The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-09
A BOYISH MUTINY.

man-of-war. 1t sent three souls into eter
nifty. A person who has never witnessed al
execution at sea cannot conceive Fraction
of the solemnity which surrounds it. TIL,
death penalty has been invoked but yer,
few times within the history of the United
States navy. 1t is one of those rare events
that are too liable to be shrouded in mys
terry and covered with injustice, which
malice or nervousness mistakes for disci
pline. The tragic scene l witnessed il
West India waters might readily be called
the harshest of names without an infrac
ton OF the truth. But it was done in the
name of discipline, and while it did not
receive the sanction of the government, 6
board of naval officers acquitted the cap
tain of crime; but the shadow of that exc
cution hung over his after life, and he
lived IN retirement from the moment be
touched American shores till he died
'It is forty-elght years ago next Decem
Der siuce witnessed this tragedy on the
ocean," continued che old sailor, who was
| spinning this yarn about an experience at
sea. "You see." ne ran on, 1--WE were sail
Ing from Liberia To the United States, and
were keeping 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 regarded as fit for educating young
men in the practical details of nav; cation.
| think there were little more than a
hundred boys aboard on this voyage, and
for some months VIC had enjoyed a pleas
ant time, without anything startling to re-
lieve the monotony of a sailors life Our
captain was not popular man, and the
crew often found Iaalt with his orders, but
no one ever dreamed that serious trouble
was brewing, until one afternoon, late in
November, when we were standing head
in toward st. Thomas, in the Bermudas,
about three days sail away.
Dog watch on shipboard is from 4 to
o'clock, and / was on the afternoon of
Nov. %. 1t was about 6 o'clock in the
evening, and we were standing at our posts
as though the ship was ready for action. It
might be clearer if | should say that we
were at regular drill, which took place ev-
cry night at 9. 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 captain:
All hands leave the quarter deck
at was the general rule on shipboard
that the gunners stood at their posts even
after the crew were ordered forward. So
every man at the gun stood fast. In sec
ond came the peremptory order;
"'All hands forward of the mainmast.'
''As / moved off l 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-
rnalnad al his or ha Ia
moment later another MILDLY was sent by
the captain to tell this boy that he desired
TO speak with him. The two lads, neither
of them 20 years of age, walked aft to-
gether. The officers of the ship opened in
two ranks to receive them, and Immediate
ly the commandant ordered the midship-
man from the forecastle to be disarmed
and put in irons. None of the ships crew
knew of the occurrence until later, when
two of its number were arrested and
double ironed No one on the vessel knew
the cause Of this act save the officers. For
night and day almost the silence of death
hung over the man-of-war as it stood
steadily on its course The crew spoke to
one another under their breath, and the
officers walked the deck doubly armed
The terrible authority of naval officer at
sea was to be invoked, and the 100 souls on
board. mostly boys, fresh from the naval
school, were to be awed by the scenes which
were to follow these arrests.
''It was the second day after these men
were arrested before the suggestions of
mutiny were quietly slipped among the
crew and middies on board. No one had
ever heard of it as well defined plot; but
the suspicious of the officers had been
aroused, and death was to be the penalty.
] shall never forget the day the drum head
court martial was called in the cabin to de-
eide the fate of these men. 1t didn't take
long. When the sentence of guilty was
rendered, to crafty the caprice of a vain
officer, the men were notified that they had
ten minutes to live. There was no cere-
mony about the announcement, and it was
as brutally communicated as possible. The
young boy. lSyears of age, who was charged
with being ambitious to capture the craft,
raise the mutiny and turn it into pirate
ship and command it himself, never weak
ened, although his two companions asked
for time to prepare for death. The lad
asked to be released from chains long
enough TO write to his mother but the cap
tain refused, and then the boy dictated to
the commander letter to her, which the
commander never delivered.
The scene on board during the ten min
utes in which these Jh4>e men were pre-
pairing for death made picture upon my
mind that can never be etfaced. While the
elder of the two was inclined TO weaken,
the boy was hero, and only asked for the
privilege of sending word 70 his mother
that be had died like a man, and then
asked permission to give the word to fire
the gun which was to end his earthly sx-
istence.
The first day of December. 1912 was a
beautiful one. The tropical sun, especial
ly in the afternoon, was tempered by a
bracing breeze. and the ocean was as calm
as a mill pond the first half of the day
Not sail was in sight, and the black lines
Of our ship cut swiftly through the sea- 1t
was late in the afternoon when we were
summoned aft 10 become executioners
No time was lost in ceremonial prepara-
tons The boy objected 20 the manner of
death. and begged 10 Oe shot rather than
hung. but the captain replied:
NO, sir. YoU must die from the yard
arm
The lad and one man were placed on
the right side, and the third on the left OF
the ship. The ropes were quickly adjusted
(called whips in naval nomenclature and
all hands were summoned TO the dread
duty
1t is the rule on shipboard that in an
execution every living soul on board shall
have hold OF the whips ropes when the
condemned Is swung Ell. Even rne caUn
boy and the cook are not exempt from this
painful duty. This is exacted that no one