The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-09-19

&NSA- A@ Coax the awful or
der l once heard given when l was a
boy on an American mah-of-war. 1t
sent three souls into eternity. A per-
son who has never witnessed an ex-
ecution at sea- cannot conceive a
fraction OF the solemnity which sur
rounds it. The death penalty has
been invoked but very few times with
in the history of the United States
navy. 1t is one of those rare events
that are too liable to be shrouded in
mystery and covered with injustice,
which malice or nervousness mistakes
for discipline. The tragic scene l
witnessed in West India waters might
readily lie called the harshest of
names without an infraction of the
truth. But it was done in the name
of discipline, and while it did not re-
ceive the sanction of the government,
a board of naval officers acquitted
the captain of crime; but the shadow
OF that execution hung over his after
life, and he lived in retirement from
the moment he touched American
shores till he died.
''1t is forty-eight years ago next
December since witnessed this trag
edy on the ocean," continued the old
sailor, who was spinning this yarn
about an experience at sea. "You
see" heran on, 1--WE were sailing from
Liberia to the United States. and
were keeping a sharp lookout for
slave traders. Ours was a sort OF
trading ship for midshipmen not
like those we have in these days, but
one that in those early days was re-
garded as fit for educating young
men in the practical details of navi-
cation. I think there were a little
more than hundred boys aboard
on this voyage, and for some months
we had enjoyed q plesanttime, with
out anything startling to relieve the
monotony of a sailor's life. Our
captain was not a popular man, and
the crew often found fault with his
orders, butno one ever dreamed that
serious trouble was brewing, until
one afternoon; late in November,
when we were standing head in to-
ward St. Thomas, in the Bermundas.
about three days sail away.
DOG watch on shipboard is from
4 to 8 O'Clock, and | was on the
afternoon of Nov. p. 1t was about
6 O'Clock in the evening, and we we're
standing at our posts as though the
ship was ready for action. Itmight
be clearer if l should say that we
were at regular drill, which took
place every night at 6. 1 was
stationed at one of the guns back
OF the mainmast. Nothing unusual
had occurred to even suggest to us
that there was anything wrong. All
at once came the order from the
'"All hands leave the quarter deck
cit was the general rule on ship
board that the gunners at their posts
even after the crew were ordered for
ward. So every man at the gun
stood fast. In O second came the
order:
"'All hands forward OF the main
mast
"As I moved off noticed that all
the officers of the vessel save one
were congregated about the captain
in the after part of the vessel. The
absent midshipman remained at his
post at the forecastle. A moment
later another MILDLY was sent bv the
captain to tell this boy that he de-
sired to speak with him. The two lads,
neither of them 20 years ofage, walk
I'd off together. The officers of the
ship opened in two ranks to receive
them, and Immediately by the COM
ordered the midshipman
rom the forecastle to be disarmed
and put in irons. None of the shp's
crew knew of the occurrence until lat
er, when two of it's number were ar
rested and double ironed. No one
On the vessel knew the cause OF this
act save the officers. For a night
and day almost the silence of death
hung over the man-of-war asst stood
steadily on it's course. The crew
spoke to one another under their
breath, and the officer walked the
1eck doubly armed. The terrible au-
,hority of naval officer at sea was
% be invoked, and the 100 souls on
BOARD mostly boys, fresh from the
laval school, were to be awed by the
Genes which were to follow these ar
'ests.
1T was the second day after these
men were arrested before the suo-