The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-11
STORY OF THE S0MERS.
Son of the Secretary of War Hung
For Mutiny.


New York Press: With the unlim-
tied possibilities America offers for ap-
propriate names for her naval vessels,
| ii is difficult to see why the torpedo
boat which we have bought in Ger
many should be called the Somers, as
( 1t is stated she will be named. That
was the name, to be sure, of an hon
ored brig in our navy half a century
ago, but it recalls the mutiny on the
Somers, when, for the only time in our
history, an American naval officer was
hanged for mutiny. With him were
executed two of the crew. Such a name
in our navy of today will keep alive
what is perhaps the most gruesome
chapter in our naval history.
The mutiny, and its swift suppress
sion, occurred ~ years ago, coming No
vember The commander of the SomerS
was Captain Alexander Slidell Macken-
zie.
The officer who was hanged was Mid
! shipman Philip Spencer, son of the
secretary of war. John C. Spencer. of
New York state. The man whose
| knowledge of Greek was the means of
convicting Spencer was Aidshipman
John Rodgers, afterward admiral.
The Somers, a brig of 266 tons, and
one of the fastest sailerS in the navy,
had left New York for a cruise among
the West Indies, and also took dis
patches from Norfolk for the frigate
+ Vandalia, which was cruising off the
west coast of Africa. On his previous
service, on the John Adams and the
| Potomac, Spencer had showed insubor-
dination and decided tendency
toward drinking more than he ought
for his own good. He was 10 years old
and resented all attempts of Captain
Mackenzie to keep him within bounds
by the ordinary methods of naval disci-
pline.
On the night of November 25, 1912.
while the Somers was nearing st.
| Thomas, West Indies, the pursers
steward, John w. Wales, was ap-
preached by Spencer in a mysterious
manner Spencer asked Wales to go
out on a boom with him. so that their
Conversation could not be overheard on
the deck When they had reached a
! secure spot, Wales was asked:
Are you afraid of death? Are you
afraid of dead man? Are you afraid
to kill any one?'
To these remarkable questions Wales
returned an answer in the negative.
After swearing him to secrecy, Spen-
Ger unfolded to the astounded steward
a plan to seize the ship. kill the officers
| and start on a career of piracy. Wales
gave no definite reply to the PROPOSE
tions of the MILDLY to join him and the
crew, and said he would let him know
the next day. As soon as possible, how
| ever, Wales told the purser, Heiskel,
| who told Lieutenant Gansevoort, who,
| in turn, went to the captain with the
story.
| At first Captain Mackenzie could
not credit the tale Knowing of Spen-
GERS doubtful record in the navy, he
resolved TO watch the young midshiD-
man. Spencer. in the next few days,
was seen to be studying closely a chart
| of the West Indies, and to be interest
| ing himself in details of the ship which
were foreign TO mis- duties. The captain
| decided to have a talk with Spencer.
! The conversation opened with this re-
mark from the captain: II understand.
/ sir. that you aspire to the command of
| this ship" Spencer coolly and laugh
| ingly disclaimed any, such ambition.
| Then the captain told the plot as it had
come TO his ears. Spencer kept his self
/ possession, and said ii was all a joke.
But Captain Mackenzie put him in irons
and had his locker searched. In it was
| found a paper with strange characters
on it. 1t was submitted to Midshipman
| Rodgers, who said it was written in
| Greek, and as he was able to read
! Greek. II was learned that the paper
contained a list of the ships crew in
columns headed cure" and doubt
| full"
Samuel Cromwell, boatswain's mate,
| and Elisha Small, ordinary seaman,
who had served in the British navy.
had been seen for some time to have
! furtive conversation with Spencer, and
they, too. were put in irons.
When Spencer had been in close con-
| fnement for four days Captain Mac
kenzie called a council of his officers
and asked their opinion. They found
| the three men Ito have been guilty of
a full and determined intention to COM
nit mutiny on this vessel of a most
atrocious character" Though no overt
act had been committed, they recon-
mended that the mutineers be put to
death.
Accordingly the men were notified
what awaited them. Cromwell protested
his innocence and begged that for the
sake of his wife his life be spared.
Small asked that his old mother never
be told how he had died. Spencer said
he was not ready to die. and wished to
be shot instead of hanging at the yard
arm. The captain wrote down mes
sage at his dictation to his father. the
secretary of war. Within an hour the
| three convicted men were unbound and
taken under guard to the gangway.
They stepped out on the plank which
was held up by lashing, the nooSes
were placed about their necks, and at
their requests the usual black caps
were placed over their heads.
The flag of the nation was then
hoisted TO the peak, the signal gun
fired, at which a cutlass cut the rope
which held the plank and the three
men swung off. At the same instant
the captain called for three cheers for
the old flag from the crew and then
three cheers for God Almighty.
Spencer's body was put in box and
the others in weighted hammocks and
all were dropped into the sea.
When the Somers came into the port
of New York a court of inquiry was
held. Commodore Stewart, grandfather
of Charles Stewart Parnell. was presid-
ing officer of the court. By vote of S
to 4 the action of Captain Mackenzie
was approved. But Mackenzie never
had happy hour afterward. and he
died in a few years at his home in
Tarrytown. The secretary of the navy
Upshur, who approved the findings of
the court, was killed soon afterward by
the explosion of a gun on the frigate
Princeton on the Potomac.
Beauties of Christian Science.
Harper's Bazaar: Whats the matter.
Johnnie. YOU seem to be feeling good?"