Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-01-28

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of peril at hand, and they were out OF
sight before you could count 20. Ten
seconds later q sound came aft which /
can only compare to tho confusion in
menagerie when the animals become
excited. 1t was the convicts making
their rush from cage No. as the doctor
opened the door to pass in. Most of the
sailors rushed forward to the hatch, the
guards called out and aimed their mus
kets, and then men in convicts uniform
began to appear on deck. We saw Rob-
erts knocked down, heard cheers from
the other cages, and then we made a
dash for the cabin just as sailors and
convicts were preparing to rush aft.
The mutiny was on.
When sailors and convicts saw US dis
appear in the cabin, they realized that
we were prepared for the revolt and
could not he surprise and Ovorpowe1ed
at a dash. They therefore returned
forward to assist the rest Of the prison
ers On deck and consult on what was
best to be done. On our side we barred
the cabin doors, put the iron shutters
over the skylight and informed the puz-
zled men and frightened women just
what had occurred and what we proposed
to do.
There were only seven men Of us in
the cabin-the captain, both mates,
Haskell, Williams, Saunders and Smith.
Mr.. Williams las an old man and
counted for nothing. Both cooks, the
steward and the bo'sum joined with the
mutineers. Not single man among the
sailors came att to cast his lot with us,
though we had looked upon somo Of
them as steady, honest fellows.
You may think there was great ex-
Citement among the women and children
when they came to know the worst, but
can tell you that they were very quiet
over it. Helpless people are always that
way in the face of great peril. They
were white faced and trembling, but
there were no wailing and wringing Of
hands. The cabin lamps were lighted,
and the women and children sat about
on the chairs and lockers, while the men
made final preparations for defense and
spoke in hushod voices.
The exception was in the case of the
two single women. They had certainly
been very foolish to strike up romantic
attachment with such villains, but it
was plain that they had never contem-
plated mutiny and the E9rrors that
might follow. When they realized what
had occurred and witnessed our grim
preparations for defense, they became
conscience stricken and hysterical. Miss
E,et,r .l, tal thnt hor hiaa
had been worked on until she had come
to regard Ben johnson ms a martyr and
had tilchCd the bottle Of c1oton Oil from
tho dispcpsary at his request. She did
not know the use he meant to make Of
it, however. Miss White confessed that
sic thought the doctor had been unjust
~ treated, ana she had encouraged him
to stand On his dignity and at the same
time had fallen in love with the villain
York ard become carried away with his
tales of romance. Now that revolt and
mutiny had come they realized the evil
they had done and the position Of all of
U.s.
The mutineors gave MS about half an
hour in which to prepare for them
During this interval they got their
breakfasts, passed about bottles Of rum,
which must have been smuggled aboard
at the Cape, and sailors and convlcts
fraterniZed in way to prove that they
were not strangers to each other. Rob
erts we could plainly see from the port
holes in the front Of the cabin. He had
been shocked down and bound hand and
foot, and his protests and entreaties
Il +,,c no huI
was nearly up before the doctor was
hoisted into view from below. AS he
was the direct cause of the mutiny and
had been overly kind to the convicts, he
might have looked for decent treatment
at least. To our surprise his hands were
bound behind his back, most of his
clothing torn eff, and the blood on his
face and neck proved that he had been
brutally used.
The first move aft was made by York
aud Ben johnson, che representing the
sailors and guards and tho other the
convicts They could not have known
how we'll prepared we were in the
cabin, but York displayed flag Of
truce as the pair broke away from tho
crowd around the fo'mast. When they
had come up to within ten feet Of the
cabin entrance. they halted, and the
sailor hailed US with
''Hello, in the cabinl Captain Clark,
have few words to say to you!'
"You Internal pair of scoundrels! But
I'm IA mind to shoot you down In your
tracksl" shouted the captain in reply.
600 easy, captain!' called York,
while Ben Johnson laughed his con-
tempt for the threat "You know what
has happened or'ard, Of course. We are
in possession of the bark Aswe are not
q crowd Of lambs, we thought you might
prefer to take the boats and 60 voyaging
ON your own account. "
"That is, tho most of you," added
tho convict leader. "I've got al old
score to settle with Tompkins and Mary
Williams and they needn pack up to
80 along"
eyes 7 know YOU have cot possession