Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-07-24
MUTINY AND MURDER
THREE PERSONS KILLED WITH AN
Ak ON THE HERBERT FULLER.

The Captain, His wife and the Second
Mate Were the victims--The First Mate
Suspected - The Statement Of Lester
Monk, a Passenger.
HALIFAX, July e2. About half a cen
tury ago the ship Galadin was brought in
90 Halifax, a mutlny having occurred on
board, during which the captain, mate
and six others we're murdered. Never
since Until now has there been so much
excitement In this city over a murder on
the high seas. Around the clubs at the
hotels, on the wharves, In the streets,
nothing Is talked about but the tragedy
on the American barkentlne Herbert Full
Ter, bound from Boston to Rosario with a
cargo Of lumber.
Tho three victims were murdered enrly
on Tuesday, July IA, and six men Of tho
crew and passenger from Boston brought
the vessel to this port, with Mate BAm
and Seaman Brown In chains.
The bodies of the horribly mutilated
victims-Captain c. 1. Nash Of Harrlng
ton, Me-; his wife, Laura, and August w..
Blandberg, second mate--were removed to
the morgue. The stream of people anx-
ious to see them was excluded from the
deadhouse, but a great crowd hung about
the place till late at night.
At the police station the crowd was even
larger and there were loud excavations
against the guilty man OF men The sus-
peoted murderer, Mate Thomas Bran, Is
kept IN an Isolated cell, and so Is Seaman
Charles Brown, the first man upon whom
suspicion fell, but the others, except Les
tor Monk, who was passenger, are kept
In cells off the main lookup.
Lester Monk the passenger, although
under arrest, is kept in the office Of the
chief of police In the presence OF detailed
officer. His father is expected from Bos
ton tonight. The eight prisoners are
Thomas Brain, mate, West Indies; Charles
Spencer, colored, steward; Oscar Ander-
son, seaman, Sweden; Charles Brown,
seaman, Holland; Luke Wiessner, sea
man, Sweden; NJ. J. Steer, New Jersey
Frank Lohenec, seaman, France; Lester
Monk, passenger, Boston.
Monks Statement.
1t appears that First Mate Thomas
Bran was the murderer A reporter was
able to get a statement from Lester Monk
He says:
tAt the time of the murder 1 occupied
an apartment between the chartroom and
the captains cabin. To the right Of the
cabin was the room occupied by the SEQ
ond mate. At the time of the murder the
captain was in the ohartroom.
1--WE all retired about II O'Clock on the
night Of Monday, July 18. Toward l
o'clock on Tuesday morning l was awak-
ened by screams. l thought might have
been dreaming and turned over on my
side A few seconds after l heard another
scream. realized that the alarm came
from Mrs. Nash.
81 grabbed my revolver and took time
only TO put on my trousers and ran out,
with the revolver In my hand, to ascertain
the cause. l had to pass the captains
ohartroom. The light was burning.
saw the captain lying on the floor.
81 heard footsteps IN the companion
way and followed them to the deck. There
confronted the first mate. He had bill
let of wood In his hand and assumed a
threatening attitude. leveled my revolv-
er at him and asked him who had oom-
mitted the murder.
"The first mate said he did not know,
and we decided to investigate. All hands
were called up. The oolored steward and
and the mate decided to put Charles
Brown, who was at the wheel at the time,
In irons.
The First Mate Accused.
"In the morning made the following
report in the logbook, viz.
ON this day the steward of the said
Herbert Fuller came to me and told me
that the sailors all came 6nd made on
open statement to him in reference to one
of the sailors, whose name is Charles
Brown The statement was as to his
guilt In regard to the murder which
took place on board said vessel. Al
once got each mans statement. On the
strength Of these statements we concluded
to put him in Irons at daybreak At 7 a
m all hands we're mustered aft and thor
oughly searched. and not other weapons
were given them but their knives ..
" Each man was then placed certain
distance apart from each other until after
hours. Myself, the steward, and made
were stationed amidship and a good look
out kept until daylight.
" Charles Brown, the seaman who
was put In irons made subsequent state
ment, accusing the mate Of the murder
He said he saw him kill the captain
through the transom over the ohartroom.
1.-THE steering OF the ship was intrusted
TO the first mate. The steward who knew
something of navigation, looked at tht
compass two days after the murder ant
said the first mate was not steering tht
course given him. He was steering the
ship In an opposite direction. This looked
suspicious, and the steward and myself
after consultation, decided to have th,
first mate placed under arrest. He wal
taken unawares and placed in irons. The
steward then navigated the vessel to 4
port OF Halifax harbor. We tSled to gel
the ship back to Boston, but owing to th.
wind at the time we were obliged to maxi
for the Nova Sootlan coast. and brought
up near Sable island.
I'VE drifted about In the fog for som,
time and finally saw pilot, who brough
the Fuller into this port
1--WE kept the bodies for three days, OF
long as we could The odor OF decomposl
tion then became unbeaFable and we de
oided 10 place them in boat and cove
them with canvas
1.-THE boat was tOwed behind the vessel
The experience on board was enough {.
make the stoutest heart quail and Il wa
great relief to my pent up feelings whel
we came to harbor In Halifax"
Statue OF Patriotism.