Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-08-21
u,NGED FROM THE YARD-AkH
, Terrible Example of P"nishl'ent Tor
Mutineering.

Terrible Example of PUnfshltent Tor
Mutineering.
{" Strike the bell eight! stand by! Fire
Aa onnl Walk away with the whips
M This was the awful order | once heard
won when was boy on an American
9San.of.war. 1t sent three souls into
eternity. No person who has never wit
messed an execution at sea can conceive a
traction of the solemnity which surrounds
4 The death penalty has been invoked,
bnt very few times within the history of
tbp limited States navy 1t is one of
those rare events that are too liable to be
sIrouded in mystery and covered with IN
;nst;ce which malice or nervousness mis-
takes for discipline. The tragic scene
witnossed in West India waters might
readily be called the harshest of names
uithont an infraction of the truth, But 1T
Uas done in the name of discipline, and
while If did not receive the sanction of
fine government, board OF naval officers
admitted the captain of crime; but the
shadow of that execution hung over his
after life and he lived in retirement from
NE moment he touched American shores
until he died.
1T is forty-eight years ago next Deem
Der since witnessed this tragedy on the
orpap" continued the old sailor, who was
spinning this yarn about an experience at
sea. you see, he ran on. we were sail
inc from Liberia to the United States, and
we're keeping a sharp lookout for slave
traders. Ours was a sort of training ship
for midshipmen, not like those we have in
these DAYS; but one that in those early days
was regarded as fit for educating young
men in the practical details of navigation,
think there were little more than nun
bred boys aboard on this voyage, and for
some months we had enjoyed pleasant
time without anything startling to relieve
themonotony of a'sailor's life. Our captain
was not a popular man, and the crew often
found fault with his orders, but no one
never dreamed that serious tropble was
brewing, until one afternoon, late in No
vember when we were standing head IN to
ward st. Thomas, about three DAYS sail
away.
Dog watch on ship board is from A to 8
o'clock, and | was on, in the afternoon of
the 9th of November. 1t was about &
o'clock in the evening, and we were
Standing at our posts as though the ship
was ready for action. 1t might be clearer
if should say that we were at regular drill
which took place every night at s. | was
Stationed at one of the guns back of the
mainmast. Nothing unusual had occurred
to even suggest to us that there was any
thing wrong All at once came the order
from the captain:
All hands leave the quarter deck.
1T was the general rule on ship board
that the gunners stood at their posts, even
after the crew were ordered forward. So
every man at the guns stood fast. In a
second came the peremptory order:
All bands forward of the mainmast
AS moved off ! noticed that all the
officers of the vessel save one were congre
gated about the captain in the after part
Of the vessel. The absent midshipman re-
NAMED at his post at the fore castle. A
moment later another MILDLY was sent by
the captain to tell the boy that be desired
70 speak with him. The two lads, neither
Of them twenty years of age, walked aft
together The officers of the ship opened
IN two ranks to receive them. and i'm
neQlately the commandment ordered the
mldshlpman from the forecastle to be dis
armed and put in irons. None of the
snip crew knew of the occurrence until
aleT when two of its number we're arrest
-t and double ironed. No one of the
'sse knew of the cause of this act save
Ae officers. For a night and day al
most the silence of death hung over the
lan-ot-war, as it stood steadily on It's
ollse. The crew spoke to one another
under their breath, and the officers walked
me deck double armed The terrible
authority of a NAVAL officer was to be In
lOAed and the 120 souls on board, mostly
y'!S fresh from the naval school, were to
u aWed by the scenes which were to follow
'Aese arrests.
1t was the second day after these men
'sle arrested, before the suggestions of
-u.lhy were quietly slipped among the
.s" and middies on board. No one had
..sF heard of it as a well-deined plot; but
~ suspicion of the officers had been
G31'ed' and death was to be the penalty.
,la'I never forget the day the drum-head
5l! martial was called in the cabin to
, ,s.li4 the fate of these men. 1t didn
1As long. When the sentence of guilty
rendered to crafty the caprice of a
81. .'' luC lltH were Hbllutu lud'
Aad ten minutes to live. There was
CEREMONY about the announcement and
wa, as orutally communicated as posi-
-. he young boy, Is years of age, who
~. saarged with being ambitious to
pure the craft, raise the mutiny and turn
"'o a pirate ship and command it him
~ never weakened, although his two
Ianl9ns asked for time to prepare for
'l The lad asked to be released from
~ ynains long enough TO write to his
b. -si' but the captain refused and then
Ooy dictated to the commander
5.;, . her which the commander never
NINE me scene on board during the ten
hue e-t-,s, IN which the three men were pre-
n r'Is lor death made picture upon my
h ~, mat can never be etfaced, While
IN -usr two were inclined to weaken, the
,r.y; 1a' hero, and only asked for the
H.,It- ot sending word to his mother
3D. r dled ike a man, and then asked
~ ~ to give the word to fire the
In. which was to end his earthly exis-