The morning call., 1893-03-18
A PATHETIC STORY.
Captain Williams Dies
From His Wounds.
The Tale Of Man Who Counted the
World Well Lost-The
Inquest.

The beginning Of the closing chapter In
one OF the most pathetic stories from the
Coroner's records of this city will be
written this morning, when Coroner
Hughes holds the inquest upon the body Of
Captain Richard Williams, commander of
the stanch ship Goodrich. who died in the
Receiving Hospital Yesterday morning from
pistol shot, self-inhicted on the 4th of the
present month.
Years ago, an English lad, haillng from
Yarmouth, was sent aboard a vessel bound
round the world to learn to be sailor. IL
was Richard Williams and he had been
given many advantages at home in the way
OF education that his sh ipmates had not
enjoyed, but was willing to learn and sat
at the feet Of the old tars when they advised
him and taught him the tricks of his chosen
trade. On through the various branches of
the merchant marine service Williams
served until he reached manhood'S estate
and then he was given ship.
Right we'll did the sturdy young captain
fulfill his duties in his post Of commander,
aud Fortune. ''the tickle jade" who knocks
at every mans door once in his lifetime,
found the man who had won his way from
before the mast TO the quarter deck at home
and smiled upon him.
The oft quoted saying, which has long
since passed into a pTOverb, that "a sailor
has wife in every port" failed in Its ap-
pl4ChAlUu ~ W llidillh. lie IaQ long lOHeu
pretty maiden and when he finally got his
step" and became a captain he welded her.
Then came years Of happiness, but by and
by Williams saw with ever-growing appre-
hensi0n that the woman he loved better
than his life was gradually allowing her
love for liquor to master her. What torture
the man endured as he strOYe week after
week and month after month 10 wean his
wife away from the vice that was so stead
lily aud so surely blighting both their lives
no one knows, but, being brave man. he
buried his sorrow and hiQ his disgrace, and
kept on trying after failures innumerabla
AS a last resort the wife was taken with
him on his voyages, but even under his
careful tender watching she was unable TO
resist the cup, and finally On March last
she left the ship IN way that broke the
brave OLD sailors heart and made life to
him no longer worth living. His love
for her had never faltered, but there is an
end even TO the endurance Of a man who
idoize5 his wife, ana it came to Captain
Williams that afternoon, when his plead
ings had been sc0Tned and his love thrust
aside.
With the deliberaton born of despair the
man went to his stateroom and fired the
sh0t that evidently ended his life
Beyond question he expected the end to
be swift and sudden. but the fate that had
wrecked his happiness was not vet content
and through the weary days and long, lone
some nights since March he tossed and
turned upon bed Of pain. Happily he
was not all the time conscious of mis- ter
rible physical suffering and the deeper,
sharper pain way down in his heart That
rest which nature sometimes gives her
stricken children held him lowering on the
borderiand OF eternity his brain dead to his
physical agony. Bnt when moments OF con-
seriousness came the wounded man missed
from his bedside the woman to whom he
had given the best years of his life and for
whom he had brayed the terr0rs of that
unknown country" The tender touch of
the loving hand of the woman whom he had
sworn al the altar to love and cherish until
death parted them was missing and strongers
ministered to his comfort and took the place
OF her whom he had fonGly imagined would
be at his size when he entered the valley of
shadows.
The dread messenger who had been so
near for days and had yet withheld his
hand claimed his own yesterday morning.
In the chill of the gray dawn the suffering
body and broken heart found peace and
rest. Quietly, like tired child, the man
who had faced storms and tempests and
brayed the dangers of the deep went to
sleep to wake no more. His wife had been
hastily summoned and was at his bedside,
but the glazed eyes could not see her, the
ears were deaf to her piteous pleadings and
the last whitening lips were unrespOnsive
to her kisses. Mrs. Williams may live for
years, but standing out from all her lie
there will be that hour Of agony.
To his sailors the news was sent, and the
men who Knew him best and loved him
most received it In silence. 1t was not un-
expected. 0ne old sailor, who had been
with Captain Williams on many voyages,
lifted his cap, and with tears streaming
down his cheeks said, God rest bis soul"
That was ali.
And now, to-day. the inquest will be held
and then the body buried. Time, that
blunts the edge of grief, will wipe away
from the memory OF most men the story of
Captain Williams death, and then some
time the last Of the last chapter of the story
will be written. What will it be?