The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-17
HE IS A VERY BAD Shot.
WALTER HELLIWELL GOES GUN
MING ON THE FALLS OF
HALLADALE.
NARROW ESCAPE OF THE CAPTAIN.
AMUCK ON A BRITISH
SHIP.

The British ship Falls of Halladale, w.
ing at Main-street wharf was the scene of
a lively fusiliade on Friday night, when
Walter Helliwell, steward of the vessel, at
tempted to murder the first mate and came
near sending the carpenter and captain to
kingdom come.
Helliwell, who had been ashore during
the day, boarded the ship about o'clock
in the evening and went to the mate
room. First officer David Longwell and
second mate William Kerr were sitting in
the room, and Helliwell opened the door
suddenly and showed lantern and a
pistol in between their heads.
Quick as thought Kerr grasped the
barrel of the weapon, but the next mo-
ment the steward pulled the trigger and a
bullet just grazed the head of the first
mate and buried itself in wooden parti-
ton. Kerr hastily closed the door in
Helliwelrs face and the two men threw
themselves against the portal as barri-
cade. Helliwell went out on deck and
peppered the mate through headlight
but fortunately his aim was bad. The
human barricade scattered and the light
was extinguished. Kerr heard the steward
the darkness. A shot rang out and bull
let fattened itself on the deck. Kerr made
a lump for the side and went down to the
wharf hand over hand on the after moor
ing.
Captain Peters and Carpenter Wilson
Morney rushed forward as Helliwell
reached the poop, and inquired into the
cause OF the shooting. The steward
warned them to go back, threatening them
with death. The captain whispered to the
carpenter to go below for a gun, but the
latter reminded him that he had the kew
of the room. Helliwell overheard the re-
mark, and commanded the captain to put
the key on one of the ventilators. Peters
complied, and then tried to reason with
the frenzied steward. The captain shutters
in his speech, and, as he did not talk,
quickly enough to suit him, the mailman
deliberately took shot at him, the bullet
passing close to his head.
The carpenter followed the second mate
to the dock and never stopped running
until he found Officers Matt Maher and
Robert Whittle, who Immediately started
for the vessel.
When the policemen arrived at Main
street Helliwell had possession of the ship
He was in the cabin and had in his posses
sion a rifle with which to take a shot
through the captains door under the i'm
preston that Morney was in the room
looking for gun. A dark companion-way
twenty feet in length stretched between
the officers and their man and it seemed
like counting death to attempt to enter the
cabin. From where Helliwell stood he
commanded view of the entire ship and
he could not be seen.
When the officers called upon the stew
ard to surrender he asked them to show
their authority. Maher leaned forward
with a lantern in his hand and gave the
desperate man a side view of his star.
This not being sufficient evidence Maher
removed the star and placed it in the Ian
terms rays.
'Come ont" cried Helliwell.
The policemen proceeded in single file,
Whittle going ahead with the lantern and
Maher following close behind with his re-
volver resting on his companion shoulder.
Helliwell had the barrel of his rifle in one
hand and the stock in the other The
officers closed in on him and handcuffed
him without trouble. The man was not
drunk, for he went down the ships ladder
as straight as a string" When the
officers and their charge reached the wharf
the mate emerged from his room.
"1'll have that dogs life yet, muttered
the steward.
"Who is that?" asked Maher
''That brute and bully, the first mate