The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-14
A SEA TRAGEDY OF 1910.
THE EXECUTION OF MIDsHIPaEAN
SPENCER FOR SIUTINY.

Secretary of War and Was Hanged
at the Yardarm of the United
States Brig Somers with Two 9th
eF Members of the Crew, without
Trial and Loudly Protesting His
Innocence.
From the New York Sun.
New York nowadays is seldom at loss
for sensational occurrence, or an event
that sets tongues wagging. But half
century ago it's much gossiped about
events were few and far between. Then
the city did not have a yellow fever jour
nalism, as now. that invented sensations
in default of actual ones. Wherefore
when, during the closing month of the
year 1912, the Sun announced that the
brig Somers. belonging to the navy, mad
anchored in our bay, returning from her
cruise without a midshipman-who was
| the son of John c. Spencer, then Secretary
of War-and boatswain's mate and an
ordinary seaman. who had started with
the brig, and that the reason for their
absence was that they had been hanged
at the yardarm without trial by order OF
Commander Alexander Slidell Mackenzie,
the community was greatly excited. The
excitement was deepened when, a few
days later, it was made known that Sec
,, retary of War Spencer, the father of the
midshipman, was Frustrated by the intel
ligence, and that President Tyler and
other members of the cabinet seemed
greatly shocked. Inquiries made by Sun
reporters were simply answered by state
ments that a mutiny had been fomented
by the three who had been executed, and
that only by such prompt punishment had
Commander Mackenzie, Lieut. Ganse-
WORT, Purser Heskel, Quartermaster
Rogers, Surgeon Leecock an Midshlpmen
HAYES. Rogers. Thompson and Tillotson
been saved from contemplated MURDER,
primarily instigated by Midshipman Phllip
Spencer. The sensation deepened Wheh
finally it became known that he had plan
ned, through the mutiny and the muir
ders, to convert the brig into pirate YES
sci and scour the seas for prey.
The officers of the Somers, however, de-
clined to talk freely about the affair, be-
cause restrained by official and profession
al etiquette, but some of the crew were
communicative, so that little by little the
details of the tragedy became known, and
as more particulars became public popular
excitement increased all over New YORK
and adjacent cities. Those details almost
Immediately became matters of record
through court of inquiry held on board
tho United States frigate North Carolina,
held in our port. Not only was the trag-
edy thus conspicuous in public regard be-
cause of the relationship of the condemn
ed midshipman to the cabinet officer, but
also because Commander Mackenzie had
already been notable in literary circles as
author of several books of travel, and also
politically notable as being the brother OF
Congressman John Slidell of New Orleans,
he who, twenty years later, while con-
federate commissioner, was captured on
the British steamer Trent by Commodore
Wilkes and was the occasion of a serious
diplomatic controversy between England
and the washington administration.
The press of the whole union, as the
mails arrived, came to discuss the tragedy,
some newspapers maintaining that the ex-
ecution of the alleged ringleaders of the
alleged mutiny, without hearing and on
the ipse dixit of Commander Mackenzie,
aided by the advice of his officers, was
a cowardly murder; while other editors
upheld his action as the consequence of
necessary discipline The court of inquiry
and subsequent court-martial were has
tened by the demand not only of Com
mander Mackenzie, but also of Secretary
Spencer. who became anxious to have the
slayer of his son punished.
Inc COMMANDER NdS the youngest sun VI
John Slidell, Sr., who had long been an
esteemed merchant and manufacturer of
this city, prominent in its society and in
its politics, for he had been a Tammany
Sachem. The commander, also well
known in New York society, had five years
before this Somers tragedy taken the name
of Maoknezie at the request of his moth
ers brother, who made it's adoption the
condition of a large legacy to the COM
mander, his favorite relative.
The Somers had set out on a cruise
around the West Indies in order to train
for the navy a number of cadets, or, as
they were then termed, naval apprentices.
The brig was of 266 tons and the fieetest
sailer in the navy, After leaving Nor
folk with dispatches for the frigate Van
dalia, cruising off the western coast of
Africa, Commander Mackenzie had made
the Azores, touching at Madeira and next
at Teneriffe, but not encountering the fri
gate he continued on to Liberia, where
1t was reported that the Vandalia had al
ready sailed for home. He left the sealed
dispatches with a consular agent and next
directed his course toward ST. Thomas, in
tending to there procure supplies. While
nearing the West Indies on the night of
Nov. % the purser's steward, Jown w.
Wales was encountered by Midshipman
Spencer on deck. In mysterious manner
Spencer asked Wales to get on top of the
booms with him, as he had matter of
Importance to communicate. No sooner
were the two seated out of hearing from
deck than, according to the extraordinary
testimony of Wales, Midshipman Spencer
abruptly opened conversation by asking
In sepulchral voice:
"Are you afraid of death? Do you fear
a dead man? Dare you kill anybody
Wales having answered negatively,
Spencer asked Wales to raise his hand and
swear to God he would never reveal what
the midshipman would now tell him.
Wales, stimulated by curiosity, took the
oath which this boy of 10 administered.
and was then informed that Spencer was.
as ring-leader, leagued with twenty of
the briggs company to instigate a sham
alarm and a fight some night at mid
watch. seize the deck officer, kill all the
officers and commence piracy. Spencer
outlined the plan with great circumstan-
TALLY, and told how much money was
on board the brig, and how rich prizes
would soon be captured. Spencer asked
Wales to join. Wales. with mental reser-
vations that had begun with his oath,
promised to consider the proposition and
to make his assent or dissent known the
next day.