The herald., 1896-07-22
FLYING THE BL ACK FLAG
Mutiny and Murder Aboard the Barken.
tine Fuller
Details Are H-ager, but the Captain and His
Wife Are Known to Have
Been Killed

HALIFAX, July 21.-The barkentine
Herbert Fuller, Captain Nash, from Bos-
ton. July Sd. for Rosario, put into Hall
fax this morning flying the Stars and
Stripes at half-mast with a black flag
Immediately beneath. This is the sig
nal for 'mutiny on board" When the
Fuller was boarded 1t was learned that
murder had been added to the mutiny
and that Captain Nash, his wife Laura
and Second officer Bramberg had been
| killed in their hunks while asleep.
The murders had been committed
with an axe. The rooms in which the
victims lay were covered with blood
showing that a severe struggle had ta
| ken place and the bodies were horribly
| mutilated. The cook, Jonathan Sheere,
| of Rosario, suspected the mate, Thomas
| Bran, and succeeded in placing Bran
in irons and he afterwards ironed the
man who was at the wheel at the time
| the murder was committed. Upon ar
irving all on board the vessel, including
Frank Monks, of Boston, a passenger,
were placed under arrest.
lie Oulteu StdteS consul mere mas
telegraphed to Washington for instruc-
tons pending the receipt of which he
has enjoined all connected with the af-
fair to maintain the strictest silence
In view of these conditions it was diff
cult to obtain further facts but it was
apparent that the murders were COM
mitted at about o'clock on the night of
the 18th instant. Captain Nash and his
wife were in their respective sleeping
apartments and Bramberg was in his,
| which was separated from those of Cap
| tain Nash and wife by the room occu-
| pied by Monks.
1t was the first officers watch. When
all was quiet on board and those below
were sleeping soundly the murderer or
murderers crawled aft to the cabin, de-
scended and with axes chopped their
victims to death. The affair became
known not long afterward. Then the
cook, negro, who had shipped at Ro-
sario, became suspicious of Mate Bran,
naturalized American but native of
Nova Scotia. Bran was placed in irons
The man who was at the wheel when
the murder was committed was also
for Halifax
The bodies of the victims were all
placed in a boat and covered with can
vass and were towed behind the vessel.
They are now in charge of the coroner
here who will hold an inquest Police
officers have been placed in charge of
the Fuller under directions of the
United States consul and nobody is al
lowed on board. The Herbert Fuller
halls from Harrington, Maine
NOT A MUTINY
II. H Monks, the passenger on board
the Herbert Fuller, belongs in Boston.
He is a member of Harvards '97 class
and has been suffering for some time
from pulmonary troubles. He had been
advised to take a sea voyage and was
going to South Africa for recuperation.
In spite of the secrecy it has been ascer-
tanned that he first became aware of the
horrible crime when he went to the cap
tain's room to inquire IL the captain was
Ill, Monks having been aroused from
his sleep by groan or scream. Fall
ing to receive an answer he entered the
room and found the captain lying on the
floor covered with blood. He rushed
on the deck and confronted the first
mate, who was in charge, with the state
ment that the captain had been mur-
dered Bran, the mate, seemed much
agitated and appeared not to know what
to do. Monks then rushed below and
aroused the crew. The men hurried to
the cabin, where the full extent of the
crime was soon made known. Mrs.
Nash's skull had been split almost in
twain. The fingers of her ring hand
had been almost cut off, while another
the scalp with the hair attached. Her
husbands head was also split open and
the second mate had evidently been kill
ed with the pole of the ak. Bran at first
denied all knowledge of the murder,
but later from remarks and from pc
culiar actions suspicion pointed toward
him as the murderer and he was placed
in irons. The man at the wheel was
Lahez. He was also suspected of COM
plicity and was ironed by the crew. AT
the police station here the first mate
was stripped and blood found on his
clothing. Seaman Brown made a state
ment to the effect that he saw the first
mate kill the captain. He heard noise
in the captains cabin and on going thith-
er saw the first mate murder the cap
tain. There was no mutiny.
Lester Monks, the one passenger is
under arrest, but is kept in the office of
the chief of police with an officer present.
Wall DaDer &c. 32S S. Spring.