The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-09

p unfortunate officer was killed were made
both to Captain Lodergren and to the
o.: United States Consul at PaDeete, Tahiti.
:. The principal actor in the bloody ira
e. gedy was Thomas st. Clair. Herman Sparf
=: and Hans Hanson were proved 10 be lis
- aGrRsSeries. BY agreement between them,
- slccDyFiuG to the evidence and statements,
=: tll e- victim was brought forward on that
:: f3rtefWl *night for him on a preteXt that
=. slinetEing was wrong with the ships can
:. IS: or. rigging, Hanson having lOOsened
%--OIia: :Of the sails to make it flop in the
:: 'hTeeze. st. Clair Undecided a Ratchet into
his: brain and Sparf struck him with a
,<.+bEidgecn. The unfortunate mans head
s. and ffseupaer part of his body were liter
: a3Ly hacked and dubbed TO pulp and
I'll al lie was thrown overheard.
:r:Ile object of the crime was to get pos
:: session Of the ship aud her supposed treas
lure Of about S14, 800 and 30 turn her into
'a:pirate. Captain Sodergren and First
Mate Lucas were also doomed, but Sparf
and Hanson. particularly Hanson, were
=: salGto have weakened.
:. The murdeTers were put in irons. and,
=: :dgrIng the time it took 10 get to Tahiti,
the remaining officers Of The ship were in
=. drpad and Mrs. SOdergTen, the captains
:: wife kept watch with a handy revolver
when her husband was sleeping off duty
for fear of another attempt at wholesale
= slaughter.
st. Clair was first tried and afterwarG
SpaTf and Hanson were tried Jointly. IL
q. was urged IN behalf OF Hanson that he
:. did not know there was going to be muir
-: der, and simply entered into the con-
= spracy supp0siDg that the second mate
:. was to receive only severe thrashing for
faucied grievance. The jury could not
bring in any other verdict, however than
- guilty, according to the evidence and
under the instructions Of United States
Circuit Judge McKenna.
.; As the United States laws do not make
the same distinctions between murder.
manslaughter. homicide ETC., there is but
one penalty for murder upon the high
seas, that of death. and considering that
fact some of the jurors agreed TO the YER
diet with great reluctance.
:: The three men have all been senteDce
e. to be hanged, but their attorneys, Messrs.
.. Smith ard kierce, took appeals, which ef-
time. st. Clair was to have been hanged
- last month, and the date fixed for Sparf and
Hanson was the oath inst. 1t will prob
ably be several months before the appeals
- are heard by tile United States Supreme
= Court.
Owing to Hanson's age-he is in his
TWEEN tes-and his rather plausible face
and manner, he usually creates a favor
able impression and wins sympathy. He
seems to know something about sentiment
and religion, too. though doubts are enter
tanned as to his sincerity, and all the cir
cumstances of the case are opposed 10 his
profession OF innocence-a profession he
does not appear 10 make very strong
Neither he nor Sparf took the stand in
their own defense, but their reason for q OF
doing so they say is that their counsel
. would not allow them TO.
go The persons who have interested them
selves in Hanson's behalf are philan-
tifropic lady of St John, New Brunswick
named Miss Mary Z. hutchinson, who
STA fted a Sailors Rest with the fortune left
her bV her father, a wealthyiship-owner
and which she still conducts, and the
.Lieuteaa of that Canadian
province, John Boyd, to whom she adj
dressed her entreaiy. The Lieutenant
Governor has written an autograph letter
T. TO President Cleveland, asking the chief
executive of this country to exercise
clemency, and all letters, along with a
Photograph Of young Hanson taken wnen
he was in ST. John in October, 1889, have
been forwarded to United States District
Attorney Garter here, with instructions TO
l0Qk into the matter and TO report alter
consulting with Judge Mckenna. Attorr
= :ney Smith will do his utmost TO start Ike
movement in Hanson's interest in this
city.
When Hanson was in st. John he was at
MISS Hutchinson's Sailors Rest. and she
became quite attached to him in her phil
anthroplc way, captivated by HE winning
% manner and pleasing boyiSh face.
o near Df Hanson's conviction was a
SAD shock to her. Hanso on himself wrote
10 ner a letter as follows from the County
DAN here. September %:
~ pear Friend: II may still call you So.
wan sad heart Go | write this letter to you
tono4ty you OF my great trouble | am SEN
tsDcea 10 death mere in San Francisco for mGr
ger on me nigh seas, but l am Innocent. am
= 10 De executed On tile gath OF November, so
naHF oIy month aud a half TO live Id yet. L
Shoulu IKE so very much to hear from Won be-
lore DE-. ate; op, Il you could only know what
nave suffered here In my dark cell in this
gloomy prisons My thoughts have often wan.
dered back 10 dear old 81. john, wnere have
spent so many happy days, and especially back
10 the dear old Sailors Rest In has never
been out OF my thoughts, no matter where /
roundabout on the wild prairie ightng the
Indians or out on the stormy deep ana even
here 10 my lonesome cell awaiting nv deatb on
the seafold.
1t is in my thought, and many PRAYER do
send up 70 my Heavenly Father for the dear oId
Sailors Rest, aud know he will answer them
for he has forgiven his poor, snfu child. Oh,
dear beloved friend aud sister, pray for me in
my last hours, for ne d great Strength in fac.
ingsthe dark cruel death of the scaffold. Dear
= friend, lf'Gustav is still living give him my great
love and tell him that he is ever dear TO me- and