Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-06-18


That's the slippers ski l-and /. for
one, don't grudge him his half share,
specially as he provided the vessel"
well, yous and have near eight
thousand apiece, an it'll be nearer ten
when we quit. That's more than we'd
make ina year at cattle-punching.''
but it's in such mean stuff. Ear
rings and watches are all right, but it
won't be SO easy to sell them"
"Melt down the solid and here
the speaker walked away, and left me
wondering, but still unsuspecting.
On the fifth day out was appraised
by the hustle around me that some.
thing OF unusual interest was tram
spring. TO my great surprise no.
tlced that spars and ropes were scat
tered round the deck in seeming con-
fusion, that the smokestack was partly
taken down, that the boats were swung
inboard and hidden under tarpaulins,
and that the English flag was fastened
to the main shrouds, union down. This.
OF course, knew was a signal that the
ship was in distress and required as
sistance; but when noted that every
man on board was equipped with two
revolvers and a MISUNDERSTANDING
bowie knife, felt sick at heart, and a
mist came before my eyes.
Overpowered by fear, I kept well hid
den in my packing box, but l will briefly
narrate what happened as overheard hy
me from conversations during the next
few days.
The good bark C. B. Jones, of Brox-
port, Me-, bound from Buenos Ayres to
Boston with a cargo Of hides and tai.
low, sighted the steamer ''Good For
tune" of Bournemouth, with flag of
distress flying. AS all the steamers
boats were gone, the first mate and four
seamen took the long boat and rowed to
the Good Fortune with the humane in
tention of relieving the signaled wants
of the steamer, bringing a barrel of
pork and bag of biscuit. So weak, as
it seemed, were the crew of the steamer
that they could scarcely lend hand
to hoist the provisions aboard. After
quite long delay the long boat started
to return, but Capt. Jones was aston
ished to see that the boat contained six
others in addition to his own men. And
as they neared the vessel he failed TO
distinguish the smiling, CHEEKY face of
his first mate. Before he could recover
his presence Of mind the men clambered
up the sides, and as he advanced to
speak with them the foremost intruder
drew a revolver and shot him through
the heart. The scanty crew eagerly
threw up their hands in surrender, but
after they were bound the cold blooded
monsters murdered them, as well as
the captains wife and child. A few
hundred dollars in the captains cabin,
few watches and a little money from
the forecastle and some miscellaneous
articles comprised the whole plumber,
and the ship was; scuttled and sunk. In
due course she was announced as over
due and missing, as many another goou
ship has been before; but what fiend.
ish ingenuity was displayed in destroy.
ing the ship and her entire crew, so thas
not one should live to tell the tale.
With my brain almost unhinged by
the horror of being in the power OF
these demons, I lay long in sort OF
stupor. When I came to my senses
found myself struggling in the water,
with naught between my life and eter-
nifty but my packing box. It floated me
bravely, however, and when the dark
ness had cleared away I was picked up
by the Atlanta, of the Cunard line, and
conveyed back to New York.
Whether the Good Fortune-lying
name, as she herself was lie-sunk
in collision with a rock or iceberg, or
whether she still ranges the seas un-
checked, I know not; but drowning
seems to me all too light a punishment
for the wicked deeds of it's crew.
Times Change and We with Them.