The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-20
A SEA TRAGEDY.
The Desperate Murderer for Weeks
Defies the Crew.

The Desperate Murderer for Weeks
Defies the Crew.
The Italian bark Manuel Mainetto, now
discharging her cargo at one Of the London
docks. was the scene of an exciting sea
tragedy on her recent voyage from Rangoon.
Captain Rixig, her master, Immediately
upon her arrival notified the London police
that lie had a murderer aboard his vessel,
but that it was impossible for any of the
crew to get at him. The crew of the bark
were all Italians. Several disputes arose
between the men, but they passed over
aud no harm resulted from them. On
October 4th, however, the whole crew
became involved in a quarrel and from
words tie men soon came 10 blows. In a
fash the sailors drew their sharp case
EGifes, and general stabbing aid saShng
affray occurred. Before many Of the men
had received serious wounds one of the
fighting sailors struck the man nearest him
a terrible blow with his knife, burying tina
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
men. and the captain gave orders that the
murderer be secured, placed in irons and
locked M below decks. The orders were
readily obeyed by the men, who were
cowed by the outcome Of their quarrel. and
the murderer was imprisoned. About Oc-
tober 10th the bark passed ST. Helena, and
the voyage was continued without any fur
Their trouble among the crew until abOutNo-
venber 4th.
The murderer had been kept in close con-
fnement until this date, when by some
means he succeeded in Kidding himself of
the handouts and escaping from his prison.
lie had been locked up in the fore peak of
the vessel, and upon gaining his liberty he
took refuge in the hold. Here he piled part
of the cargo to form a barricRde, and
thOnUh the officers and fripn in ay.lrv
way to dislodge him, they could not do so.
The bark's cargo did not reach to her deck
beams, and the fellow had practically the
run of the hold. He had key to the ships
stores, aud here he secured a plentiful sup
ply of food. From the carpenters tools in
the fore part he obtained an auger, and
with this he bored holes along the hatch
combings, and when 1t rained he would
catch and preserve the water that trickled
through. He might have been captured
could he have been surprised when outside
the barricade, but he was wary and des-
perate, and 1t was decided it would be the
safer plan TO leave him alone until the ship
reached port. Much anxiety was felt that
lie might take it into his head to bore hole
in the ships side and scuttle her, and
drown himself and all on board rather than
face the penalty Of his crime
The man in the hold was still master of
the situation when the vessel reached port,
and though he could not escape he could
The police thought they would have little
difficulty in capturing the man, but when
they attempted 20 put their plans into eff
feet they found them as futile as those of
the bark's crew. For four days they tried
to devise means to get him from behind his
barricade. The work Of discharging the
vessel was commenced, and after a large
quantity of cargo was taken out the man
appeared and surrendered himself The
reason for this action was plainly visible
in m nrfn fana firm 10
CHASTITY pale from his long confinement in
the ill-ventllated hold. and he was ema-
ciated, and 1t was very evident that he did
not have strength enough to make him dam
gerous. The bark's store-ro0m had been
emptied of its contents, and it was impos-
siDle for min to get anything to eat. He
had not tasted food for two days, and he
was so near dead from starvation and from
breathing the foul air of the hold that it
was necessary to take him to hospital.