The morning times., 1896-07-05

been used as weapon OF murder. We
We're a small ship, carrying neither pas
sengers nor surgeon. The captain did the
doctoriDg, and it was he who pronounced
John dead and who ordered Biggins to
step aft in charge of the boatswaiD and
myself, while the body was picked up and
carried into the forccastle to be stitched
In sail cloth for the last toss.
We ascertained that just as Biggins now
vas so had he been when he assembled from
aloft; he had neither shifted nor washed.
We overhauled him curiously and minutely
for blood stains. for any hint that should
convict him, seeing that he swore he had
left his companion alive In the foretop.
But we could find nothing that looked like
blood. He was CHASTITY white and seemed
horribly frightened, trembling while we
pulled him about, and vowing TO God that
he had never touched the other; that John
was still at work, whistling, when he
dropped down over the top. But his oaths
of innocence could not weaken the damDing
testimony Of circumstances. He had been
quarreling with John all through the voyage.
He had stood up to him and been beaten
blind. They were in the foretop alto
gether alone, and little while after Big
gins had come down John was found a
bleeding corpse. The captain ordered
the boa vain to put Biggins in irons and
requested me to go into the foretop and
ma ke the best examination possible by the
little light that lived.
gained the height OF the fore lower mast
and grasping the futtock irons got into the
top and looked around. II was a large top
for Il small ship, half as large again as
a vessel OF her tonnage would now be fitted
with. There was the hectic of sunset
in the dusk, like the flush on the check OF
a h1lf-blood. 1t made a little light
and peered close, the wind kissing like
steam through the rigging and roaring in
the iron-hard hollow of the reefed tOpsail
in wild, continuous thunder. l saw
great stain of blood in the middle OF the top.
There was also a black splash about two
or three feet up the masthead. / stepped
over to the lee side and came back again.
Then, being satisfied there was nothing
more to report than the blood stains,
put my hand on the rigging and was about
to descend, when my eye was taken by
something lodged in the cantIine--to call
it so-formed by the junction OF the foot
of the foretopmast and the head of the
foremast.
1t was n heavy. cucumber-shaped stone,
like to one OF those ancient implements or
weapons you dig up out OF fields. II weighed
about ten pounds. And now, bringing it
close to my eyes, l saw blood anu hair
upon it.
what, In the name of the angels, is it,
sir?" exclaimed the carpenter.
We carried it on deck and bore 1T aft
to the captain, who, after staring at in
silent wonder for some moments, exclaimed:
Its an aerolite!"
Ay. Biggins was an innocent man, and If
murder it was then il had been done by the |
heavens themselves But suppose the mar
velous stone had jumped overheard after |
having Drained the unhappy young fell |
low: Biggins would have been tried, SEN |
fenced and hanged by the neck most GER |
tainly. Nothing could have saved him in |
tile face OF the evidence.
When we arrived at Adelaide the stone |
was made a show of and the extraordinary |
Incident was the talk OF the City for days. |
They have the specimen. blood. hair, and |
all. to this hour in their museum.-Chicago |
New