Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-01-01
A FEARFUL OCEAN TRAGEDY
A Murder Committed a Board the
Steamer Ethiopi byan Insane
Man.
Some "reminiscences Of the Bloody
Deed as Told by aFellOw Pas
SengeI.
The Man Subsequently Arraigned for
Trial but Released IN the Ground
of INSANITY.

Anent the Anchor Line steamer Eth
opia, about whose safety FAIRS were enter
tanned until she arrived at Troy Island,
Ireland D.c. Sd, we'll known Chicago
journalist said:
Il crossed the Atlanticfrom New York
to Glasgow in the ETHIOPIA in Sep, 1888,
and she was 4n old boat then. In fact, |
was told that on her arrival in lyde she
was to have the machinery and boilers
taken out of her and to bt enlirel y reftted.
She is medlum-sized vessel, but broad
IN the beam and proportion to her length,
and, should judge, a god sea-boat On
this passage, however, tie sea was like a
mill-pond the whole way across, so there
was no opportunity of seeing how she
would behave herself in dirty weather.
The trip was marked by ole tragic incident
which | shall never FORGE.
| We left New York at Is o'clock on a
Saturday morning and re,ched the Clyde
eleven days later, so that|ou can see she
was not fast boat. 1t WIS at the end of
! the season, and there we're only nine
cabin passengers, including the four which
plenty of room to move bout in. There
were something like ninety Storage and
intermediate passengers. The captains
name was Campbell, and lie chief mate,
also ScOtchman, named Wilson. The
names of the second and bird officers |
have f,,rgotten, but they a we'll as the
first mate held masters certificates, and
each one was qualified to navigate the
ship. There were FIVE boas, enough to
provide room for all then on BOARD, but far
c,,ff1 bod chi, haa,, fill Of
! passengers. We had boat dill once dur
ing the voyage, and everything was run
'ship-shape and Bristol fashion, as the
sailors say. The crew were, With scarcely
an exception, from Glasgow or Belfast.
The Ethiopia was not crack ship by any
means, but she was a comfortable one and
as my wife was unaccustomed to the sea
and the children very youns, had no
desire to cross in greyhound for the
sake of saving forty-eight hour.
I'VE were we'll out beyond Sandy Hook
| bv breakfast time. On the Sunday after
noon my wife came on the quarterback
for the first time left her seated in a
steamer-chair on the raised deck, and
when | returned few minutes later she
pointed out to me man on The lower
deck, who, she said, had been reating a
| disturbance. 1t appeared that le was a
Storage passenger who had com, further
aft thar the ship laws allowed, and had
been ordered forward by the chic officer.
My wife was alarmed at the wilt appear
ance and the crazy mutterings of he man.
and expressed the hope that he was not a
cabin passenger, subject on which was
not able to reassu1e her. On the Monday
night about 9 o'clock | was sitting in a
game of whist with the doctor md two
passengers in the smoking room On deck
when wild-eyed woman, the Scotch
stewardess, rushed in crying. Doctor,
come quick, Maginnis has been stabbed
by one of the Storage passengers We
all ran hastily forward In the dark and by
the mainmast we found the chief mate
holding by the throat the murderer, whom
he had just grappled with as he was going
over the side At the foot of the fore
companion was group of frightened oc-
cupants of the Storage, and among them
| lay the first steward, groaning in agony.
A rapid examination disclosed a knife cut
near[ y ten inches long, which had rippel
| open the abdomen, and, as the doctor dis
covered at once, had severed the lower IN
testine A passengel who had had some
experience in accident cases in Massa-
chusetts cotton mill assisted me to adj
minister chloroform to the wounded man,
the doctor did what he could to replace
the intestines ard sew up the wound. The
poor steward begged piteonsly to be put
out of his misery, and, although an enor-
nous quantity of the anesthetic was used,
it was impossible to get him thoroughly
under its influence.
Captain Campbell, kneeling by the side
of the poor fellow, asked him who had
stabbed him, and he identified the man,
who had in the meantime been handcnffed
to post in the cabin. 1t seemed that a
few minutes before the murderer asked
Maginnis for light for his pipe and was
given one. At 9 o'clock, the hour at
| which steerage passenger were expected to
retire. TIE steward laid his hand on the
man shoulder and said: Now. my lad,
it is time to go below" Without a word
the man drew clasp-knife and struck at
him. The steward fell, crying out as he
| fell, and his assailant threw his knife into
| the sea and attempted to follow himself,
but was pounced upon by the chief mate.
| Maginnls died twenty hours after he had
been stabbed, and in the afternoon the ship
slowed up for an instant in mldocean. A
scupper was opened in the side of the ship,
a hasty command was 81 wen and rude
| pine box, bearing the remains, was cast
| overheard. Holes had been bored IN the
| box to sink it, but, so far as | could see, it
danced away on the edges of the wave I'M
| til lost In our wake. There was no re-
ligious service or ceremony of any kind,
| and | could not help bnt contrast the
affair with what had read of the solemn
| itv of a burial at sea.
The murderer was confined on deck IN
little cubby, sometimes used az hospl-
| tai. had several conversations with him
and satisfied myself that he was insane.
| He professed that he thought he was going
| to be robbed, but it was found he had only
| fifty cents In bis possession. He was the
same man Of whom my wife had express
| ed her fear. We took up collection tor
| the family of the murdered man and re-
allied pretty we'll considering how few we
numbered. On the Tuesday we sailed into
| Tough Foyle. A boat came alongside and
| hailed the ship. 1t contained the wife OF
| the murdered steward who had obtained
| a passage in one of the anchor line ships
| from GLASGOW and had come to meet her
husband. | never witnessed more dis
! tressing scene than when the news was
communicated to her.
The facts were telegraphed from Tough
| Foyle, and when we arrived In the clyde
| four GLASGOW policemen came on board
and took the prisoner in custody: learn
ed afterward that he was arralgned for
trial, and it was shown that ne mad been
an inmate of lunatic sylum IN Canada
and that the authorities had shipped him
to lis home in Scotland to get rid OF him.
The Jury found him not guilty On the
ground Of insanity and made the custom.