The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-25
A MUFFIN Y
That Was a
Horror.
BRAVE STEWARD
Whose Goodness and Daring
Saved the Ship.


harbor Cor Queenstown harbor as it is
better known noticed a large sailing
vessel some miles out to sea flying sig
nails Of distress. Closer examination
by the coastguardsman showed that
the ship was all right, as to her sea-
worthiness. and the sea was perfectly
calm: but the signal flags told him that
whoever was in charge needed assist
ance to work the vessel into harbor
As quickly as possible boatful OF
co5stguards put out 10 the ships. as
sistance, aided by a tug that started
from Queenstown when the news Of
the ships being sighted was received
in the inner harbor. Everything was
SO cs.lm and smooth that il did not take
the tug and the coastguards long to
reach the ship, which proved to be a
splendid type of the full rugged" class.
Her name was the CasWell, and she
hailed from the port Of Swansea.
The coastguardsmen had scarcely nut
foot on her deck when they saw what
the trouble was. There had been a
terrible mutiny on board, and the ship
downstairs and up was a shambles. A
solitary man was in sight He was at
the helm, an utter physical wreck.
hardly able to stand erect and Iistiess-
~ holding on TO the spokes of the
wheel, just enough to keep the ship
from paying off" in the wind Only
lower square canvas was spread. ev-
erything else aloft being slowed in per-
rect order The ship was as tight as a
drum.
Placing man to relieve the almost
exhausted seaman at the wheel. the
chief of the coast guards ordered The
tug TO take the Caswell in tow and
bring her into Queenstown. Then he
went below into the cabin to investf-
gate. Evidence of bloodshed and muir
der was on every side, and every proof
was present of fearful struggle 1t
was plain the captain and officers had
all been killed and their bodies thrown
overheard. Going on deck again, the
chief found the body Of a dead sailor
lying across the main matches. He had
been killed by a blow from an axe. Be
side the body lay another sailor. severe
~ wounded and unconscious. but alive
boy, dressed in the clothes of a
ships apprentices, lay stretched on the
deck asleep-sleeping so soundly that
he looked like dead. The man that was
found hanging on to the wheel and
steering was the only live being to be
found aboard. A glance at the dav-
its. with the falls hanging down to
the water, showed that the ships gig
was missing. Here was truly a story
Of the sea, with enough exciting detail
in it to tempt the pen of Captain
MaTryat Subsequent developments
proved that the happenings Of that aw-
full voyage made up a tale Of horror
scarcely dare to father as the creation
of his brain.
The Caswell passed in between Forts
Camden and Carlisle, with the reversed
ensign still flying at the foreJruck. as
she followed in the wake of the tiny
tug that was leading her to an anchor
age. The coast guards had given the
tired out sailor some stimuant, which
revived him somewhat, and then they
got him to tell his story.
His name was Stanton He was a
native of Liverpool, and his position
when he shipped on the Caswell was
that of steward Some weeks before
the ship had left Taganrog lin -
with a cargo of wheat in ~ulk, bound
TO Falmouth for orders; that is, she
was to remain at Falmouth till her
cargo was sold when she would pro-
coed to the port of discharge. 1t was
difficult to ship at Taganrog a crew
composed entirely of Notwithstanding
seamen, and Captain Best was obliged
to engage a mixed crew, which included
half a dozen Greeks and two brothers
named Pistorio, who were natives Of
Malta.
Besides Stanton, the steward. there
was a young apprentice on board learn
ing navigation. Capt Best and his
first and second officers were British.
Fine weather prevailed from the start,
and the captain began to look hopeful
~ for a quick run to Falmouth, with
a pleasant word of welcome from his
owners on arrival. Those owners, how
ever, he was fated never to see.
He was standing one day by the rail,
sextant in hand taking the sun, "
when he was suddenly seized around
the neck by one Of the Greeks known
aboard as Big George" who at the
same moment plunged a dirk into the
captains abdomen, and then with a
jerk, the still writing but disembow
elled master of the vessel was flung
over the rail into the sea.
Big Georges attack on the captain
was evidently the signal. Two other
Greeks rushed into the cabin and muir
dered the chief mate, who was in his
bunk asleep. and the second mate who
rose from the dining table to make a
fight for his life. but was no match for
his savage assailants. and he fell to the
floor pierced TIN ough the heart by a
dagger.
Stanton and the apprentice, scared
out of their wits, took to the rigging,
and running aloft as fast as they could
climb hid themselves as best they
might. from the bloodthirsty crew on
the deck. who seemed bent on slaugh-
tering every one on board who spoke
the English language. And they did
kill them all except Stanton and the
boy.
Their lives were spared through a
curious circumstance
When the first flush of their bloody
work was over, Big George and his
fellow-mutineers held a council of war.
Their object after murder, was to steal
the ship, sail her to some distant coun-
try-sOme remote standard then,
when weather and opportunity favored,
set fire to the vessel off the coast. and
make their own escape in the boats,
taking with them all the iewelry
money and other valuables they could
carry without detection. Their final
hope was to be picked up by some pass
ing ship as castaways.
But the murderous brains of Big
George and his fellows We're too dense
TO remember one very important es-
sential. Not a brute of them knew
the first thing about the science OF
navigation They could steer and could
box the compass and take in sail and
let II Out ana ueaNe the lead. Mne0
ordered and directed by their officers
But nothing further knew they of the
apparently mysterious work Of the
educated navigator on the trackless
ocean. Everything to them was ali
the same, sky and water. and as they
gazed az one another. the truth dawned
upon them, and for the first time they
realized their utter helplessness.
Then they thought of Stanton, whom
hud al.
boy They knew he was studying navi-
cation, for they had seen him taking
lessons from the captain in the use Of
the sextant and the reading of the
stars, several times since the voyage