The morning call., 1893-03-19


oners were identified ana then delivered by
United States Marshal Long into the Gus
tOdy of the County JaiIer.
The Hesper is now on her VOYAGE to this
port with the other members OF the crew
who are 10 appear as Witnesses against the
prisoners.
The story of the tragedy, as told by Cap
| tain Sodergren and as already published in
HE MORNING CALL, is as follows:
The HeSper sailed from Newcastle,
| \. ). w, last December with a cargo of
cosl for Honolulu. Al midnight on Janu-
ary Is Lucas, the first mate, discovered that
| Fitzgerald, the second mate, was missing.
| He aroused the captain, when a search was
made, resulting in the discovery of blood
stains amtdship.
Further investigation established the fact
| to the captains satisfaction that FITZGERALD
haG been killed by st. Clair with a Ratchet,
| and by Hansen with bludgeou, during the
| second mates watch, and that Hansen and
| Spart afterward helped St. Clair to throw
the mutllated remains into the sea. The
! three men were at once put in irons and the
| Hesper's course changed to Taniti, where
| she arrived fourteen days later.
Captain Sodergren, it is said. has stated
| that Fitzgerald was killed in pursuance of
| plot to murder all the officers. after which
| the Hesper was to be sailed to some port in
| Chile ana sold there by the mur5erous con-
| spiratorS or used as a pirate ship in the
| China Seas.
The murder, it is charged. was conceived
by st. Clair, who proposed that the second
mate should be killed and thrown over
| board, and then that the captain and first
| mate be called up on deck one at time and
| killed. Hansen and Sparf acQuieseed in the
| diaboIcal plot ST. Clair worked ND the
| scheme by telling his accOmplices the
captain had on board several thousand
| dollars.
About 1890 p. NJ, it being very dark
! night, FITZGERALD was surprised ana cut
| down by ST. Clair and Hansen. The ac-
| completes weakened at the sight of blood
and refused TO go any further.
Soon after these three were double
| ironed Green and Larsen made several at
tempts 10 saw their chains. in consequence
! of which the captain placed them also in
| irons
When Marshal Long boarded the Tropic
| Bird to receive the prisoners the gendarmes
refused TO give them up unless lie showed
| them his authority.
81 don't blame them," remarked Captain
| Burns of the TrOpic Bird. They don't
| understand our customs and are afraid of
| losing one OF their men, and that would
mean for them five years in the chain gang"
Finally the matter was arranged by the
| Marshal giving his personal receipt.
In the MarshaPs Office the five prisoners
made gruesOme-loGking set. They were
all about the medium height and looked
| pale after their close confinement on board
! ship. They seemed quite unconcerued over
/
| humoTed than otherwise. They talked
| without any apparent restraint, but gave
very contradictory accounts of the tragedy
and of their connection with it.
When the five prisoners grouped them
selves for their photograph by CALL ar
fist they seemed TO regard the incident as
| quite a jovial affair. They laughed and
cracked foEecastle jokes while they posed.
st. Clair, the rlngeader, occupied the
| middle seat. SparI sat on his right and
| Hansen on his left Green stood up behind
| st. Clair and Sparf and Larsen between ST.
| Clair and Hansen.
st. Clair stated that he had lived in New
! York since he was three years old. He de-
| MED that lie was the murderer, and said
! that Mate Fitzgerald lost his life by falling
| from the rigging. Il did not see him 90
up" he said. "Sparf told me he had gone.
l heard him cry out as he fell. and knew
the place where he dropped. The reason
| gave no alarm was because | had no re-
grets. was glad he was so we'll disposed
| Of and would not feel any pain II the
captain had followed him. Twas dissatisfied
with the life was leading aud was pre-
| pared for anything. l was tired working
| for S20a month. and had been badly treated
| by the captain and the mates, especially by
| Fitzgerald"
Sparf and Hansen talked freely about the
| tragedy. The first named is Swede and
| the second Dane. They said the officers
| OF the Hesper were constantly abusing
! them. and several times ST. Clair had sug-
gested they do up" the old man and the
mates, but no one listened to him. On the
| night of January IS it was Fitzgerald's
| watch on deck. Larsen was at the wheel.
About 1890 Fitzgerald came from aft al
| most amidships. st. Clair shouted, "NOw's
| the time, boys" cutting the mate to the
! deck. He seemed 70 go mad at the smell of
| blood, and struck the PROSTATE man about
| thirteen times. He then ran back to us with
the AK in his hands aud said: Now come
on, let us finish it. Well get the captain
| and mate out and kill them and then we'll
| be bosses of the ship" They refused to
| have anything to do with the affair. Then
| st. Clair went aft and standing over the
| cabin door ordered Larsen, who was at the
| wheel, to call out the captain. Larsen re-
! fused and st. Clair went forward again.
Three-quariers of an hour later. these two
alleged accomplices assert, st. Clair pro-
| posed to them to throw the body of the
murdered mate overheard and wash up the
blood They got The body over, but before
they could clear away the blood Lucas the
! first mate. came on deck.
Sparf said that ST. Clair called him and
| Hansen towards and other tough names.
| When the mate came on deck the men told
| him they had not seen Fitzgerald for an
! hour or more. The captain was called, and
when daylight bro ke stains of blood were
discovered. The men were then put in
| irons.
| Hansen informed TIE CALL reporter