The Portland daily press., 1894-08-16
A REAL SEA YARN.
Wonderful as the Ocean Itself and
just as True,


Called to Memory by the Press's Recent
story of Baron Won Puttkamer-A
Ships Cook Who Was Famous, But In
Disguise.
Inc recent article in the PRESS, in re-
ga1d to Baron Won Puttkamer, the steward
Vi the bark Ella, who turned out to be q
nephew of the great Bismarck, and an exile
rom his country, reminds Capt. William
Leavitt of certain negro cook ON Boston
ship, who turned out to be something quite
different from cook
II was many years ago. Capt. Leavitt was
master of the ship Portland, and in the
har Dor of Singapore in company with this
Boston ship, that was built in Damarisootta
ana whose masters name was Weaver. The
latter had his wife with him and Captain
Leayitt visited them frequently. Capt.
weaver had a remarkably good cook, and
Capt. Leavitt frequently dined on the Bos-
ton ship.
The two ships sailed together for Calcutta,
and while there Capt. Leavitt continued his
frequent visits to the other ship. Capt.
Weaver WAS very proud of his cook, who
was not only culinary artist, but in every
way exemplary in conduct and character.
There was one thing peculiar about him,
however. He never seemed to want to leave
the ship till after dark. Hergenerally went
ashore about nine o'clock in the evening
and came back very late in the night.
Capt. Leavitt remained at Calcutta about
a month. Soon after he sailed. the follow
ing happened: One morning the negro cook
did not appear, having gone ashore the
nightybefore. Along in the forenoon. some
English officials of the city came aboard
and demanded to search the cooks room.
Capt. Weaver indignantly refused to allow
that to be done and repudiated the intima
ton against the Cooks character. The
officers went asehore and got search
warrant. Then they searched the cooks
room. There was a great trunk in the room
and inside of it the officers found a large
quantity of iewelry. silverware and all
kinds of valuable household orname nts and
trinkets, to the value of 5000 rupees about
$1,000.
The officers explained that for the past
month there had been a series of unac-
countable burglaries in Calcutta, anG no
trace could be found of the burglar. The
night before a young English lady was
awakened by noise in her room and put
ting out her hand placed it on the curly
h cad OF negro.
OF course she screamed. The negro told
her to keep still or he'd kill her. She kept
still and he escaped.
The authorities were immediately in
formed of tie event, negroes were scarce in
Calcutta, and the order was given to THE
officers to arrest all negroes. The first one
seen was arrested and he said that he was
the cook of the vessel above mentioned
Hence the visit Of the officers and the
search of the cooks room that revealed the
treasure in the trunk. Also in the trunk
was found q Bible in the leaves of which
was letter from the cooks wife in New
York, enclosing clipping from New York
paper stating that the famous negro
burglar, Hawkins had escaped from Sing
Sing. That was the name of the cook and
there could be no doubt that he Was the
same man. He had complete outfit of
burglars tools, had operated with wonder
full skill and success in Calcutta. and was
only captured because a young lady placed
her hand on his curly head in the dark, and
because of the unusual order to arrest all
negroes.
Capt. Weaver set sail soon after, but had
gone down the river but a short distance
when he was overtaken by a steamer.
Hawkins had escaped and it was feared that
he had gone down the river bank to board
his ship. He had lifted from it's hinges a
door that it had required several men to
hang and that seemed entirely secure from
the efforts Of any one man. How he did it
was mystery. He was afterwards captured
and doubtless served his sentence.
He was notable instance of the pro-
fessional burglar. Unusually intelligent
able to earn good living as a cook, if moth
ing else. having just escaped from Sing
Sing and saved himself by shipping as a
cook and sailing TO the other side of the
world, yet he could not resist his inclina
tions and became a burglar in foreign part
where he was, captured, by what seemed
like a judgment of Providence.