The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24
AN EXECUTION
AT SEA.
Episode of the Earlier Days of
the American Navy.
The Awful Order That Was Once Given on a
Man-ofWar, and Which Sent Three Souls
Into Eternity Years Ago.

Roll drums!
"This was the awful order 1 once heard
given. when boy, on an American man-of-
war. 1t sent three souls into eternity. No
person who has never witnessed an eXecu-
ton at sea can conceive even fraction of
the solemnity which surrounds it. The
death penalty has been invoked but very 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 mystery
and covered with injustice, which malice
or nervousness mistakes for discipline. The
tragic scene l witnessed in West India
waters might readily be 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 receive the sanction
of the Government, board of naval officers
acquitted the captain of crime. But the
shallow of that execution hung over him
all his life, and he lived and died in retire
ment from the moment he touched American
shores.
at is forty-eight years next December
since | witnessed this tragedy on the
ocean," continued the old sailor who was
spinning this yarn about an experience at
sea. You see" he ran on, 1--WE were sail
ing from Liberia TO the United States, and
were keeping sharp lookout for slave
traders. Ours was sort of training-ship
for mdshipmen, not like those we have
in these days, but one that was regarded
as fit for educating young men in the prac-
teal details of navigation. l think there
were little more than hundred boys aboard
on this voyage, and for some months we
had enjoyed a pleasant time without any
thing startling to relieve the mon0tony OF
sailors life.
''0ur captain was not popular man, and
the crew often found fault with his orders;
but 10 one ever dreamed that serious trouble
WAS brewing until one afternoon, late in
\ pUpn hpr u. hpu standing leaH
toward ST.. Thomas. in the Bermudas, about
three DAYS sail away. Dog-watch on ship
board is from to O'clock, and | was on in
the afternoon Of the 9th of November. 1t
was about o'clock in the evening, and we
we've standing at our posts as though the
ship was ready for action. 1t might be
clearer if l should say that we were
AT REGULAR DRILL,
Which took place every night at o'clock.
| was stationed at one of the guns back of
the mainmast. Nothing unusual had oc-
Cured to even suggest that there was any
thing wrong. All at once came the order
from the captain:
"'All hands leave the quarterback
cit was the general rule on shipboard
that the gunner5 stood to their posts, even
after the crew we're ordered forward. So
| every man at the guns stood fast. In sec
| ond came the peremptOry order:
"'All hands forward Of the mainmast.'
cas- | moved off | noticed that all the
| officers Of the vessel save one were conare-
| gated about the captain in the after part of
| the vessel. The absent midshipmau re-
manned at his post at the foTecastle. A
moment later another MILDLY was sent by
| tie captain to tell this boy that he desired
to speak with him. The TWO lads, neither
| one OF them 20 wears OF age, walked aft to-
gether. The officers of the ship opened
| ranks to receive them, and Immediately the
| commandment ordered the midshlpman from
| the foreeastle 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 dOu0le-irOned.
| No one on the vessel save the officers knew
| the cause of these arrests.
''For night and day almost the silen ce
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, constantly watching US. The arbi-
| trary authority OF naval officer at sea was
to be invoked, and 120 souls on board,
mostly boys fresh from the naval school,
were to be awed by the scenes which were
to follow.
at was the second day after these men
were arrested before the suggestions of
mutiny were quietly slipped among the
| crew and middles on board. No one had
| ever heard of it as a well-dehned plot, but the
| suspicious of the officers had been aroused
and death was to De the penalty. l shall
never forget the day the drum-head
court-martial was called in the cabin of
| decide the fate of these men. 1t didn't take
| long. When the sentence of guilty was
| rendered to crafty the caprice of vain
| officer, the men were notified that they
| had ten minutes to live. There was no
| ceremony about the announcement and 1t
| was as brutally communicated as possible.
! The young boy, IS years OF age, who was
| charged with being ambitious to raise the
| mutiny. capture the ship and turn 1t into
A PIRATE CRAFT
| And command it himself. never weakened,
| but his two companions asked for time TO
| prepare for death. The lad asked to be re-
| leased from chains long enough TO write to
| his mother, but the captain refused. and
| then the boy dictated to the commander
| letter to her which the commandment never
| delivered.
The first day of December, 1912, was
| beautiful one. The tropical sun, especially
| in the afternoon, was tempered by brac-
| ing breeze, and the ocean was as calm
| millpond the first half of the day. Not
| sail was in sight, and the dark lines of our
| ship cut swiftly through the sea. 1t was
| in the forenoon when we were summoned
| aft to become eXecutioners. No time was
| lost in ceremonial preparations. The boy
| objected TO the manner of death and begged
to be shot rather than hung, but the cap
tain replied:
arm
50 The lad and one man were placed on
| the right side and the third on the left of
| the ship. The ropes were quickly adj
| justed-called whips in naval nomenclature
and all hands were summoned to the
| dread duty.
at is the rule on shipboard that in
| an execution every living soul on board
| shall have hold of the whips (Topes)
when the condemned are swung Off Even
| the cabin-boy and the cook are not
| exempt from this painful duty. This
! is exacted that no one shall be able to
! Glide the other with having taken part in
| death to which all were not party. In this
case the rule was enforced to the letter; be-
| cause this was an execution OF greater mo-
ment than any that had ever taken place up
to this date The officers were dressed in
| full uniform for the occasion, and the crew
were clad as if for inspection.
The ropes adjusted, the captain stood
| back and in loud voice gave the command:
Strike the bell eight Stand by Fire the
| gun! Walk away with the whips! Roll
drumsp
AS the last stroke of eight bells rang
out upon the tropical air there was one
surge OF the whips and three bodies dangled
| from the yard-arm, and three men were
! straDgled TO death. A neck is never broken
| by such method. l shall never forget the
scene at this moment. The crew were
| speechle5s. The uncertainty of the past
forty-eight hours had been almost unbear-
| able, and strong men had grown nervous
| from the tension upon mind and body. So
they stood and looked. as if bound to the
spot. The awful spell was broken as we
| were
| PIPED DOWN TO DINNER
| And started forward. The captain at this
moment caught something of the spirit of
| the crew, and calling them back eased the
| strain somewhat by making speech justi-
| flying the execution, and at the same time
urging us to look upon the results of con-
spiracy and take warning by it. He then
| coll cd fin nhnnrs fOr a y M inn fny,
| of the flag, which were given without
heart, and then the crew walked forward
solemnly to their dinner, to discuss the
execution as much as they dared.
1.-THE bodies of the three men were al
lowed to bangle in the air, while all on
shipbOard ate and discussed the sad events
| ofthe day. The scene in the officers cabin
| was especially striking. Around the table
sat those who had condemned the three men
to death, and at their head the officer who
| had ordered the execution. The details of
the alleged mutiny were freely talked over,
| so one OF the officers told me afterward BUTT