The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-08

chain OF evidence discriminating Sparf. ST.
Clair. and Hansen. The chief criminal
was St. Clair. He told Sparf. Hansen.
and Green that 10 was the custom for
ships returning to CalifcGnla from Aus.
tralia to carry n portion of their freight
In money, aud that there undoubtedly was
$4,000 or $1,000 In the Hesper's hold which
might be divided among the crew IL the
captain and his officers could be put out
OF the way. Gradually he worked upon
the cupidity of Sparf and Hansen untn
they We're ripe for numbering the officers
and taking possession Of the crew. The
evidence does not allude to the captain >
wife, but there Is no doubt, in view of the
bloodthirsty proposition Of st. Clair, that
she would have been murdered, or SUB
iected to "a worse fate II the plot had sue
that the ship be carried to the Chilean
coast and abandoned. II w. Clark Rus
sell had constructed this plot he I'M
dOubtedly would have made provision for
a navigator, in which case Mate Lucas
would perhaps have been spared, mas
much as there was no passenger on board
capable OF navigating ship. The fact
that st. Clair, able seaman though he
was, advocated taking the ship to Chile
leads to the belief that he knew some
thing about navigation BE this as a
may he was an accomplished butcher
Green testified that on the night OF FitZ-
gerald's disappearance Sparf aroused
him and said something which he could
not understand. Green went on deck in
his underclothing. AS he was walking to-
ward the cabin on the starbOard side he
saw Hansen with a broom Ia his hand
When he reached the top of the deckload
he found st. Clair, Hansen and Sparf
standing there. He said to St. Clair:
What's the matter? What's the news?'
st. Clair replied: I'VE want you TO give
US a hand to throw the old man over
board" meaning the captain.
How are you going to get him on
deckI' replied Green, whose degree of
culpability will have to be figured out by
the reader. the court record being silent
on the subject.
"one OF US VIII go to the peak halyards
and one OF US Will go TO the wheel, and
when he comes on deck. then will be the
time to do away with him." was the re-
ply;
"He has gone overheard; can't you see
the blood on the deckY" replied st. Clair,
who then added: what do you say?''
trousers on" replied Green, who then
went below and remained there, through
fear Of the consequences of st. Clairs act
Jens Olsen also testified that he had been
invited to help throw the captain over
board, which invitation he refused. Invi-
tations IN this line appear to have been
general. st. Clair, who had murdered
the mate, desired to carry out the original
plan, and exterminate all on board having
authority, but Sparf and Hansen had lost
their nerve. Although ST. Clair asked sew
eral to help him kill the captain and mate
he did not offer to do the deed alone. II
looks as IL he, too, had sickened OF the
bloody work. Hansen, In San Francisco
told how Fitzgerald was butchered
Sparf let go the peak halyards, and then
st. Clair told the mate that something
was wrong forward. The mate went into
the bow. St. Clair was close at his heels
with an ak He struck the mate at least
a dozen times with the sharp weapon
Fitzgerald died hard. After the first blow
was struck he attempted to cross the deck
on his hands and knees.
The murderer rained blow after blow
upon him. Hansen said he struck him at
least twelve times. When Hansen started
to examine the body, after Fitzgerald had
ceased to struggle, st. Clair said: "Oh,
let him alone. Let US go aft and murder
the old man." Thoroughly scared, Ham
sen begged the now blood mad St. Clair
to desist. I'VE have had enough of muir
der for one night he said. Let us walt
to finish the job"
You have got me started, and now you
won't help me" said st. Clair. Later
St. Clair asked Sparf to 20 down and cut
the first mates throat, but he aid NOT
say much when Sparf declined. AS Han
sen expressed the feelings OF the murder
ers, their "stomachs turned SICK" and
they were no longer fit to carry out the
details Of the fiendish plan.
All the blood-curdling particulars came
out on the trial. st. Clair and Hansen
were found guilty and sentenced to be
hanged. They were executed Oct IS, 1896
Sparf got clear last May largely. II is
alleged, because of his testimony against
the other two.