The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-23
A STORY OF THE SEA.
Thrilling Adventures Of !
Scotch Sailor Boy.
IN PRISONS AND sHlPwREcks.
\ Yarn Told In the jail 20 the Prisen-
srs-In the ships Dark Hole-Nar-
row Escape From Death.

row Escape From Death.
Though it was dull and monotonous in
the main Office at police headquarters
yesterday, it was anything but unpleasant
in the upper main corridor of the Jail
below. Having engaged in . brawl with
some sailors on the water front Saturday
night, John Mcpherson, q bright Scotch
boy, about is years of age, had been locked
up for disorderly conduct and ell day he
was the life of the twenty-seven or more
prisoners who shared the same corridor
with him. For . time he RECALLED his cell
companions with characteristic songs and
an occasional Highland fling, and when
his legs had tired out he told the story Of
his experience as Q prentice at sea, begin
ming at the time he ran away from his
Highland home, eighteen months ago. He
had seated himself comfortably on the
edge of table, which occupies the center
Of the corridor, and held the men about
him as interested listeners:
II remember the day left home a. well
Is can be-, he said. my father skelped
me for not doing as he told me, and made
mp my mind would leave home and take
to the sea. had never seen the sea, but I
had thought about 1t great deal. So the
next morning. didn't sleep much that
night got up before daylight, when all
were asleep, and struck out for Glasgow.
When got to the railway station / paid
my fare, for had little money, but when
l got to Glasgow I didn't have penny. I
was lost for while, but found the docks
and boarded the first ship / came to.
1t was the British clipper Ivanhoe. The
captain said he'd take me as prentice,
cause one of the 'prentices had run away.
"Three days after that the ship left for
Liverpool, and when we'd been there
week the captain, who was ]. C. Howard.
said to the mate that we had orders to go
to Santa Rosalia. Lower California, with
coal and coke. / asked the second mate
where Santa Rosalia was, and he said it
was away off in America, and it might
take $50 days or more to sail there.
didn't like that and told him wouldn't
go, but he said l had signed for three
years and couldn't leave. One morning
when woke up heard the water swish
ing very hard, and got up and went out
Of the 'fo'c'stle-head' and saw Liverpool
away behind. The captain and mate were
standing on the poop deck, and little tug
with long line to us was pulling the
1vanhoe out to sea.
II didn't get seasick at all-not even
when came to Liverpool from Glasgow,
but some of the other sailors got sick. 1
thought it would be fun, but it wasn't at
all. One day-the third day out-the mig
ger cook told me to saw some wood for
from the hold I told him to 60 and be
damned, and he cuffed me about like dog.
went to the captain and told him what
the niger had done and he cuffed me out
OF the cabin and told me never to come in
again unless | was first hidden. Then
told the mate and he cuffed me of the
poop deck for speaking to the captain at
all. Then when the second mate heard
about it he cuffed me for swearing at the
cook, and when went back to the cook to
get what he told me he cuffed me for
daring to report him. soon learned that
had to do everything / was told and
were called out on deck to reef the main
royal top sail. The sea was high and q
hurricane had come up. We were some
where near the tropics and the sea washed
over the ship at every lurch and she rolled
and pitched SO we had tohold to the rigging
to keep from going under with the
waves. Several sailors went up the rig
ging and the second mate, who had
reached the lower yard, shouted to me to
bring Q marlin spike. I don't know what
he wanted with it, but l got one of the
heavy iron spikes and made my way up
the rigging; I had nearly reached him
when the ship gave sharp lurch and
lost my hold. dropped the marlin spike
and grabbed at swaying rope and saved
myself. Iheard the mates warning shout,
Stand from under, and glanced down lust
in time to see the Niger cook dodge. But
he lodged the wrong way. The marlin
spike hit him on the head. The next
Ill u L.
away from the galley and when the storm
died down the sailmaker sewed the niger
up in canvas sack ard they buried him
at sea.
1.-THE morning after that the captain.
mate and second mate decided that 1
should be triced up by the thumbs for six
should be put in irons and kent in ai the
dark hole for thirteen weeks. They be-
heved l had murdered the niger
because he cuffed me that time.
The second day I was triced up
my. thumbs were SWOLLEN and I was
crying and saying l wished l were dead,
when the second mate came along and
kicked my feet from under me. The ship
rolled at the same time, and before could
catch myself again my whole weight
swung on my thumb. fell on the deck
see, and he held up his thumbless right
hand. THE captain put some stuff on the
t,oiS aiu ScWcu tHe Jagke0 SKIN over, ana
then was put in the dark hole. l don't
know how long stayed there. At first l
was weary with heat and then after a
while it was cold. One day sailor put an
icicle in through the peep-hole and I knew
it was cold outside and that the rigging
was freezing. One morning heard shots
and the stewart said, when he put in INV
breakfast, that the captain had shot . con-
dor which few near the ship. He said we
had rounded Cape Horn. For . time /
forgot everything again.
"One day the captain and mate came
into the dark hole. 1t was the first time it
had been opened from the time thew mt
me in, and said they had considered nv
punishment severe enough and that I
could go up on deck again. They took the
irons off my feet and wrists and when /
when went out on deck the light daxzled
me. l could see the sun on the edge of
sea shining over the water / was blinded
by the light 1t was either sunset or sun
rise, don't know which. for had been
in the dark so long it blinded me, and for
two days l could scarcely see.
Il was SO weak from being chained nm
that they didn't ask me to work. and the
captain was really kind. He let me stay
on the poop deck and sit in a cane chair.
One day he gave me glass of wine.
Once, when sleeping in the chair.
heard in he az =,