The morning call., 1892-03-03
MURDERED AT SEA.
A Sailor Killed by the Cook Of
the {. 4. Sargent.
Shot Down and Buried Like Dog-Captain
Foye's story-What the Passengers
and Crew Say Of the Affair.

Choir when Sergeant Fitzgerald OF the Har-
Dor Police was sent for, and the report
quickly spread that a murder had been conf
mitted on board the vessel.
The murdered man was Charles Brown. a
seaman, and native of Germany, aged SO
years. He was shot by Peter Brown. the
ships cook. The homicide, which was COM
mitted on the evening of February 10, was
the outcome OF a feud between the COOK,
who is eolored man, and the sailors.
A CALLreporter boarded the ship at night
and the story of the killing as told by Captain
Foye is substantially as follows: All the
crew. with the exception of two. OF which
the murdered man was one, were shipped at
Sydney. and with them the cook. So far
as he knew there had been no preyi Gus
trouble between the men. but on the day of
the killing he had heard that the cook had
been having words with some OF the men
and that they had threatened to do
him up."
ROW on DECK.
Il was sitting in The cabin eating my supper
about 80 O'clock" said the captain. when
heard low on deck, aud / at once went for
ward. l found The cook standing at the galley
door on the port side Leeping the sailors AT bay
with revolver. The men were armed with
bars and clubs, While Charles Brown had an iron
81 ordered them to go forward. but they re.
fused 10 go, so pushed tie cook inside the gal
ley and shut the door. l again ordered the me n
10 20 forward and let The cook alone, buf they
swore they would 90 up the COOK before night
The cook heard what tie men said and op ned
the galley door and fired one shot. which struck
Charles Brown, and he fell 10 the deck
The bullet entered the left eye, and The man
died Instantly. l then placed the COOK in irons
and kept him There unti we came into port,
when turned him over 10 the police"
FIRED IN sELF-DEFENsE.
Captain Foye throws the entire blame upon
the men, aud says tile cook fired the fatal shot in
seli-d tfense. The mate was The only person
on boatd that was found 10 agree with The cap
tain, as both The second and third males. three
LADY passengers md every man for ward declare
that the hillirg was "a cold blooded murder.
lie crew tell a different story from that Of
CAPTAIN Foye. According 10 their version The
cook very quaTTe. some, and instead of at
tending 10 has duties IN tie galley assisted The
male la abusing the men. Tie often applied the
most on nsiye language 10 The sailors, aud had
often before threatened to Kill Brown. On De-
cember % be chased him around tie forward
house vii a big knHe, aud was only prevented
from killing him then by The captain and mate
interfering and taking the knife away from him.
Ga another occasion he pointed his pistol at
Brown and told him he would blow The life out
OF him if he opened bis Dutch mouth" The
threatened man iheD went ait and reported 10
the cdBtau but ne only laughed and told him 10
lake his complaints forward and not bother him.
He also added That he did not care IL the COOK
had dozen piStolS-il WAS none OF his business.
BECAME MORE ABUSIVE.
After this the COOK became more abusive, and
on the day of the homicide swore he would have
Brown OF SOME else before night. The men de-
and they went IN body TO the galley 10 ask for
better TODD. The cook cursed them. aud grasp
Ing his revolver, ran out on deck. Brown picked
up an iron, but was disarmed by The mate aud
one oil ih6 sailors.
About Ibis time the captain came forward and
ordered them TO leave IBe galley. Like the COOK
he had pistol In his hand and the men de-
manded that The cook be disaTmed. Again the
captain refused 10 do so, aud Brown then told
The captain that The crew were IN danger OF The liz
lives as The COOK would surely shoot some OF
Them
AL this the cook sprang forward. and placing
the revolver close 10 Browns face, iifed killing
him Instantly. As IL not satisfied with one life
he called for another sailor named Andrew, say.
ing lie would serve him 10 the same manner.
Tie dead sailor was laid out on the main hatch
and on the following morning was sewed ia a
piece Of canvas and dumped over The side.
HE THREATENED AND ABUSED.
Third Maize Ryfkofe aifirms that tie trouble
started before The zip leiI Sydney. The cook
was not only abusive 10 the men but did not COOK
their food IN manner That made IL lit 10 eat
He often threatened to Kill some Of Them, and
seem d 10 have particular grudge against The
dead man and The sailor Andrew.
The second and third mates agree on the story
told by 'he crew, aod say The captain backed the
daughter, who came up from sydney on the
Sargent, witnessed the killing. aud they say
that l. was most cold blooded affair. Crew and
passengers deny tile captains story that the
COOK kept In irons after the killing. but say
he lived IN the captains cabin and walked about
as he pleased.
Brown, who Is a rather intelligent colored
man, was questioned al the City Prison aud de-
clared that the killing was done in sef-defense.
and that the trouble leading 10 II was not due 10
him in any manner. He ackuowedg es that on the
forenoon OF February l6 he had quarrel with
The sailor whom lie subsequently, shot, but IL was
satisfactorily settled at the time aud he thought
ne more about IT..
In The afternoon, according to his version, he
came out OF The galley aud when crossing The
deck saw Brown walking forward follow by
two other sailors Brown had a bar Of iron,
while the others had beaying.pins. They
walked along stealinily, ard all hid their
weapons near tie forward hatch.
SUSPECTED THEIR MOTIVES.
The cook suspected that The weapon was in
tended for on him. and returning 10 the gal
ley armed himself with a revolver. About 4
O'Clock on the same afternoon he had occasion
10 walk up the deck, and when Sailor Brown.
who was at that time sweeping tile deck, saw
him he left his work and approached him.
Without IA word lie struck the cook In the face
with tie broom handle. The assaulted man
showed him away and Brown applied vile epi-
thet to him and threatened to kll him. When
the other sailors Ia league with Brown heard the
qnareling they Ian down the deck with Delay
ing pins. iron bars aud Que with knife III his
hand. They cried: "kiii the black ---.''
The colored man says that he then drew his re-
Volver and gave warning. I'm XIII the first man
that lays his land on me-"
Mate kennedy came 10 his rescue. aud, order.
Ing the sailors TO desist. pushed the colored
man into The galley and closed the door. The
man al the wheel ran TO the galley to take part
In Tie affair, but the captain ordered him back
al the point OF a revolver.
THE SAILORS WERE wRATHY.
The sailors then tried 10 smash the galley door
In. but were prevented by the captain and mate.
he wrath OF the sailors, with The exception OF
Brown, then subsidized, and the cciored man
opened the galley door and stepped ouI upon
the deck. Just he did SO Brown struck
furously at bin with an Iron bar.
He missed his mark. and the colored man who
bad his pistol In his hand, fired. and Brown fell
on the deck. The prisoner added that he Is a
native OF the West Indies, and thai he has been
aboard the ship for eighteen years. during which
be never had any trouble OF consequence.
de denies thai he and the mate were running
the ship, that he ever chased any OF the sailors
around The shin with his pistol. lie admitted
that bs took the part Of the mate several oc
casions. and affirmed that the sailors bore hin
eDmity on that account
PURSUED BY BAD LUCK.
Bad luck seems 10 have followed the ship, and
aside from the killing of The sailor she has had
very hard run OF luck since she started for Sar
Francisco. She sailed from Sydney in October
but before she was at sea twenty-four hours siis
was Caught In heavy gale and lost her fore
mast and main iopgallant mast
In this condition she was t0wed back to sgd
ney for repairs. She made another start aud Ia.
had very bad weather all the way to port. Sal
after sail was blown away, aud the decks wers
constantly swept by The heavy seas.
water for over eight hours and the bulwarks Oh
both SIDES were carried away.
WATER TANKS BROKE ADRIFT.
Two big iron wafer tanks broke adrift and die
considerable damage before they were secured
and 10 wind up this eventful voyage the yesse
came within an ace OF being wrecked inside the
heads yesterday morning.
Captain Foyc did not take tug. as The wind wa
fair, but after passing fortIPoint the wind dies
away and the ship was nearly driven ashore on
the rocks near the fort Orders were at ono
given 10 let 20 The anchor and this was done II
forty-five faihoms of water.
Ninety fathons OF chain was paid out and the
ship brought up not twenty yards from In,
rocks Inc Ing Sea witch went 10 her assist
apce and towed her away from the dangerous
position.