The San Francisco call., 1899-11-17
DEATH OF CAPTAIN
HENRY INVESTIGATED
SWEPT FROM THE POOP DECK
BY A WAVE.
seamen Spun Their Yarns at the In
quest Yesterday and Told Of
Blood on the Carpenters
Hammer.

Sailors warns were spun yesterday in
Coroner Hilrs office with the usual salt
sea elaboration by the bronzed .tars who
came TO this port on the Inflated ship
CYRUS Wakefield. whose master. Captain
+. 7. Henry. was killed while gong
around the Horn.
The Coroner was holding an inques. TO
determine the cause of death. ii having
been generally rumored among the crew
that he had been the victim OF foul play.
The person kinted at in these rumors is
First Mate Frederick Williamson, now on
his way % this city by rail 10 vindicate
his reputation from the charge or insinua-
ton, whatever IL may be termed. Mr.
Williamson has begun suit in New
York court against the Associated Press
for libel in having published rumors con-
Meeting aim with the death OF the cap
tain.
All the witnesses agreed on the follow
ing state Of facts: At o'clock on the
evening Of June Il of this year, while the
ship was rounding Cape Horn, heavy
sea struck the vessel and caused her to
lurch heavily. Members of the crew on
deck were swept from their feet and
washed from bulwark TO bulwark until
they were dashed against something OF
which they could take hold. Among the
persons being tossed by the sea around
the deck vas Captain I. +. Henry. Sailor
Frank Billow, who seemed to be an
honest and truthful witness. had been at
the big wave and swept from one part OF
the deck TO the other.
While holding on TO part OF the rig
ging he saw black object which looked
like the form of a man whirlihg past him
in the water. He waited until it returned
with the next roll Of the ship and caught
hold OF II. thinking that It was the dead
body of Sailor Grant. who had been swept
away with him from the pumps. It proved
however. 10 be the unconscious body of
the captain.
Billow raised an alarm after the ship
had been righted. the whole affair occupy
ing probably half a minute. and the mate
Fred Williamson, who was below at the
time called up through the companion
way TO put the body on the poop deck.
The unconscious form OF the captain was
taken down 10 the cabin. where the mate
forced some whiskey down the throat OF
the injured man. The captain died shortly
mark on the back OF the head, Just below
the neck, looking like the mark of a ham,
mer.
The hammer formed an important
feature Of the testimony. According TO
two witnesses. Thomas Visiga, the FIJI
pino steward, and Fremont Nash. the ap
prentice boy. the mate had borrowed the
hammer from Carpenter G. J. Carlesoen
before the wave struck the ship, his OBJ
ject. as stated by him. being TO nall up
the shutter of HIS cabin to keep out the
water. When the witnesses saw the hsm-
mer the next morning there was blood
upon the top Of it.
All the witnesses agreed that the mate
was not on deck twenty minutes before
the wave struck the ship. They said fur
ther that the captain was popular and the
mate very unpopular. Captain Johnson.
the second officer OF the ship, thought
that the captain was killed BY the sen
dashing him against some part Of ,he
deck. the deceased being on the elevated
poop deck at the time the big wave came.
He said also that the captain and Mate
quarreled frequently and had
hot words but never came to blows The
mate, he said, wanted TO sew the body I'm
n sack and throw II overheard. but the
witness and the remainder of the crew
would not allow that disposition TO be
made Of the body.
An autopsy will be made TODAY and
the jury will be summoned to hear The
result and to deliberate upon their
verdict