The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1894-09-27
TALES OF THE SEA.
WEIRD YARNS OF THE suPERNAT-
URAL SPUN BY THE CAPTAIN.

WEIRD YARNS OF THE suPERNAT
URAL SPUN BY THE CAPTAIN.
The Skull In tho Chain Locker-The I'm
lucky bark In the Demerara Trade THAI
Was Said to Be Hsunted-The Story Of m
Exile From Salvador.
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 when the captain
said:
"One sees some things at sea not su-
pernatural which are fit to make nerv-
GUS man see ghosts. There was that case
in one of Green's liners to 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
it 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.
''It was most likely 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, I did know of a case that
seemed supernatural right enough. 1t
was in the Demerara trade, and was
acquainted with the first officer of the
bark where it all happened.
I'm the first place, while she was out
there loaded and ready to sail, the cap
tain had trouble with one Of the seamen,
who drew out his knife and stabbed him
to death then and there. The mate after
ward took her home, but on the way
passenger took to ailing in some mysteri-
Gus fashion and up and died very sud-
denly.
''Of course she was 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
off his head and killed himself with
revolver.
''Now she was haunted, sure enough,
if you could believe the mate. Mind
you, after she was reftted the mate said
never 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 it after coming on this ship, this first
officer never said word, because he did
not believe in ghosts or even in future
state.
However, the first night the new
captain was on board the trouble began.
The captain at about 8 o'clock went to
his room and retired. An hour later he
was calling the mate and telling that
he had gone to sleep and then had been
awakened by light in the room. On
opening his eyes he saw short, thick
set man, with side whiskers, in the
armchair at the desk, leaning over, with
his elbows on the desk, holding his
head between his hands and saying:
'Oh, my poor head! Oh, my poor headv
''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 picture
ghost or what you may call it-in the
chair was the image in appearance and
dress of the suicide and had complained
in precisely the words and voice Of the
dead man."
This brought out the story Of an exile
from Salvador whom the narrator met |
in Guatemala. Having got into trouble
with the authorities, Senior Don Sebas-
tian Mojarieta saved his life by fleeing
to Amapala, Honduras, as many another |
exile has done, and there taking a
steamer north to San Jose, Guatemala.
A friend of his who was involved in
like manner was to have reached Amap- |
ala by different route in time for the |
same steamer, and to prevent any posi- |
BILE delays Mojarieta engaged staterooms |
and secured passes from the Amapala |
for his friend and himself as |
soon as he arrived. But the steamer day
came without his friend, and Mojarieta
was obliged to sail alone.
SAT the usual hour, on the first night
out" the story teller went on, mo
jarieta retired and went to sleep, but
had no sooner dozed off than he awoke,
hearing his friends voice, as he says,
in the next stateroom, which he had
supposed to be empty. Leaving his berth,
be went out into the passageway 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 holes in the breast
IF his coat and one in the right cheek.
Eat that Mojarieta tainted and was
found on the deck by the steward and
put to bed again. Thereafter it was a
most miserable passage, for the vessel
touched at both of the Salvador ports
and was about a week reaching San
Jose. Mojarieta was sure his friend had
been shot and expected force to come
3f from each of the Salvador ports to