The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-16
A SPLASH
AT MIDNIGHT.
Auguste Joss Body Brought Up
From the Bays Bottom.
Cireumstantial Evidence Tends to Implicats
the First Officer CT the Hospodar
With His Foul Taking OF

Eugene C. Richie. the first mate of the
British ship Hospodar, now lying at Green
street Wharf, is under arrest atathe Central
Police Station, and the probabilities are that
a charge of murder will be entered against
his name today.
About midnight on Tuesday Auguste joss,
the sail-maker and acting night Waterman
of the vessel. suddenly disappeared. The
matter was reported to the Police and De-
tectiye Ben Bohen took charge of the case.
Officer Egan of the North Harbor Police
was pressed into service. and he procured
the assistance of Louis III. Hart, the boat
man, better known as Bustie," who with
grappling-irons last evening dragged the
bottom of the bay in the vicinity of the
wharf for the supposed drowned man.
Their labors were rewarded at about 6
O'Clock, when the remains were brought to
the surface on the north side of the wharf
under the ship Shandon.
They were then removed to the Morgue,
where Police Surgeon Williams made an
examination and found that the deceased
had been hit on the head with a club, or
some equally as hard instrument.
RITCHIE LAST SAW JOSS ALIVE.
From an investigation Of the case it APP
pears that Mate Richie was the last man
who saw Joss alive. There had been bad
blood between them which mad been en-
gendered during the remarkably long trip
of six months out from Liverpool. The
mate admits that lie went aboard the vessel
about u O'Clock on tue night in question
under the influence of liquor, but he denies
having had a row with the deceased.
He states that he went on board at the
hour mentioned and that he called to joss.
saying: Hello, Fr"nchy, are you there?"
Tie reply came, Aye, aye. sir" Then the
mate declares that he went Immediately to
bed and saw nothing more of the Waterman.
James Morrison, an apprentice on board
the British ship Shandon, lying on the oppo-
site side of the wharf, tells a different
story: He had been to the theater
on Tuesday night, and was return
ing to his ship about IL o'clock. AS
he passed the Hospodar he heard a Scuffie
and two or three screams. Then splash in
the water followed and nothing more was
heard. Morrison paid no further attention
to the matter and heard no more about it
until the recovery of the remains.
THREATS HAD BEEN MADE.
Charles Speed, another apprentice of the
Hospodar, says that Mate Richie was
very cruel officer. and that off the coast Of
Chile he had a row with Joss, or "Frenchy,"
and threatened to throw him overheard.
The cause of the trouble was that Frenchy
let c,ew drop to the deck deck while
that it made awakened the Off
Ger, and made him wild with rage.
After that incident the mate was constantly
imposing on the man, both by abuse and
physical punishment.
On Tuesday night Richie, in company
with Second Mate James Mcmahon, visited
the saloon of one Gercke, on the corner of
| Union and Battery streets, and after drink
ing until they were stupid, Richie left bis
companion for the ship. He states that he
has been drunk since the vessel arrived here
about one month ago. Charles Cooper, the
boatswain of the Hospodar, went aboard a
few moments after the mate, but could not
find Waterman ''Frenchy."
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
The police are of the opinion that there
| is strong case of circumstantial evidence
| against Richie. joss was about 90 years
| of age and a native of France.
The remains also showed that the crabs
had begun their ravage:s On the right side
| of the neck the flesh was eaten off, also
about the right eye In fact a crab was
| found in the right pocket of the pantaloons
which the dead man had IN