The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-02-22
MURDER AT SEA.
MUTINOUS SAILORS XIII
THEIR SECOND MATE.
The Bark Hesper Arrives Yes
terday with the Story of
a Bloody Crime.

IHe AineTLcdu park deSpeT, Capt.
J. F. o. Sodergren, left Newcastle,
New South Wales, on December
I'D, with a cargo OF coal. She
arrived yesterday morning with the
particulars of another marine horror,
only this time it is not story of
wreckage, but one of murder, mutipy
and piracy.
The captain brings information of
plot to kill him aud four others,
and their lives were only saved by
the accidental discovery OF the first
murderous move on the part Of
piratical and mutinous crew.
The plot was Matched by Thomas
LIE Clair, a sailor who shipped as a
native of Norway, but it was after
wards learned that he was born in
New York. LIE Claire's partners in
crime were four other sailors named
Herman Sparf, Hans Hansen, Thos.
Green and Edward Larsen.
THE SECOND MATE MURDERED.
The men were shipped at New
castle. and, judging from their &C
tions, they are very dangerous men.
Their plot was to murder the captain,
mate, second mate, cook and Greek
sailor in the forecastle, and then run
the vessel either to the China or Chill
can coast, sell the cargo and fit the
bark out for a piratical cruise.
The men were ali on one watch and
they had ample opportunity to for
mnlate their dastardly programme
without the knowledge of the captain
or the officers under him. They
started in on the 18th of January to
carry out their bloody work. They
picked out dark night and about
1870 O'Clock LIE Clair cruelty muir
dered the second mate by attacking
him with Ratchet. The murderer
lay in wait about amidships, and
when his victim came along he struck
him blow on the back of the head
with the sharp edge Of the Ratchet
and almost instantly killed him.
THE BODY THROWN OVERHEARD.
After the mate fell down the fend-
ish mutineer struck and struck again
with the weapon until his victim
ceased to struggle. As soon as the
murder was committed two of his &C.
completes. Sparf and Hansen, came
along. They wanted to throw the
body overheard and then remove all
traces of the terrible crime by wash
ing up the blood stains st. Clair
would not consent to this and i'm
mediately proposed that they go after
the captain and the other marked
men and murder them also. His
companions weakened and would not
give their consent and LIE Clair left
them and went aft. The two men
then picked up the body of the muir
dered man, carried it to the side Of
the vessel and then threw it over
board.
To KILL THE CAPTAIN.
The murderer was not satisfied
with his nights work and when he
reached the wheel, he told the man
on watch to call the captain from the
cabin with the intention Of killing
him as soon as he made his appear
ance, but the wheelman would not
obey LIE Glars command. The rest
of the terrible story is told by Capt.
Sodergren in his appended report of
the affair which he furnished to an
ADVERTISER reporter.
The next day the captain placed
LIE Clair, Sparf and Hansen in irons
and then changed his course and
made for Tahiti, which was reached
after voyage of fourteen daye.
While the vessel was on her way
to the French settlement to turn over
the men to the American Consul, the
other two mutineers Green and
Larsen attempted several times to
release the imprisoned men but with
out success.
MADE FULL CONFESSION.
When the Hesper reached Tahiti,
the five men were taken before Uni
ted States Consul Doty at that
place. He held an examination dur
ing which Sparf and Hansen made a
clean breast of everything, and final
~ LIE Clair, the murderer and ring
leader, made full confession OF his
crime. The five men were placed in
Jail, and on the 18th inst. they were
to be sent to San Francisco for trial
on the barkentine Tropic Bird. Cap
tain Sodergren then shipped FIVE
Tahitians and continued on his voy-
age to this port.
The Hesper will load sugar for
San Francisco as soon as her coal
cargo is discharged. LIE Clair and his
companions will not be tried until
the Captain arrives in San Francisco.
THE CAPTAINS REPORT.
At sea, January 10, 1898, in latitude
80 deg. south, longitude 159 deg.
west.
At 9:45 PM. I, J. F. o. Sodergren,
master of the American bark
Hesper, came on deck as usual be-
fore retiring, remained there about
three or four minutes only, as the
weather was very fine and the south.
east trade winds about to set in, ship
going about six or seven knots per hour
at the time by the wind, starboard
tack. The second mate, Mr.. NJ. Fitz
gerald, was standing on the poop, aft,
on the weather side, Thomas st. Clair
being at the helm at that time. The
second mate went over TO the other
side of the ship just as L was intending
to speak to him, but the wind being
steady with fine weather had no par
ticular orders to give him and went
below, little thinking it was the last
time ] should see him.