The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-08


starboard watch, testified that hs relieved
Thomas st. Clair at the wheel at ten
O'Clock. The second mate was then close
by the wheel. st. Clair went forward
and soon returned, telling the mate that
something had carried away. Fitzgerald
walked forward, and later heard the
ships DOG bark, aand sounds like human
being in distress. At this Captain Sod
ergren remembered that he and his wife
also had heard the dog bark, and man
cry out. The captain did not attach any
Importance to these sounds at the time.
Although the captain learned nothing
bearing more directly on the disappear
anco of the second mate, he decided DO
place st. Clair, Sparf, and Hanson in
irons as precautionary measure. The
men did not resist. Soon alter daybreak
the captain, pursuing the investigation
found piece of human hair with blood
adhering to it. The hair was black,
tingad with gray, and WINS recognized as
that Of the missing mate. Close to this
gruesome object was "a broom covered
with blood and heavy wooden blud-
geon. Going into the foreoastle, the cap
tain found bloody Ratchet under the
bunk of Thomas st. Clair.
In spite of the aocum ulaUed evidence
that Fitzgerald had been butchered ard
thrown overheard, the members of the
starboard watch remained silent. The
bark was kept on her course, the captain
and first mate standing watch and watch.
Each carried revolver land kept con-
stantly on the alert. In due time the
bark dropped anchor at Tahiti, and then
the captain rowed ashore and acaualnt-
ed The United States consul with the
facts in his possession relating to the
crime. The three prisonsers were taken
ashore yand subsequently sent to San
Francisco for trial. The other members
of the starboard watch and the captain
and mate also were obliged to go to the
American port.
Before the arrangement of the prisoners
| the facts connected with the disappearance
Of Fitzgerald came to the surface. The
desire to escape punishment led Sparf
and Hansen to reveal the nature of the
plot to secure possession Of the bark and
inoriminate each other and st. Clair.
Thomas Green also forged links in the
chain of evidence discriminating Sparf.
| ST. Clair and Hansen. The chief orimi
nal was st. Clair. Ho told Sparf, Han
sen and Green that it was the custom
for ships returning to California from
Australia to, carry portion of their
| freight in money and that there undouht-
eddy was $12, 600 or SIS, 600 in the Hesper's
hold, which might be divided among the
crew If the Captain and his officers could
be put out of the way. Gradually he
worked upon the cupidity of Sparf and
Hansen until they were ripe for murder
ing the officers and taking possession Of
the crew. The evidence docs not allude
to the Captains wife, but there is no
doubt in view Of the bloodthirsty prop
osition of St. Clair, that she would have
tesn murdered or subjected to worse fate
if the plot had succeeded. st. Clair it
was who suggested that the ship be car
ried to the Chilean coast and abandoned.
If w. Clark Russell had constructed this
plot, he undoubtedly would have made
provision for navigator, in which case
Mate Luca would perhaps have been
spared, innsmuch as there was no pas
senger on board oapa BILE of navigating a
ship. The fact that St. Clair, able sea-
man though he was, advocated taking
the ship to Chilli leads to the belief that
he knew something about navigation.
Be this as it may, he was an accum-
| plished butcher. Green testified that on
the night Of Fitzgerald's disappearance
| Sparf aroused him and said something
| which he could not understand. Green
went on deck in his underclothing As
he was walking toward the cabin on the
starboard side he saw Hansen with a
| broom in his hand. When ne reached the
| top of the deck load be found St. Clair,
Hansen and Sparf standing there. He
said to St. Clair, "What's the matter? p
what's the news?" ST. Clair replied,
fWe want you to give US hand to
| throw the old man overheard" meaning
the Captain. "How are you going to get
him on deck?" replied Green, whose de-
gree Of culpapility will have to be figured
out by the reader, the court record being
silent on the subject.
lone of US will let go the peak hal
yards 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 reply.
| "Where IS the second mater" asked
Green.
''He has gone overheard; can't you see
the blood on the deck?" replied st.
Clair, who til en- added, what do you
say?"
"Wait until go and put pair of
trousers on" replied Green, who then
went below and remained there through
fear of the consequences of st. Clair's
act. Jens Olsen also testified that he
had been invited to help throw the Cap
tain overheard, which invitation he re-
fused. Invitations in this line appear to
| have been general. ST. CLAIR who had
murdared the malta desi red to nsrrv ont