The herald., 1894-06-20
STORY OF MUT|NY AND CRIME,
Dark Deeds Enacted on the
High Seas.
The Captain of British Bark Tells
Tale of Woe.
His Wife and Rabs Murdered by "a Pas
senger and Hinssir Drugged and
Imprisoned by q Muffin
GUS Crew.
By theAssociated Press

By theAssociated Press
SAN Francisco. June 19.-The British
bark Invernie. Captain Wilcox, arrived
today, "a days from Newcastle, N. s. W.,
with most remarkable story of mutinY
and crime. just before the vessel left
Newcastle, a man calling himselt DR..
Armitsge applied for passage for himself
and wife to San Francisco. Captain
Wilcox gladly took them on board, as
his own wife needed the services of q
physician. A few weeks ago. at sea,
Mrs. Wilcox gave birth TO q child and
Armitage officiated as surgeon. He used
instruments in such manner that the
child died and the captain, seeing he
was unskilled as physician, ordered
him away from his wife. Armitage ap.
them the captain was killing his wife,
The crew, led by the mate, mutinied
and the captain, after being drugged.
Just in tune 10 see bis wife die. Several
times he was imprisoned by the crew,
but he managed to break out.
Alexander. He deserted his wife and
baby at Sydney and fed to Newcastle
with another woman, where he joined
passengers are now in the custody of the
port warden and the police will make
arrests this afternoon.
Captain Wilcox tells the following
story OF the troubles on board his ship :
sGUhi1a ho ahir Iut, nj No
castle, n. s. W., my wife suggested to
the Mariposa and l could Join her on
my arrival. l accordingly wrote to my
brother in Tacoma and he was to come
to meet her. Before sailing time. how
ever, Armitage came to mo with letter
Of introduction from the agents of the
ship, and agreed to take him and his
wife, whom he described as trained
nurse" After we had been out few
weeks 1 found that the first mate
apent all the time he was on watch talk
ing to Mrs. Armitsge,' and when he
was off watch che spent the most of her
time in his cabin. While this was
going on DIR. Armitsge' would be asleep
on the deck. wrote to the mate, tell
ing him that when he was off watch he
he was on duty he must attend to his
work and do what he was paid for. Then
the trouble began. The mate and Arm
and the only men / could depend on
were the second mate and the carpenter.
Things got so that had to put some OF
the men in irons. Things were in this
uncomfortable state when my wife was
taken sick on Friday, the Sth inst. She
was not very bad, but grew worse up to
Saturday afternoon. On Sunday morn
ing | sent for Armitsge, against the
wishes of my wife. He came and said
he would have to operate on her. When
l saw him handle the instruments l
knew he was no doctor, and told him
so. Ny wife was then under chleroform
and could do nothing. Then he began
to butcher her, ahd finally he gave it up
and said there was no hope. l was al
most fainting, 90 one of them gave me
small glass of brandy. Whether it was
drugged or not l don't know. but l do
know that after drinking it was raw
ing lunatic-
"When / came to my senses I was in
irons and locked up in the foreoastle.
This was on Monday the 18th inst. In
the afternoon they brought the body Of
the dead baby to the door and held it
up at the grating for me to look at. A
few hours later they dropped 1t over
board. All this time my vile was dy-
ing and they would not let me out.
With the aid of the carpenter man.
aged to break jail and made rush for
the cabin where my wife lay. They
jumped on me and, acting on the mates
orders, 1 was put in q straight jacket.
worked out of the straight jacket, and
with the aid OF the second mate got out
again. This time four men caught me
aud the mate jumped on me, and again
was ironed. On the morning of last
Saturday they came to me and said that
if would forgive them and promise to
make no report against them they would
let nae out. / agreed and at 10 q. m.
they set me at liberty.
II at once went to nay poor wife.
What they had done to her while / was
away | don't know, bat when | reached
her she was unconscious. At 6 80 Sat-
urday night she died. The men have
got up all sorts of stories, but what |
tell you is the plain and unvarnished
truth"
The sailors, headed by the first mate
have drawn up series of charges against
the captain, which they say they will lay
before the British consul. They cay that
he drank to excess during the voyage
and abused them ON various occasions.
Second Mate Jones 10 equally positive,
however, that there is not one word of
truth in the charges.
The coroner held an autopsy on the
OF Mrs. Wilcox, and ascertained
that death was caused by peritonitis. A
further examination will be made to find
if n criminal anaratinn had hean mar