel last Tuesday after
noon. Ii an encounter between {
coal passer known as Peter Rivers
and the third assistant engineer, Jno
Drouillard, the former was killed.
Drouillard was arrested by chic
Barry and locked up. The body o
the man killed was taken to thu
morgue.
A jury was impaneled at Z P. NJ
DR.. J. A. Fulton was the first sworn
He testified that deceased came tt
his death from wounds received IL
the breast, penetrating the thoreciC
cavity, between the 3rd and 4th ribs
severing the large vessels of the
heart.
There were nine or ten wounds,
two or three Of which would be fatal
Jas Williams, chief engineer
Corona was sworn. "Was sitting
close to engine room door on board
Corona at $50 P. M. Tuesday, March
26th; third assistant passed by look
ing for coal passer Rivers; met first
assistant engineer who ordered Riv-
ers to fire room; short time after 3rd
assistant came up again and told me
he couldn't keep Rivers at work;
first assistant then went down into
fire room with 3rd assistant; a few
minutes after Ord assistant Drouil-
lard came to my room and said Il
have cut him; looked round, saw
third assistant with blood running
from bis mouth; just then saw de-
ceased coming up engine room ladder
helped by fireman: took Rivers out
on deck; he spoke weakly in English
of his mother; said he could stand up
no longer: laid him on deck and
called the captain; after being laid
down he muttered in some foreign
language and died"
Robt. Thompson, sworn" Am fire.
man ON Corona. At 3:20 P. NJ, in fire
room third assistant said to Rivers;
--you why don't you stay
down in fire room and do your work.
Rivers said he did do his work.
Drouillard saw gauge lamps were low;
said you trim that lamp Rivers
said it wasn't his work: Drouillard
went up and brought 1st assistant
ant down; first assistant said
Why don't you do your work
without growling?;;' deceased said he
was willing to work but didn't want
to be cursed like a Chinaman. 1st
assistant said, trim that lamp; de-
ceased said yes SIR and went TO trim
1t: lst assistant went away;
3rd assistant then said I'm
engineer here you I
want you to work while Pm en-
gineer' They were standing lose
together: it was dark, I couldn't see
which struck first; I thought it was
fair fist fight, and didn't dream that
Drouillard had a knife, because he
must have had it open in his hand
for he didn't have time to open it:
the engineer let go and ran through
the alleyway. Rivers staggered and
said he was cut. 1 caught him and
helped him through the alleyway and
got him to the top of the stairs, gave
him to the 1st assistant and chief
engineer and went back to my
work"
NJ. Treynor's testimony was similar.
Capt. Carroll testified knew moth
ing of trouble but what / was told: at
the time vessel was about IS miles
out from. San Francisco, half way
~ :.sss. a1;dS0dfy
Sci, \. Lat, 81 55': west Lon,
l22', So"
The jury brought in the following
verdict.
"We the undersigned, jurors duly
to inquire into the cause
of the death of Petro Riberos, after
careful investigation find that the
name of the deceased was Petro
Riberos, aged about 90, that he
came to his death March 26, 1889, on
board the steamer Corona, from
inflicted by some sharp in
strument and that the said wounds
were inflicted by l.. Drouillard, third
engineer on said steamship,
Corona"
E. g. HOLDEN,
II. G. SMITH,
E. G. HUGHES,
GEO. G. FLAvEL.
P. J. MEANY.
A. MONTGOMERY.
The deceased was a native OF Chill,
had shipped for the trip the day be-
fore the vessel sailed. ]. Drouillard
was formerly employed on board the
Sbubrick, and is well known in
Astoria.