The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-25

/
| rarely had occasion TO venture into the
| lower regions where the sergeant held
| sway. On this unlucky day he was dis
patched with the cuddy boy to the alter
! hold to obtain basket of wine. The light
was uncertain, and in returning the native
collided with Moriarty in the passageway.
There was clash of glass, an imprecatiOn
and a blow. Then the HindOo, badly
/; frightened and minus the wine, came
flying up the companionway stairs, fol-
lowed by the thoroughly infuriated Irish
man. Had not others interfered the fate
of the dusky native would have been un-
/ pleasant.
The incident naturally caused a stir,
and the crusty old coffee planter COM
planned bitterly of the loss of his wine.
Through the intercession OF the other
passengers, however, Moriarty was let OFF
| with short curtailment of his liberty
and the promise of severe punishment If
! the OtfenSe was repeated.
| There were no further outbreaks on the
| part OF the Irish sergeant during the vOy-
age. and be cOntented himself with NUT
tered imprecations whenever the object
of his hatred came within the range OF
his vision. Once his eyes blazed, and ne
was on the point OF an explosion as the
! "carrion-eating Pariah," the term of en-
dearment bestowed on the HindOo 10y
! him, approached too near on the deck,
/ but friendly hussar diverted his atten-
ton, and the trouble blew over.
1t was on the night of April I. 1864,
that the tragedy in which Moriarty was
believed TO have lost his life occurred.
The Rerown had entered the British
channels and was carefully threading her
path through the numerous vessels that
filled the great waterway. On all sides
! twinklcd the lanterns OF these hre-flies of
passage, and far away on the horizon
flashed the flame of an occasional light
house. One by one the passengers, happy
in the thought that but day separated
them from their friends and home,
retired to their berths. and soon
the decks of the ship were ap-
parently deserted, save by the second
mate on duty and the watch. The
officer passed the poop-deck, now and
then stopping 10 glance az the pinnacle
or 10 give an order 10 the man at the
wheel; the other members of the watch
were forward. Drifting beside the ship
was a fishing smack. her master and his
two mates being down in the pantry re-
ceiving pay for supply OF fish and
oysters, and exchanging news with the
steward over glass OF eroZ. mist
slowly settled down over the sea and the
second mate whistled for the bostswain,
and sent him below to order the fishermen
to go on board their sloOp and cast of.
Just about this time the officers atten-
ton was attracted by strange sounds like
a smothered cry and heavy fall. The
noise ceased. aud, a. it was not repeated,
he concluded that it came from a drunken
soldier in the Storage, or more possibly
from group Of hussar officers and other
/ of hsA
cabins, were celebrating with wine and
oysters their last night on the ship, the
notes of their merry-making being borne
to the outer air by the open portfolio OF
the cabin.
The fishermen, obeying the boat
swains message, left the ship, un-
fastened their moorings and were soon
lost sight of in the log. The RenOwn
ploughed her way SLOWLY through the
gloom the vigilance Of the lookout being
doubled as the fog thickened. GRADUALLY
the songs OF the jewellers in the lower
cabin ceased and the stiffness was only
broken by the rafting OF Il rudder chain,
the Tapping of q sail or the far-off whistle
OF coasting steamer.
And SO the night passed on until early
morning. when, Just as eight bells had
struck and the watch was being changed,
the halfconscous form of Notice was
found among the blocks and coils OF rope
at the foot of the mainmast. There was q
cut on his head and he had bled freely.
He cried and talked incoherently, the
words ''Moriarty doree" being particularly
prominent in his rambling iargon. The
ships doctor took him in hand, and when
he had recovered full consciousness he
told a story OF how, when on his way TO
the caboose about IL o'clock the night be-
fore 10 get some hot water for his master s
nightcap, ne had been attacked by Sergt.
Moriarty with big sword"
HE much drink arrsck. He mad. and
say he cut damn Pariah dog head up" ex-
planned the Hindo in garbled English. \
broken pitcher on the deck was partial
confederation of Notices statement, but
his alleged assaiant had disappeared.
1t was well known that Moriarty, in
sharing the good cheer OF many friends
the previous evening, had become exhil-
arated. When last seen he was asleep on
n coil of rope with his shoulders resting
against the main mast. He had resisted
all efforts to have him retire below, in
sisting that he must remain on deck 80
obtain the first possible glimpse OF "ouid
England"
The discovery of Notice and the story he
told led to thorough search for the miss
|
be found. In the recess where he slept
were his mattress, pillow and blanket,
rolled up with soldiers precision, and
left as Moriarty had placed them after
using them last. A tin box fastened with
paddock contained his other belongings.
When this was opened it revealed, besides
articles of clothing and the toilet, several
small East Indian curioslties. a page OF
the Illustrated London Ne'rs, picturing the
blowing of mutinous sepoys from the
cannon's mouth, and a rusty scabbardless
bayonet, possibly the same one that, i'll
the hands of the relentless sergeant, had
"p'inted the way" 10 destruction Tor so
many mutineers.
Notices story was not generally accepted
as true. He was large enough and strong
enough to have overcome the sergeant in
his disabled condition, and not few be-
lieved that the Hindoo, finding his enemy
hors du combat, had wrcaked his revenge
on him and thrown the body overheard.
II was not impossible that in the eight
resistance offered, or that by accident,
Notice might have received the wound on
his head, which was evidently the result
of contact with blunt instrument BY
nearly all on board, therefore, the Hindoo
was regarded as murderer; but there
was nothing but circumstantial evidence
against him, and wnen the ship reached
I ! - a.