The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-07-22
way. Before he got to her her heIm
WAS put down and the vessel headed off
shore.
PASSENGER MONCKs STORY.
Evidence Against First Mate Brane is Al
most Conclusive.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1


most Conclusive.
ESPECIAL 10 THE PREss.1
Halifax, July 21.-Speeial officers and
q crew of seven men were detailed for
duty on the Herbert. Fuller tonight The
morgue whore the bodies were taken was
surrounded by thousands Many were
unable to gain admission. The sight
Was q revolving one. The heads Of the
victims were all crushed in by the sharp
edge of the axe. The captain bore evil
dence Of having received thres blows
which nearly severed the head.
The appearance of the wife indicated
that she had fought desperately for her
life. The theory is that she was not
killed by the first blow of the axe, q
slanting one. 1t awakened her and whom
she saw the murderer over her, IN her
endeayors to protect herself, both her
hands were severed.
= One blow fixed the mate. 1t struck
himsacross the eyes and cut, clean through
to the back of the skull. The bodies of
the captain and wife will be sealed and
forwarded to Maine for interment.
Tonight the American consul received
word from Washington to the effect that
the Canadian government would permit
tho immediate removal of the crew TO an
American port where the trial could be
hell. A special enquiry is to be held
here tomorrow morning, at the instance
OF the medical examiner. when the evil
dence of Lester Monk and the seamen
will be taken. 1t was difficult to get the
right. facts of the case owing to the Amor
can consul having cautioned the passen-
ger, Mr.. Monk, and the mem bers of the
n cfptA III nr
any circumstances. Monk, however
made statement to Detective Power,
that the murder was committed by the
first mate, Thomas Brane. He said;
AT the time of the murder | occupied
an apartment between the chart room and
the captains cabin. To the right of the
cabin was the room occupied by the Sec
ond mate. At the time of the murder
the captain was in the chart room. We
all retired about II o'clock on the night
the morning I was awakened By screams
| thought possibly I must Lave been
dreaming, and laid over on my side. A
few seconds later heard another scream.
now realized that the alarm came
from Mrs. Nash. l grabbed my revolver
and took time only to put my pants on
and ran out with revolver in hand TO
ascertain the cause. Ihad to pass through
the captains chart room. The light was
burning and | saw the captain dead on
she floor.
81 heard footsteps in the companion
way and followed after them to the deck
There / confronted the first mate. He
held billet of wood in his hand and
assumed a threatening attitude / lev
elled my revolver at him, and asked hi m
who had committed the murder. The
first mate said he did not know, and I
decided to investigate.
s"The colored steward and the mate
decided to put Charles Brown, who was
at the wheel at the time in irons. In
the morning ] made the following report
in the log lbook:
'sSteward Of the said Il. Fuller came to
me and told me that the sailors all came
and made an open statement to him in
reference to one of the sailors. whose
name is Charles Brown. The statement
was to his conduct Of guilt in regard TO
tho murder which took place on board
said vessel. At once got each mans state
ment. Then on the strength of these
statements we concluded to put him in
irons. At daybreak at a. m, nll hands
were mustered aft and thoroughly
searched and no weapon was given them,
but their knives. Each man was then
placed a certain distance apart from
each other, until after hours Myself,
the steward and mate were stationed
amidship and kept "a good lookout until
daybreak.
"Charles Brown and onessof the seamen
who was first put in irons, made a subse-
Quent statement accusing the mate OF the
murder. He said he saw him kill the
captain through the transom over the
chart room. The steering CT the ship was
entrusted to the first mate. The cook
who knew something of navigation,
looked at the compass two days'after the
murder and said the first mate was not
steering the course given him. He was
steering the ship in an opposite dlrec-
tion. This looked suspicious, and the
cook and decided to have the first mate
placed under arrest. He was taken un.
awares and placed in irons. The cook
then navigated the ship to point of
Halifax harbor
q" We tried to get the vessel back to
Boston, but owing to the wind st the
time, we We're obliged TO make for the