New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-26

at the Plerrepont Stores. In Brooklyn. on arrival
here and was one Of the sights Of the water front
until she got away to sea again
MUTINY ON THE FRANK n. THAYER.
With all the brutal savagery of the stories occas-
ionaly brought in from the sea, IT Is douptiui II
there Is one recorded which has more surprising
combination Of devilish courage. AFFECT cowardice
and undaunted pluck and nerve than that wnlch
The Tribune gave to the world early In 1885, Inc
story Of the mutiny on board the American ship
Frank n. Thayer. the murder OF three OF the crew
and two officers, and the frghtfu wounds innicten
on Captain Robert X. Clarke. followed by the III
ing Of the ship and the escape OF the captain anu
his wife and daughter and the survivors OF the ere"
in an open boat which finally reached st. Helena
sent shudder through the civilized world, and was
the occasion of newspaper stories and investigations
almost without number. Captain Clarke VIII never
rcm the effects Of that ,b sea serSns
shore captain for the ships that are left Of the
fleet to which the Thayer belonged he mas s, a
woman who saved him from death and the little
daughter who was on the vessel during tne avn ~
twenty years do all they to blot out the memory
The ship which was owned by Edward Lawrence:
of Boston, and was laden with. 1000 bales OK
hemp, valued at over s25O0Oo. sailed from Manila
Of twenty-five men, including two Maays and two
Cinnamon. The Malays were Manila men, shipped ps,1
at the last moment TO take the places OF TWO men
who had decided to remain in the Philippine
Islands. and they were the who committed
the crimes There was nothing remarkable about
the voyage until the night Of January q 1856 when
the ship about seven hundred miles southeasIs
OF St Helena. The captain had gone below ana
fallen asleep and every soul on board except those
two bloodthirs.y savages from Mamie was free
6s feenS ho OF sec1 or Wsch
stance. for to It may be traced the panic ana pc. pc
were the victims Of the two wretches who had
been their messmates for more than TWO mo nt
In 'The St. Helena Guardian" James A. Mac
Knight who was then the American COnsul at 81.
Helena gave the following account OF the happen
sTh Us two two mates a. Holmes and w Davis were
I sitting on the after hatch talking. when the two
sSk the s wors Spoken s they fen on
mates with sharp knives In each han hr Hu' abs
after the blow to run to the cabin door and call,
Captain Clarke, Captain Clarke. twice before ne
fell dead and the mate dying in the forecas sie
three hours later. Captain Clarke sprang from MS
bed and hafasleep started up the after comp pa
vessel which was ahead in the evening, and which
they had been afraid they might overnaui. o,, I'd
sos stab on the top Of the head felt hand grab
him by the throat He was in his nghtclotnes snS 40
ss astasonis and that he was one Of the coolies
he struck out with all his might. hitting the muir
derer in the eyes and temporarily binding him so
that he could not to strike The Malay CON
tlnued to hack at the captain with his knife. now
ever TIL they went down the steps together where
slipped in pool OF his own bood ana tnrr,hl 10
went up the steps to the deck. The captain was
again approached the door calling to the man at
the wheel. a sailor named Malone. to shut the out,
side door at a the the reD Gf y
the captain. There's somebody there. sir. replied
Malone who is it?' asked the captain. but the
man could not tell him"
NOW COME THE GREwSOME DETAILS.
This was only the beginning Of the struggle, and
the remainder OF the story tells how the captain,
returning to the forward part Of the cabin found
the second mate dead on the floor. and one OF the
sailors so paralyzed by fear that all he could 40
was to beg the captain to hide him from tne
the man was to be trusted and told him to go
away and the craven then locked himself into Ene
escapine found him and tried to induce him to
open the door. He would not. and the next thlng
stabbed and thrown overheard while still yelling
for help. moment after this one OF the murae ho
ers smashed in Of the cabin windows. and as ne
was about to enter through the aperture the cap
! tain fired two shots. striking one Of the men n
the foot and putting them TO flight. Then win
the doors and windows barricaded, Captain Clarke
was placed in a corner where ne could command an
most hacked to pieces and from that terrible
a ne fi o h With the
and courage born Of desperation. she pushed the
''i Needle and thread. and stopped the bleeding
which rapidly taking away the captains NE; %
who engaged in the mutiny or whaN ha a
caused It. and expected at every moment tnat me
| cabin door would be forced and the murderous
work completed In the mean time affairs at the
forecaste were by no means pesscef n nc home mes
that one Of the East Indians had cut him all to
pieces. Six OF the men made sortie with capstan
rigging rta and the other to the bathroom An this
Malays barricaded the forecastle door from the
outside. Having made both ends OF the ship secure
from the decks, the Malays next turned their at
tention to f.. Boothke. the carpenter, and the man
on the lookout. whom they butchered. and thsr
they had the decks to themselves, save for inc
Chinese cook. All Say who was worse than use use,
less. and he they imprisoned In his galley The
next day, Sunday. the captain fired Few shots
through the skylght Of the cabin in the hope OF
hitting the mutineers and attracting the attention
OF the men who might be faithful to the SNIP
DAYS OF HORRIBLE SUSPENSE.
The day and the night passed. and on Monday
morning the water in the cabin being exhausted
the captain made his way to the bathroom, where
the cowardly sailor had taken refuge. and Their
learned for the first time that the ship was at the
mercy of two half wild Maays The captain Their
determined TO make desperate effort TO regain
control Of his vessel, but the Mays had prepared
for battle and had built a barricade on the roof OF
the forecabin and armed Themselves with harpoons
and javens made by lashing knives TO the ends OF
long poles. The sailors, by order OF the captain
kept such fusade OF revolver SHOTS thas IN
ors wsre the e eapn s through the cabin
where he knew hey were standing struck s one ,S o.
plank overheard, went over himself. Then mar
who had been concealed In the upper rigging came
down TO the deck: the captain having forced oper
the companionway. and the sailor who was witt
him reaching the deck through the skylight. the
men I'm the fOrecastle were released.
While the men were rejoicing over their release
smoke was coming from the after-hatch where
the mates mad been killed, and II was found tina
the companion Of the MALAY who had jumped over
board had secreted himself there and set fire Il
the hemp The did all that was possible &c
fight the fire. but without avail. and while they
were running a line Of hose into the hatch the
Malay came out with jump and went overheard
,rbo Ali
swamped by the men who had been assigned tc
1t all hands were crowded Into another boat ana
after rigging a sail Of blankets on mast made OF
three Oars dashed together. the captain pointed the
nose of the little vessel for ST. Helena; 7o miles
away and finally reached the island. lie and his
wife and chld reached the United States by
steamer and the sailors were cared for by the
authorities.
For dramatic completeness grim romance anc
heart freezing terror there are Few taos or the sea
IL ho LcIar, her