The San Francisco call., 1897-02-19
He KNEW hSHE
At COQUIMBO
Thomas Collins, Who Is an
Ex-Marine, Makes a
Statement.
Ashe Came Aboard the Triumph
From the Prison Ship
Liffey.
He Proved to Be- Always a Sociable
Person and Seemed Not at All
Like a Murderer.

1t was stated in yesterdays CALL that
two ex-marines named Thomas Collins
and John Conway, the first named of
whom once served on II. NJ. S. Triumph.
both knew Ashe, the man accused of the
Blue Mountain murders. Collins commu-
nicsted the following interesting particu-
lars yesterday afternoon:
my name is Thomas Collins and while
acting police corporal of marines l had
many interviews with 'Dsrky' Ashe. |
first made his acquaintance at Coquim bo,
Chile. 1 was then employed as an acting
ships corporal, although / was a marine.
left England in II. NJ. S. Triumph, which
was to relieve the Swiftsure, then at Co
quinbo. We arrived May l, 1885. The
Swiftsure left for home on or about the
latter end of May or the beginning of
June. Several casuals' came aboard the
Triumph and among those who reported
for duty was this man Ashe, otherwise
called 'Darky' Ashe.
The other vessels there at the time
were her Msjesty's ships Heroine, Sappho,
sloop-of-war, and the prison ship Liffey,
which was always there. When these
'casuals' reported aboard it was my ousi-
ness 10 inform the officer of the watch:
Sir, there are several casuaIs come aboard
from the Sappho, Heroine ard Liffey to
report tor duty on H. NJ. s. Triumph as
flagship al this station
1.-The officer of the watch would then
say: Go and acquaint the chief of police
when the chief comes up he brings
his watch book with him. On this oc-
casion he finally reached Ashe, and to the
best of my recollection he said:
What ship are you trom?
'Ashe made reply: The Liffey.'
ttTho chief sized What dano orfp
were you employed in on your last
vessel"
''Ashe said: In the forecastle.'
The forecastle men do not often go
aloft. Ashe was continually under nv
observation in the police department until
I left the vessel, Septem Der l. 1886 l
never knew definitely why be was placed
on the prison ship, but il was claimed that
he was doing twenty-eight days on the
Liffey for stealing midshipman's napkin
ring.
"Ashe was on and off until [ left the
vessel September l, 1856. l visited the
Triumph in 1887, when she called at this
port, but never saw Ashe, though l was
never told that he wasn't there. He was
always a sociable kind of fellow and did
not seem to be man who would become
murderer. l saw him to-day and he Is
the same man. With regard 10 the photo
graph, L would say that it is the custom,
when photographer comes aboard, for
us to change clothes with one another
and rig ourselves up in all shapes and
styles.
Il have good many photographs of
this s'kind, and as nearly as L can recoilect
the photograph you reproduced yester-
day was that of 'Darky' Ashe. l wasn't
quite sure at first, because only saw him
Tor moment as he entered the APP
praisers' building. When l saw him to-
day he gave me the hearty grip one might
expect after long separation.
Il said How do, "Darky"?' and he
said How do?'
Conway was his shipmate on H NJ. S.
Sultan In 1882, during the bonn bard ment
of Alexandria. He is now, to the best of
my knowledge, either on the Empire or
the Gipey. He saw Ashe before | did and
told me about it. '"Darky" AsheP [
asked, and he said Yes l saw him after
that and recognized MIN.
IF you write TO the Admiralty depart
ment, at Whitehall, London, and ask for
the list of men who served on board the
Sultan during the bombardment of Alex
andria you will get all the information YOU
desire regarding him.