Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-04-02
AccIOENTAL or DESIGNED !
THE TRAGIC FATE or NAVAL OFF
GER WHO WAS HATED Br HIS MEN.

They we're telling incidents In the life
Of prominent and wealthy man who
had recently died--the little tricks he
had played to catch his workmen nap
ping, the ways he had employed to Inn
press discipline upon them and his sue
cessful manner Of getting their best ef-
fort out Of them. Then the naval OIL
Ger interposed an objection.
81 have seen great many men, and
some Of them very bad ones, success
fully handled" he said, "in the service,
but l don't believe ever knew an OFF,
Ger who stopped to little tricks to be
successful In commanding men. There
Is something In u mans heart that makes
him resent petty persecution, when he
will bear you no III will at all for crush
ing him under great provocati0n. And,
speaking Of petty persecution, annoying
men In little WAYS to keep them alive
and doing, remember ", poor chap !!
In the service years ago, and the mourn
full way In which he died.
| "X- was past master In that
small business Of harassiDg seamen. l
remember one of his tricks, when he
found man sleeping when he should
have been awake, was to dash dipper-
full OF water into his face. He would
not allow men who were awake TO arouse
the sleeper, but, seizing the dipper, he
would rush up and slap the water at full
force into the mans face. And have
seen men 20 wild nc the shock OF 1t, but
| X-could never be made TO see that his
way WAS unfair and bullying. A man
was asleep when he should be awake.
tie really deserved punishment, but
" did not punish him. lie merely re-
called him to his sense Of duty.
IL remember one night on deck when
the weather was terrible. IL was as
black as pitch, and man couldn't STE
where he was going or 90 where he
wanted to 20. A seaman bumped into
TX. and quick as n fash y hit
out, striking the man In the chest. In.
stantly saw In the darkness a great
arm and fist go up, and expected to see
" "a little fellow he WAS, with n
shrill, high-pitched voice. smashed into
the deck plsnking by the weight and
strength OF the poSerful seam,n VIII
lowered over him. But In that Instant
" raised his thin voice In an angry
cry.
"'Look out there.' he screamed
shrilly. Remember you are striking
the officer Of the deck and then ] saw
the great fist aud arm sink down, slowly
and hesitatingly, as the man yielded 10
the officer OF the deck. But hatred In
his heart, the passion that had prompted
him TO crush the officer, the savsgery
that was In him-the man could not sink
them as he could draw down his power
man more hated by his interiors than
was " and sli on account OF his nag.
ging and his petty tyranny.
zone day some Of the crew were low
eriug The iopgallant yard. Y stood
unner them on the deck, directing the
work, looking at them now aud then TO
uag Ih,m with some piping cry. None
OF US in the wardroom ever knew how 10
happened. There Was no sound In ad-
vance, no cry OF warning, no Wild yell
as always happens when there IL an &C
cident on shipboard. Suddenly the top
mast came away from those Who were
lowering II, caught ", onwsrned
and unpreparcd, carried him down
heavily TO the deck, and he was dead.
That was allan accident II ever evil
dence counted for anything. The men
could not explain how the topgsllsni
yard got away from them, and when n
thing like that starts 10 fall there Is no
stopping it.
but | have often wondered over IL.
What could those sailors tell II they
woodland they never do tell anything
How strange that there should have been
no warning cry 10 enable him To jump
aside, aud how strange that II should
have been u, who was so hated, to
die 10 that sy!"-N. Y. Tribune.