Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-24
A MYSTERY OF CADIZ.


prospect may be grasped.
A MYSTERY OF CADIZ,
| A Leaf Extracted for"The Star" From n Reve-
nue. Cutter Officers Log Book.
OFFICES OF THE REVENUE CUTTER
Oservice sometimes meet with strange ad-
ventures and they often come in contact with
people and see phases of life by no means CON-
| monplace. One of the strangest and most
heartrending scenes ever witnessed happened
about eleven years ago, while was serving az
cadet on board the revenue school ship Salmon
P. Chase.
| We had sailed from New Bedford the early
part of June and after being becalmed for two
days just outside of Block Island we took a
fair breeze, and with everything drawing, even
to the topmast and top gallant studding sails,
we laid our course for Cadiz, Spain.
Few incidents worthy of note occurred dur
| ing the passage across. We were fortunate
enough to pass the Azores during daylight and
secured good view of the justly famed peak
| of Pico. which can be seen for sixty miles.
| The roaring 40's" saluted us with sharp
| squall and we were blown near enough to the
African coast to receive the usual sprinkling of
desert sand that during certain seasons Is con-
| tinually blown far off 20
1t was about sunset on a beautiful July even
ing when those sweetest of all words to sailor
ear. Land o." rang out on the summer air
| from the lookout on the topsail yard.
Where away?' shouted the officer Of the
deck
Fright ahead, SIR
Our navigating officer quickly sings his glass
| over his shoulder and climbs nimbly aloft. He
makes deliberate, careful examination of the
distant horizon, comes down on deck, speaks a
few words to the captain and the course Of the
vessel is slightly changed.
IN cADIz.
BY 9 o'clock the lights of the oldest city in
Europe are plainly visible. We stand ''off and
on" until daylight, when, taking our pilot
aboard. we sail into the beautiful bay of Cadiz
and drop anchor. 1t is here that the singular
| incident / am about to relate occurred. Ten
days elapsed. during which time all the cadets
had ample opportunity TO visit every place of
interest. not only in the quaint old city of
Cadiz. but also Seville and its far-famed alcaza.
a bull fight at Xeras and the frowning cliffs
and wonderful winding galleries of Gibraltar.
Our water tanks were filed. ship chandlery
taken on board. ice chests and store rooms
filed, covers taken off sails. spare boats got in
on the gallows frame and dashed and everything
made ready for sea- All hands were on board
except the pilot, who was expected on board by
daylight in the morning. Expecting an early
call the next day, the cadets, crew. except the
regular anchor watch, and most of the officers
had turned in by $50. The captain, officer
Of the deck and surgeon were grouped on the
port side of the quarter deck, that being the
side toward the town, laughing and chatting.
MAKING TOWARD TIE SHIP.
/ being the cadet of the watch was pacing up
and down in the port gangway. While looking
over toward town saw a boat put off from the
quay and head in the direction of the Chase
The full moon shining out of a cloudless sky
III kl,-
the stern vigorously sculling, while standing
amidships was the figure of man. As the
boat rapidly drew near could plainly discern
that this mans gaze was directed toward
the Chase. He, however. cast frequent
furtive glances in the direction Of the
town and several times seemed to be
urging the boatman to increased
speed. The boat soon came within hailing dis
lance and was challenged by the quartermaster
of the watch. The boatman ceased sculling
| and the man standing amidships asked in Span
ish. in a voice trembling with excitement, if he
could come on board and see the captain. Per-
mission was granted. The boat came alongside
the port gangway and the man who had just
spoken came hurriedly over the side and stepped
on deck.
He was large, fnely-proportioned. hand
some man. a little over middle age and fash
ionably dressed. With a nervous military
salute he requested to be shown to the captain
This being done our strange visitor. without
any Dftiuuc anu Will y,
in rapid tone launched forth into a supplica-
ton. the nature of which we could not dis
cover, owing to his rapid and broken tones.
After several futile attempts the captain at last
succeeded in stopping him and making him
comprehend that he must proceed more de-
| hberately in order to be understood.
BEGGING FOR HIS LIFE.
Then, talking more slowly, but suffering from
| increased excitement, his face showing in
every lineament anxiety and terror. he begged
and besought the captain TO take him to America.
| He pulled out Of his pocket a small leather
case containing jewels and offered them to the
| captain for passage across. He begged with
tears in his eyes that he might not be sent off
| the ship. He said he would do ANYTHING
servant If he could only be permitted
| to go with us. On learning from
the captain that it was absolutely impossible
for his request to be granted. that passengers
were not allowed on government vessels and
the crew list was full, he fell on his knees.
| looked up into the captains face in the most
, bese eching manner and told him i'll rapid and
| husky tones that to send him on shore would
be TO doom him to a disgraceful death; that he
had committed great crime, whose enormity
was increased by the fact that he was high Of
fcer in the Spanish army and TO- prove lis irlent-
| ity he exhibited documents that demonstrated
| beyond doubt that he was exactly what he
represented himself. He said all other avenues
| OF escape were BY this time closed, that if we
| took him to America no one in Spain should
| ever know his fate and that his life would be
saved. All our sympathies were with this un-
| fortunate man, but of course his entreaties
could not be granted.
RETURNING TO HIS DOOM.
With the most detected and broken-hearted
manner / ever beheld he went ever the side,
got into the boat and slowly proceeded toward
| the quay. Several times the boat stopped aad
i -, -. \
ward Us in a duplicating manner as if beseech-
| ing the captain TO alter his determination. We
sailed at daylight the following morning, and
| have never learned the nature Of the mani
crime or what fate befel him. PVT,