Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-07-24
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.
Murdered at Sea.

The Captain and His wife and the
Second Mate of the BarkentIne Her
bert Fuller the Victims.
The barkentine Herbert Fuller, which
sailed from Boston the Sth for Rosario,
Argentine Republic, arrived at Halifax, N.
S., Tuesday with the bodies of three muir
dered persons. They were those of Capt
Nash, his wife, and the second mate, Au-
gust Blandberg. The triple murder was
committed the night of the 18th, and the
affair so far is wrapped in complete mys-
terry, notwithstanding the fact that there
were seven other men on board at the time,
besides passenger named Monks, whose
story is the only narrative that can be OBJ
tanned. The Herbert Fuller brought the
victims into port, covered by canvas, in
a small boat which was drawn at her stern.
The corpses had been placed in the small
boat the morning after the murder.
Monks says he knew nothing whatever
of the crime until he learned of it from the
first mate. During the night, he says, he
heard one scream, which he supposed was
uttered by Capt. Nash's wife, but he heard
no further sound, and paid no attention to
what he thought might be fancy. In the
morning when he went on deck the first
mate informed him that the captain, his
wife, and the second mate had been muir
dered in their births, and asked Monks,
who slept in a cabin between the cabin
occupied by Capt. and Mrs. Nash and one
occupied by the second mate, if he had
been alarmed by anything during the night
Monks told him that he had heard one
scream. The murders were committed
with an AK, and the victims were butcher
ed in the most sickening manner, blow
after blow being struck to make sure the
work was completed.
Monks says he assumed charge of the
vessel, and, with the assistance of the
mate, took her into port. According to
his story, before being put on the rack by
the police, he questioned various members
of the crew as to what they knew about
the tragedy, but each one protested entire
innocence and ignorance. Monks ordered
the bodies to be taken out of the cabin and
placed in a boat and towed astern. On ar
irving at Halifax the Herbert Fuller an
chored in the stream, and Monks reported
the affair to the police, who Immediately
took charge of the vessel and arrested all
on board.
The later reports show that the passen-
ger, Leslie w. Monks, is a Harvard stu
uellJ anu ludJ' ne UtlOLSS W al tACtllcul
family in Brookline, Mass. When he
heard Mrs. Nash's scream he dressed, and
after some time went on deck. The first
mate, Bran, threw billet of wood at
him when he appeared. Monks covered
the mate with his revolver, and the mate
begged him not to shoot. The crew were
aroused and were Mortified at what had
taken place. After a consultation Brown,
the man who was at the wheel, was placed
in irons and the mate assumed command.
Monks and Spencer, the colored steward,
consulted together and gained each others
confidence. Bran wished to throw the
bodies overheard, and to clean up the
traces of the tragedy, but to this Monks
and Spencer objected. Bram's attempts
to wash out stains in his clothing added to
the suspicious against him. Monks and
Spencer finally agreed to place the mate
in irons. Spencer seized him while Monks
covered him with a revolver. The chart
was consulted and it was found that the
nearest port was Bermuda, but the wind
was not favorable for sailing in that direc-
ton and the vessel was headed for St.
John. Monks feared that some of the
crew might be in league with Bran and
did not sleep for several nights because he
was afraid that Bran might get control of
the ship. The theory is that Bran intend
ed to take the vessel into some Cuban port
and dispose Of it. Bran maintains silence
and says that he knows nothing about the
murders.