The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-08

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ing happened 70 mar the pleasure Of the
voyage until the night of Jan. 10, when
Morris Fitzgerald, the sscoad mate, was
murdered by Thomas st. Clair, a seaman.
The murder was the result of O plan con-
coctei in the fcrecastle to slay the captain,
first and second mates and carpenter ana
convert the chip into Z pirate. S. Clair
was the leader of the mutiueers. The sailors
In the plot with him were Thomas Green,
Herman SpGrf, Edward Larsen and Hans
Hansen. St. Clair lie New Yorker, born
of Irish parents. Sparf is a Swede, Green
is English, Hansen is q Dane and Larsen is
. Norwegian.
When the captain became acquainted
with the facts he caused tho five muCineers
10 be placed in irons aud made ell sail for
Tahiti. At the port OF Pnpeete he landed
the mutlneers, who were placed by United
States Consul j. Lamb Doty On board the
barkeneIue Troptc Bird, which vessel
brought them to San Francisco. and yester-
day they were handed into the custody OF
United States Marshal Long to await trial
on the charge of murder. The Hesper pro
Ceeded from Tahiti to Honolulu, where she
discharged her cargo Of coal, and Is now
supposed TO be en- voyage 30 this city with
the witnesses against the mutiueers.
The murder was one of unparalleled fe-
roCity, the result of a fiendish plot on the
part Of some Of the crew Of the Hesper to
murder the captain and officers and convert
the bark into pirate cruiser on the coast
OF China. Shortly after tho bark left New
castle feeling Of unrest began to manifest
Itself in the forecastle. The cause Of the
discomfort was this man ST. Clair, low
proved, Ignorant looking man, british in
nature AID Of low order Of intelligence,
but with q tacJ for noldiDg his shipmates
like dough in his fingers. IL was a species Of
hyDnOtiem that he exercised over those men
whose intelligence was inferior only to his
own. Arttully this ocean CCDspiratar felt his
way among the men until he felt sare that
four OF them would nssist IN the plan lie
had conceived. Then ST. Clair unfO!ded TO
them the idea that was uppermost in his
brain. he told them Of the scheme be had
matured to murder tho officers, gain pos
session Of the ship, sell the cargo ~ sUme
convenient port, and then range the ocean
as freebooter with himself in command.
l5 was st. Clair's plan to intercept and loot
the small craft plying with specie between
the ports on the China coast Iudamed by
the picture of q life Of ease and luxury so
vividly painted by ST. Clair, the four men
whom he had chosen readily consented 60
become his COnfederates. A favorable time
TO assassinate the officers Of the Hesper was
awaited, and finally the night OF JGn. 10
was selected.
No better occasion for suoh deed could
have been chosen. A gale was blowing,
causing the billows to thunp against tho
side Of the bark, with nose sufficient to
drown the sound of any ordinary commo.
tion on board, while the rain streamed down
on the deck IN a drenching torrent. It was
about 1880 O'Clock at night. Edward Lar
son was at the wheel, and forward were St
Clair, Herman Sparf, Hans Hansen and
fitzgerald. Suspecting nothing wrong
fitzgerald, the mate, was giviog orders to
Larsen how to steer the Yessel's course. St
CialT, with his fellow conspirators. steslthily
left the torecastle and crept on deck.
Turning to his followers ST. Clair brand
lshed aloft an ak. Come on" he whis-
pered; Now is the time" He gave a leap
and then was heard the sound of the steel
crushing through the mates skull and the
ialI OF the mates body to the deck. Brought
into the very presence of this awful crime
the sailors shrank back in terror as thew
listened to the thud OF the ak while st.
Clair ralned blows on the already lifeess
form OF Mate Fitzgerald. One more sound
was heard. It was the barking OF the shiD's
cog, awakened By the fall Of the mates
body.
Having finished his butchery of Fitz-
gerald body the seaman became frenzied
ana Ieaplng from the corpse he cried;
now is the time, boys: let US finish it.
NOW tor the captain. mate and carpenter"
ne spoke to the winds; his allies sckened
oy the spectacle Of the nangled Oh iect lying
on the deck, were deaf to his commands.
Inc murderer raved and cursed in vain;
not an arm was lifted, not a body stirred
swearing at his chiCken-hearted accom-
phoeS, St. Clair ran aft and ordered Lar
sen to go into the cabin and awaken the
captain. The man at the Wheel refused to
do his bidding, ard ST. Clair proceeded for
ward again and implOred Hansen and
ShaTt TO help him finish the bloody pro-
gramme they had mapped out His en-
treaties were addressed to Geat ears For
nearly an hour he argued and pleaded with
them in vain.
Finally, seeing thar be was deserted, aud
AAowlng that before long First Mate Lucas
would appear Oh decE and discover the
crime, st. Clair inplored the others to help
MN conceal ell evidence OF It by throwing
the corpse overheard and acruJbing the red
stains from the deck Feerlliiy ths mutt
nLeera approached the corpse, end trem-
blLgiY they lifted = in their arms and
dropped it over the side.
A few minutes later First Mate Lucas ap-
peeTea on deck. But fer the man st tho
Tueel the ship was deserted. Surprised Gt
hhdlng nobody to relieve. Lucas asked L9r-
son what had become Of Fitzgerald.
He Went forward a few minutes ego ."
was The reply.
After aiting for some time ard perceiv-
ing nothing Of Fitzgerald, the first mate
searched for him, thinking TO find him
asleep on the deck load. Not ludl1g him
be called Capt. SoderRren. The crew was
aroused AID the ship searched thoroughly,
out, OF course, 10 trace OF the murde,ed
man was found.
When daylight came, however, these
I"iul stains were found on the deck, and
TOE captain OWNED what had happened. lie
impaired his suspicious 20 Lucas end b
carpenter Bradshaw, who agreed with him,
ana quick action was determined upon. Al
Three armed Themselves with loaded 70
yolvers aud the crew wes called on deck
Larsen, tho man at the wheel on Fitzger-
Rerald's watch, was accused Of kuOwiug
something about the crime and when d.
reo,ly charged with the murder he con-
Iessed oil he knew. All five cJn5Dirators
We're placed IN irons and she ie5pers course
was shaped for Tahiti. Upon their arrival
at tho islands tho mutineers were turned
over to United STATES Consul j. Lamb
Doty, who placed them On the TropiC Bird
Ia charge of'two Frcach gendarmes eud
special United Staios marshal en- route 70
THIS CITY Co stand tria! for murder