Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-09-04

nei III anu claim pretty lump of sal
wage. This fact had its influence on
our captain, no doubt, though 1 believe
he would have stood by her until the
mystery was solved to satisfy his own
curiosity. 1t was now decided to send
out two boats, and after rumaging
around we armed ourselves with three
old muskets and revolver-all the
firearms the brig could boast of. The
nrst mate took one boat with three men
In it. and I took the other with an equal
number. We planned to menace him,
SO that he would fall into confusion, and
we lay on our oars and let the ship
drift down to U.s. was to hook on to
her bows, while the first mate kept the
sailors busy ait, but we didn't know
how much devil there was in him. he
divided his stock of guns forward and
ait, and his first bullet killed man in
the mates boat. My boat had hooked
on to the forechains, and was thinking
We had clear way to the deck when
ne upset pail of boiling water over us
from the rail, and all of us were forced
to leap into the sea to ease our torments.
The trio Of us were terribly burned and
one of the men entirely lost the sight of
his left eye.
We had not only made another
failure, but here was another dead man
and more wounded. Our crew was
now for bearing away and making no
further attempt to board the stranger,
but the Captain cried out that he would
stand by until he had lost every man
and his own life, too, before he would
be defeated by q single man. We had
to furl everything to keep in company
with the ship, and for three hours the
two crafts drifted along almost within
musket-shot. Then we were ready for
another attack. We had constructed
three bullet-proof shelters along the
port rail, and the idea was to run down
alongside the ship and shoot the Portu.
guese as we passed. We made sail and
ran down, but only to find that the
willy villain had himself constructed a
shelter and our bullets could not reach
him. He gave us three shots while
within range, and though he hit no one,
his shooting was uncomfortably close,
aud proved that he was q good marks
man.
There was but one other way to at.
tack him, and We put that off until late
in the afternoon. We wanted wind
and sea to go down, and we had our
wish. Along about 4 o'clock the
breeze dropped almost out of sight,
while the sea was without q white-cap.
We had made heavy graphing iron.
and the idea was to lay the ship aboard.
When all was ready we bore down on
her, and this was move the Portu-
gese could not checkmate. He had to
remain behind his shelter or expose
himself to our bullets. We ran along
side, cast our graphel. and the two
crafts drifted side by side. Our Cap
tain then gave the signal, and five of
us made rush over the ships rail. In
doing so we were exposed to the sail
or's fire, and he shot the carpenter
through the heart. He had time tc
four of us piled onto him we found
him almost our match. Had not help
come verify believe he would have
gained the victory. He seemed en-
dowed with the strength of a giant.
and his fierceness was that of q
wounded tiger. While he was being
bound he got sailors finger between
his sharp teeth and bit it clean off, and
not one of us escaped without bruises.
When we had finally secured our man
we began the work of clearing up the
mystery. Not = soul could we find
aboard the ship, nor could we at first
account for the absence of the crew.
Then one thing and another was
| brought to light to tell us the horrible
story. She had left Sydney with four.
teen men. The fiend Of Portuguese
had murdered each and every man by
means of poison in the rum. He was the
cook. A week out of port she had met
with heavy weather and been obliged to
lie to and ride it out. This was how
she came to have everything snug aloft.
1t was while she was riding out the gale
that the captain had some trouble with
the cook. Just what it was no one but
the Portuguese knew. He claimed tc
have been brutally assaulted without
cause, and to revenge himself he pois.
oned demijohn of rum kept for the
captains use. Some of this rum, he
claimed, was afterwards served out to
all hands without his knowledge and
the entire crew were thus killed of.
What the real facts were could never
be brought out. As we found no blood
or other evidences of murder in the or.
binary way, we had to accept the sail
ors statement about the poison. He
had dragged every dead man on deck
and thrown over, and when the gale
ceased the ship had taken her own way
to come about and go driving of. The
villain had no idea as to where she
would bring up, and he didn't care SC
long as he was not overhauled.
After great deal of hard work We
got both crafts safely to Cape Town, and
there the wholesale murderer was
turned over for trial. He told the story
OF the poisoning as coolly as you please.
and I shall never forget his statement
of what followed after the liquor was
served out.
Captain he fall down and cry out
and die" explained the fiend. ether
the mate he roll over and scream and
90 dead Then the sailors call to God
to save 'em, but all go dead in one-halt
hour!"
"Then what?" was asked.
"Then laugh ha ha ha! and throw