The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-06


would not, IN all probability, live anoth-
er day, asked him to listen to q story
which he had on his mind, a story which
he thought the world ought to know.
His companion, man of rather more
intelligence than the average ledger at
such places, has just arrived in San
Francisco, and this, he declares, is the
having died two days later.
My name is Jacob HammelI. [ was
the second mate of the ship which fell in
with the brig Marie Celeste, and was the
first one to board her, going alongside in
the yawl, which was pulled by two sea-
men. left them in the boat when 1
went on board. Those men, if they can
be found, will tell you that was on
board over half an hour before 1 again
communicated with them. When 1 got
ON board the Celeste, the first person l
saw was the cook. He told me that he,
the captain and the captains wife, were
the only living people on board, smallpox
having carried off all the others within
the past two weeks. I went into the
cabin, where found the captains wife
at the sewing machine. The captain was
in his bunk, very bad off with smallpox,
too weak to do much more than lie
very low. They seemed sorry at having
me come on board, and the captain finally
told me that he had smallpox on board,
but that he did not want it known, as it
would quarantine him when he reached
port and also make it hard to dispose of
his cargo. For this reason he had taken
care to make no mention in the log of the
disease nor of the deaths or burials of
those who had died. Then his wife told
me that the mate had died the day be-
fore, and asked me if wouldn't help the
cook bury him. Then she let slip the
fact that the mate had large sum of
money in his room, which he was taking
to go to South Africa with, where he was
going to be joined by his family and start
in some kind of business. did as she
asked me, but as was sewing up the
mates body an idea entered my head. /
due the mystery of.the Marie Celeste.
carried out my scheme to the letter
When the mates body was all ready, the
cook and took it to the weather gang
way; he wanted to take it, as usual, to
the lee side, but I objected. AS we
attached to the body, threw it over the
cook, and in a second he was overheard,
going down like shot with the weighted
corpse. Then got the captains wife on
deck, and arranged to have her stand on
the weather gangway for moment
just long enough for me to throw a
tarpaulin over her and heave her over
board. found it easy enough with the
captain, he was so feeble. 1 just lifted
him out of his bunk, and he didn't sus-
pect what was up until had him half
through the cabin port. Then went
brigantine was abandoned, that 1 had
| looked all over her, allow and aloft, and
could find nobody. One of them came
aboard, at my order, and saw for him
self / then sent them back to our ship
with message for the captain. While
l.
cabin and soon found tin box, which I
opened with marlinspike. In 1t found
over 800 pounds, every bit in Bank of
England notes. There was also little
English gold. These, with a flve-pound
note I had of my own, left in his chest.
CHATS all the story you need to know,
except that let go one boat, with the
plug out, while the men were away"
The man who heard this story had
never, strange to say, heard of the case of
| the Marie Celeste. So he said nothing
about 1t until he got to San Francisco,
where he soon found out that he had in
formation which was of vast interest and
| Importance. He has made no official re-
| port to the United States authorities, but
| is coming east as soon as he gets the
money. His name is Carl Johanson, Is
mariner by trade, and has sailed on
several American coasters, and also
| served short time in the United States
but deserted several years ago in South
America, in Valparaiso, Chill, he says.
HYDROPHOBIA WITHOUT A BITE.
paris Telegram to the London News.)
The death of Mile. Santasiero from ra-
bies should be lesson to ladies who kiss
lap dogs and let them lick their faces.
Mile. Santasiero is the daughter of the
former chief of Queen Isabella, who keeps
well known restaurant where one can
have Spanish and Neapolitan dishes.
The only daughter, aged twenty, .shad IA