The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-24
WORSE THAN MURDER.
GhouIs Rob the Dead Body of S. N.
Sheridan.

GnouIs Rob the Dead Body of S. N.
Sheridan.
MONTEREY, April 23.-"It was criminal
carelessness, gross neglect or gross ignor-
ance." said First Officer Gray at the in
quest to-day. "and it could not have been
ignorance, because he was seafaring
man of experience.
So is told the story Of the wreck of the
Los Angeles on Point Sur Reef, ledge of
rock that is all charted, stories to the con-
trary Notwithstanding.
The Los Angeles was wrecked and five
men, some say seven, met death in the
waves through the gross carelessness or
criminal neglect of Third Officer Roger
Ryfkogel.
That tells the whole story as far as it
concerns the loss of the ship. The story of
the loss of life has not been told, and may
not be told. 1t is story so narrowing, so
blood curdling, that those who witnessed
the tragedy on the water shudder to tell it.
and those who would listen grow cold and
turn away in horror.
Only when the story turns upon the
acts Of Third Mate Ryfkogel does the hot
blood surge, and men here at Monterey
were talking of rope tonight. not loud,
but low and deep.
The third officer had orders to call the
captain atlCoopers Point: orders distinctly
given and as distinctly understood. In-
stead of doing as he was told; instead of
calling the CAPTAIN at Coopers Point, thus
insuring the safety of the ship. Ryfkogel-
hangdog-looking fellow-despite the fact
that he has commanded English ships of
large tonnage, ran on and Tor three miles
directly upon Moro rock. Despite the fact
that it was light night, the moon shining
through the fog, and he would have struck
the Moro right under the lighthouse had
he not first brought the vessel upon the
sunken though charted ledge of Sur. Then
when the captain and Chef Officer Gray
rushed On deck, the latter dressed as he
had lain down, Gray said to the officer left
| in charge-the man who could not have
been ignorant-"Why did you not call the
captain at Coopers Poini?"
"We are not at Coopers Point yet"
Ryfkogel answered.
"There is Coopers Point three miles
astern," Gray replied, pointing out that
landmark.
Then came the rush of waters and the
shrieking of women and the crying Of lit
| tie children and the moaning of the slowly
doomed.
1t was those who stayed by the ship. the
brave ones who stood back that the women
might take the boats. who met death. So
died S. n. Sheridan and the fireman.
| Nolan, and so would have died Captain
Leland had help been five minutes longer
| in coming.
S.. N Sheridan was murdered IL man
ever was, and so was Nolan, and so were
the others.
| But there was reserved for Mr.. Sheridan
even worse than murder. To his killing
was added the crime of robbery, the
| ghoulish plumber of the dead.
Mr.. Sheridan, old, feeble aDd exhausted,
clung TO the rigging as long rs his be-
numbed fingers would retain their hold.
| Then he fell. washed down by the waters,
but be had been a strong swimmer in his
younger days and feeble as he was made a
gallant fight for his life.
| He reached the shore through the break
els and was cast upon bit of sand, still
struggling, but we'll nigh spent.
( The distance made was about two miles
but the tide helped him. He was seen
| fighting the waves by the men In the light
house. and willing hands were reached out
to him. He was still breathing when
picked up, though unconscious, and the
| lightk eeper and his assistant carried him
into their abode and sought by all means
TO revive him. But exhausted nature had
done its best. and he never opened his
eyes again.
| The boats were coming through the surf
| in
peril, for the man cast npon the sand the
| lighthouse keepers could do no more.
They hurried down to the shore, tenderly
smoothing the limbs of the dead, and as
they did this the hand of one of them came
in contact with buckskin purse in one of
Mr.. Sheridan's trousers pockets.
The light-keeper pulled out the purse,
saw that it contained gold. but did not
count it, and replaced the pouch in the
pocket of the dead. The two men went
away to succor the living
When the Coroner of Monterey County
reached the scene of the tragedy on sun
day night to gather the dead. the buckskin
purse was gone from Mr.. Sheridan's
pocket. The lighthouse-kesper did not
coun: the gold, but some man, sailor or
passenger. knows how much that purse
contained. and he will know to his dying
day though be tells none other.
The only valuables left upon the dead
man were his watch (an old one), his gold
bowed spectacIes in a leather case faded
| by the sea water, and two silver quarters
in an outside pocket
The ghoul had not been given time to
make his search complete.
Sol N. SHERIDAN.