Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-16
A MURDERER AT BAY
FOrtifies Himself in a Ships Hold
Against officers and Crew.
LANDS IN LONDON UNMOLESTED.
He Holds the Fort for Three More Days
Against Police Squad.
THE OUTCOME OF A SAILORS BATTLE

LONDON, Dec ia very peculiar state
Emanuele Mainetto, from Rangoon, July
49, which arrived at this port Saturday.
Captain Rixig, her master, Immediately
upon her arrival notified the police that
he had murderer aboard his vessel, but
that it was impossible for any of the crew
to get at him.
After the bark sailed from Rangoon
everything proceeded as usual until the ves-
sci had been out nearly three months. The
crew of the' bark were all Italians of the
usual excitable nature Of their race. Sew
eral disputes arose between the men, but
they passed over harmlessly. On October
4, however, the whole crew became in
volved in a quarrel, and from words the
men soon came to blows In a flash the
sailors drew their sharp case-knives, which
most foreign seamen wear suspended in a
sheath on the hip, and a general stabbing
and slashing afray occurred.
The Sight of Blood 0uiets the Mob.
Before many of the men had received seri-
Gus wounds one of the fighting sailors struck
the man nearest him terrible 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 calmed the men and the
captain gave orders that the murderer be
secured, placed in irons and locked up be-
low decks. The orders were readily obeyed
by the men, who were cowed by the out
come of their quarrel, and the murderer
was imprisoned
About October 16 the bark passed st.
Helena and the voyage was continued with
out any further trouble among the crew un-
til about November 4. The murderer had
been kept in close confinement until this date,
when by some means he succeeded in rid
ding himself of his handouts and escaping
from his prison. He had been locked up in
the forepeak of the vessel, and upon gain
ing his liberty he took refuge in the hold.
Here he piled part of the cargo and the
crew tried in every way to dislodge him,
but they could not do so.
He Had the Run Of the Hold.
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 plenti-
full supply of food. From the carpenters
tools in the forepeak he obtained an augur,
and with this he bored holes alongside the
hatch combings, and when it rained he
trickled through. He might have been cap
tured could he have been surprised when
outside his barricade, but he was wary and
desperate, and it was decided it would be
the safer plan to 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.
At port tine man in the hold was still
master of the situation, and, though he
could not escape, he could prevent anyone
from taking him prisoner. A close watch
was kept upon the companionways and
matches to prevent him from getting away,
and rs soon as the bark was in dock police
assistance was asked for.
- The Police at Bay for Three Days.
The police thought they would have lit
tie difficulty in capturing 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 Saturday
until to-day they have been trying to de-
wise means to get him from behind his bar
ricade.
The work of discharging the vessel was
commenced, and after large quantity of
the cargo was taken out the man appeared
and surrendered himself. He was ghastly
pale from his long confinement in the i'll
ventilated hold. 1t was evident that he
did not have strength enough to make him
dangerous.
The bark's storeroom had been emptied of
its contents just before the vessel went into
dock, and the result was that it was impos-
sible for him to get anything to eat. He
r.
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 as he sufficiently RECEIVERS he will be
sent to Italy for trial on the charge of MUIR
der.