The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-21
Mysterious Tragedy on the
BaTkentine Herbert Full
Ter, Bound for the
Argentine Re-
public.
THREE HACKED WITH AN AXE
Bodies Of the Captain, His Wife
and The Second Mate Brought
Into Port in q Small Boat
Behind the Ship.

HALIFAX. n s., July 81. lSa6.-The
barkentine Herbert Fuller, which sailed
from Boston July for Rosario, Argen-
tine Republic, arrived at Halifax this
fnaassins with the bodies of three anar-
dered people. They were those Of Cap
tain Nash, his wife and the second mate.
On he arrival of the vessel the remainder
OF the crew were locked up. The triple
murder was committed on the night of
the 18th instant and the affair so FAR is
wrapped in complete mystery. notwith-
standing the fact that there were seven
other men On board at the time, besides
2 passenger named Monck. whose story,
of what he could learn after it was all
obtained Monck is closeted with the po-
lice authorities in the City Hall.
The United Press reporter had a few
words with Monck while the latter was
on the way to the City Hall, and learned
from him some particulars of the fright
ful tragedy on the high seas. His story
is the worst brought into this port by q
sailing vessel since the brutal crime on
board the ship saladin, a half century
ago. and for which four men were exc
euted.
The Herbert Fuller brought The victims
into port covered by canvas, in a small
boat which was drawn at her stern. The
eorpses had been placed in the small
boat the morning after the murder.
The passenger Monck says he knew
nothing whatever of the crime until he
learned of it from the first mate. Dur
ing the night he says he heard some one
scream, which he supposed was Captain
Nashs wife, but heard no further sound
and paid no attention 10 what he thought
| might be a fancy In the morning he
went on deck. The first mate informed
| him that the captain, his wife and the
second officer had been murdered in their
! bertfs, and asked Monelz who slept in
a little cabin between the one occupied
| by Captain and Mrs Nash and the one
occupied by the second mate, If ne had
been alarmed by anything during the
night. Monck told him he heard some
one scream, but he had not paid partict-
lar attention to that.
I-Hoth the cabins Of the captain and
( second mate Immediately adjoin that in
/ which Monck slept so the passenger
must have slumbered deeply or been
strangely deaf to his surroundings not
|
| going on on the other side of the thin
| partitions
| The murders could not have been COM
mitted without noise for the implement
used in accomplishing the murders was
an axe. The victims were hacked in a
ncst sieSening manner, blow after blow
having evidently been INFLICTED on the
victims to make sure that life was ex-
tinct
Monck says that ne assumed charge of
the vessel and with the assistance Of the
mate brought her into port.
According to his story, before being
questioned by the police, Monck ques-
toned the various members of the crew
as to what they knew about the tragedy,
but each one professed entire innocence
and ignorance
Monck ordered the bodies to be taken
out OF the cabin and placed IN boat
and towed astern, which was done The
Herbert Fuller then headed for Halifax.
On arriving here the vessel came to
anchor in the stream and Monck re-
ported the affair to the police, who I'M
mediately took charge of the vessel. plac-
| ed four officers on board and took all
on board into custody until the tragedy
| could be investigated
| The motive for the murders is a COM
plete mystery, for it is not known tnat
the captain had anything of special value
on board and the cargo is entirely Of
lumber.
Coftins were ordered this morning and
at eleven o'clock an undertaken started
for the ship with three wooden boxes in
which to deposit the butchered bodies.
About the same time Medical Examiner
Finn put out on the Government steamer
Argus to examine the corpsas and decide
about their disposal and the holding of
an official inquiry.
| The following are the officers and crew
of the barlSeutine:- captain, c. /. Nash;
first mate, Thomas Bran of Boston; sec
| ond mate August w. Bramberg of Fin
/ land but a naturalized American citi-
zen, steward, Jonathan Spencer of
Rosario; crew. Prank Lohese, a native of
! France; Charles Brown. Of Sweden. Hen
1 ry G. Shea, OF New Jersey; o. Anderson.
az Sweden, and Heinrich Berook, Of Hol-
lard.
The Fuller sailed from Boston July 6
and was sent out by ]. p. Ellicott & Com
pany.
The name Of the murdered second mate
/ is August Blaadberg.
/ At noon the three bodies were trans
/ ferred from the ships boat, in which they
| had been brought to port, TO the three
wooden boxes sent ont TO the boat by a
/ local undertaken. ard they were brought
ashore and removed 70 the morgue, by
order of Medical Examiner Finn
! a dense throng assembled at the wharf
where the bodies We're landed to catch a
/ glimpse Of the men, but the bodies were
/ covered, and the morbid curiosity of the
crowd was thereby thWarted.
/ United States Consul-General Insraham
| advised Monek nat to talk, but his ac-
count Of what took place is. no doubt
! fully known to the police. The members
/ OF tho crew under arrest maintain a rigid
/ silence
! The Herbert Fuller was owned principal
| " By her captain, g. r Nash. and was en-
I gagged IN general trading between United
| States and South American points. Pss
lot White bearded the baFkeatiHe off
safnoro as slx o'clock this morning ara
/ found Afonck and the colored steward.
Joshua Spence, Ia charge: MancH told
the pilot that he had placed the first mate
named Barn. in irons, and thai he and
| the steward took charge. Manck Is well
/ dressed ard Of gentlema0ly bearing.
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