The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-24
Weird Tales of the SEA-

We were eating dinner one night on the old
cargo ship and talking Of the happenings at
sea and on shore that are called supernatural.
says writer in the New York Sun, when the
captain said.
One sees some things at sea not superna-
tural which are NJ to make nervous man see
ghosts. There was that case in one of Green S
liners 10 the colonies, where a man was sent
down to clean out the chain locker The
locker had seemed foul all the passage home
and so they hoisted out the chain and sent
this fellow down with his brush and soap and
bucket, with lamp to clean il out. I'll
wager he saw ghosts for a year after that,
for when he'd got down on his knees to begin
scrubbing he found himself bending over the
skull OF a dead man.
1t was most likely a man that had slowed
away out IN the colony and had been caught
under the cable when they were running it
down quickly, and so had the life crushed out
OF him.
However. l did know of case that seemed
supernatural right enough. II was in the De
merara trade. and 1 was acquainted with the
first Ofhcer Of the bark where it all happened
In the first place. while she was out there
loaded and ready to sail the captain had
trouble with one OF the seamen, who out
knife and stabbed him to death then and
there. The mate atterWard took her home,
nut on the way passenger took to ailing in
some mysterious fashion and up and died
very suddenly.
of course she was a haunted ship when
she arrived home, and so the owners had her
name changed. and she was reftted and
painted up entirely different from what she
had been. Then she sailed away with a new
captain. but on the way out he took TO drink
and by the time she reached Demerara he
was of his head and killed himself with a re-
volver
Now she was haunted sure enough il YOU
could believe the mate Mind you, after she
was redtted the mate said never a word to
the new captain about what had happened in
her before. and even when a new captain
came out from home to take charge Of her
believing that the last captain was naturally
drunkard instead of one who had taken to
1t after coming on this ship, this hrst officer
never said a word, because he did not believe
in ghosts or even in future state.
however, the tirst night the new captain
was on board the trouble began. The captain
at about o'clock went to his room and re-
tired. An hour after he was calling the mate
and telling that he had gone to sleep, and
then had been awakened by a il yht in the
room On opening his eyes he saw short
IhCESet man, with side whlSkerS, in the arm
chair at the desk, leaning over. with his
elbows on the desk holding his head between
his hands and saying: Oh, my poor head
Oh, nv poor head -
That was enough for the mate. He left
the vessel that night with all hands. This
new captain knew nothing of the style or
manner of the one who had killed himself
and yet the plcture-ghOSt, or what you may
call tin the chair was the image in appear
ance and dress Of the suicide, and had com
planned in precisely the same words and voice
of the dead man.
This brought out the story of an exile from
salvador whom the narrator met in Guate-
mala. Having got into trouble with the au.
thonties. senior Don Sebastian MojarIeta
saved his life Dy fleeing to Amapala. Hondu-
ras, as many another exile has done, and
there taking steamer north to San Jose
CTuatemala friend OF his who was involved
IN ike manner was to have reached Amapala
by a different route in time for the same
steamer, and to prevent any possible delays
Molarleta engaged staterOoms and secured
passes from the Amapala authorities for his
a as ha DVrfTr1 "a
But the steamer day came without his friend
and Mojarieta was obliged to sail alone
At the usual hour. on the first night out -
the story teller went on. ''Molarieta retired
and went to sleep, but had no sooner dozed of
than he awoke; hearing his friends voice as
he says, in the next stateroom. which he had
supposed to be empty. Leaving his berth he
+ went out into the passdgeway and opened the
door TO the adjoining room, and there he
says he saw lying in the berth the body of
his friend fully dressed. but with three bullet
right cheek.
AT that Moiarieta tainted, and was found
on the deck by the steward and put to bed
a gain Thereafter il was a most mlsera BILE
passage, for the vessel touched at both Of the
Salvador ports. and was about a week reach
ing San Jose. Mojareta was sure his friend
had been shot, and expected force to come
on from each OF the salvador ports TO demand
him. Moreover, he was haunted continually
by that picture Of his dead friend.
Once in Guatemala he obtained employ
meHt qulckly, ana then began TO recover
something et his former spirits. He ascribed
his vision to his overwrOught imagination
and was beginning to hope that his friend
would Yet appear, when a letter was received
from relative in Salvador. 1t not only told
that the friend had been shot by the govern
ment soldiers, but described the wounds of
the body after II was dead. Mojareta de-
clares that the description accurately por-
trayed the vision he had of his friend and he
believes that his friend spirit being unable
to rest or wholly throw of its desire to take
passage on the steaner had come on board
and was occupying that berth"