Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-06-24
SELECTED STORIES.
ROOM l8.


from New Orleans bound south LOO miles
10 Blewfe'ds On the Mosquito coast The
passengers were Texas sea captain. New
Orleans merchant and myself The steam
Or was one Of the Morgan line. q fine side
wheeler OF about 60 staterooms and d tine
baloon on the main deck from bow to stern.
The captain assigned room II to the Texan,
u to me and 10 to the merchant
The next morning the many inquiries
from stewards. walters and engineers,
"How did you sleep last night, siri" and
the captains manner when making the In
quiry expressing unusual interest mademe
very curious to know what il all meant.
An old colored woman said hurriedly;
"Your room is dangerous For Gods sake,
keep away from 1t. The watchman told
me about it, He saw the naval officer 20
Into your room last night just at 10"
"Just at i2" was clew to the mystery.
Before leaving the breakfast table said
- the captains
my ticket stipulates that l shall have
the exclusive use Of the room you assigned
Inc during the voyage. i have discovered
that you have deadhead on board who
occupied room IS with me last night;
what explanation have you to offerf You
have 80 other rooms vacant"
ours was then. He hesitated and then saidi
Rarely do we put passengers In these
three rooms now. The ships crew become
timid when room 18 is occupied, and more
30 when IL and 10 are also. About year
ago we had very fine looking man Of
ebout 2S years rs a passenger Had but
three others; he occupied room is. He and
the purser and two others were playing
cards at this table after lunch. The young
man suddenly rose from the table, stepped
into his room; within minute the purser
followed him, and the man was stretched
on his berth dead. His trunks were opened,
and his effects showed him to be a man of
refinement. United States naval officer,
his parents address In New York city, and.
d life insurance policy. The ships officers
testified to the manner of his death, and the
Insurance company and the parents were
notified, and we put into Belize and had
him buried and supposed that was to ter
inmate his passage. These colored peoples
theory is until the body is returned to the
friends the spirit haunts the scenes OF de-
parture from this life.
"Since then seldom have we made voy-
age without having an unknown man re-
ported, sometimes seen going into room IS,
or laying on the sofa outside, or sitting
at this table after all had retired. The
voyage before tho last tho chief steward
was a level headed fellow. About half p, /
10, after lying down for the night had
word from him to come quickly to the
saloon. did 40, aud the steward said he
had not taken his eyes off the door of room
ls since he saw the naval officer 60 In The
room was then unoccupied I lit the lamp
and asked him in, and he came In boidl-.
His disappointment at seeing no one made
him the most timid man on the ship We
have 80 netimes left New Orleans with not
half dozen hands on the ship who had
ever made "A voyage on her before, and after
a few days out all knew about the naval
officer"
The captain asked II we wished for other
rooms The Texan replied that he should
stay where he was, provided a brass band
did not get in. The New Orleans merchant
made no reply as to his occupying room 10
after two inquiries Room lS being the
danger point Of the ship, the captain. look
ing directly at It's OCCUPANT, said,
"You will move, Of oourset'
"Most certainly" he was answered.
"Then you have feat. of the naval offlceri"
"Not exactly. My feelings are indigna-
tion. You knew that my two fellow pas
sengers here are gulf coast men and accus-
tOulou W tnc Idcket VI tueSe low lhtlUu0ea,
such a. ghosts, hurricanes, earthquakes
and many other things yet to come no
doubt. You did not put either of these men
into the danger point, but you selected
Boston man, having no experience In han
ding these outlandish phenomena Having
no fear Of your retired naval officer, yet
shall sleep on deck, or II possible In the
foretop. rather than occupy No. ls another
night.n
The cause Of abandoning the room beitfp
indignation, not fear, the captain succeeds
by reasonable explanations In getting my
consent TO hold the fort.
That night, between 10 and I O'Clock, /
came out and took a walk about the shin.
ask the waiter for a lantern, as 1 wish to
go down to the saloon between decks to
have a smoke.
"You can smoke here, SIR"
"No, never smoke In a room where peo-
pie live, and il is wet outside"
He said imploringly: 1T is a bad place
below, sir. No one ever goes there after
nightfall."
"Please let me have a lantern.s
MAY God protect you. sir. There is a
light below"
Below ] lit one Of the good Havanas
which found so plentiful and so unexpect-