Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-16
HE DEFIED THE CREW.
A Murderer Holds ut Bay All the People on
Board Ship.

very peculiar state of affairs existed on
board the Italian bark Emanuele Mainette,
from Rangoon July IS, which arrived at Lon
don on Saturday last. Capt Rixig. her master,
Immediately upon her arrival notified the
London police that he had murderer aboard
his vessel, but that it was impossible for any
Of his crew to get at him. In detail the story
told by the captain was as follows: After the
bark sailed from Rangoon everything pro-
ceeded in the usual monotonous course of life
on board deep sea sailing vessel until the
bark had been out nearly three months. The
crew of the bark were all Italians, and were of
the usual excitable nature of that race.
Several disputes arose between the men. but
they passed over and no harm resulted
from them. On October 4, however,
the whole crew became involved III
quarrel, and from words the men
soon came to blows. In a fash the sailors drew
their sharp case knives. which most foreign
seamen wear suspended in a sheath on the hip,
and q general stabbing and slashing affray oc-
Cured Before many of the men had received
serious wounds one of the fighting sailors
struck the man nearest him terrific blow with
his knife. burying the weapon to the handle In
his victims body. The wounded man threw
up his hands and fell dead to the deck. This
sight had the effect of calming the angry feel
ings of the men, and the captain gave orders
that the murderer be secured. placed in irons
and locked up below decks. The orders we're
readily obeyed by the men. who we're cOwed by
the outcome of their quarrel and the murderer
was imprisoned. About October 10 the bark
passed st. Helena, and the voyage continued
without any further trouble among the crew
until about November T. The murderer had
been kept in close confinement until this date,
when by some means he succeeded in Kidding
himself of the handouts and escaping from his
prison. He had been locked mp in the lore
peak of the vessel and upon gaining his lib
erty he took refuge in the hold. Here he
piled part of the cargo to form barricade,
and though the officers and crew tried in every
way to dislodge him they could not do 30.
The bark's cargo did not reach to her deck
beams, and the fellow had practically the run
of the hold. He had access to the ships stores,
and here he procured plentiful supply offood,
biscuits. &c. From the carpenters tools in the
forepeak he obtained an auger, and with this
he bored holes alongside the hatch combinss,
and when 1T rained he would catch and pre-
serve the water that trickled through. He
might have been captured could he have been
surprised when outside his bariicade but he
was wary and desperate and it was decided it
would be a safer plan 20 leave him alone until
the ship reached port. Much anxiety was felt
that he might take it into his head to bore a
hole in the ships side and scuttle her and
drown himself and all on board rather than to
face the penalty of his crime, but this he did
not do. and finally the bark came safe to port.
The man in the hold was still master of the
and though he could not escape he
could prevent any one from taking him pris-
oner A close watch was kept on the com
pSuioDways and matches to prevent him from
getting away, and az soon the bark was in
dock police assistance was asked for. The po-
lice thought they would have little trouble in
the man, but when they attempted
to put their plans into effect they found them
as futile as those Of the bark's crew. From
until yesterday they tried to devise
means to get him from behind his barricade,
but he remained in position where he could
not be reached except At the imminent risk of
life.
The police were prepared to take desperate
measures to overpower the murderer when
he was forced to abandon the place in which
he had taken refuge. They were greatly,
not to say agreeablv. surprised when, after
a large quantity of cargo was taken out YES
terday. the man appeared and surrendered
himself. The reason for this action was plainly
visible in the murierers face and figure. He
the i!l-ventilated hold and he was emacate1,
and ii WAS very evident that lie did no. have
strength enough TO make him dangerous The
barks store room had been emptied of its con-
tents just before the vessel went into her dock
and the result was that 1t impossible for
him to get anything to eat. he had not tasted
food for two days and he was SO near death
from starvation and from breathing the foul
air OF the hold that it was necessary to take him
TO hospital. As soon he sufficiently re-
covers he viii be sent to Italy for trial on the
charge OF murder.