The Washington weekly post., 1899-10-17


was committed some time yesterday
morning, or late Saturday night. aboard
the slCop Dream. OF ST. AiehaeFs, Nd,
which left here Saturday afternoon for
her home port with a cargo Of shingles.
Yesterday morning the sloop drifted into
Rock Creek ablaze. and after the fire had
been extinguished portions of a white
mans body were found. They had evil
IDENTIFY been disHembered with a hatchet
or AK and the boat set afire.
They are supposed 10 be the remains
or Capt. Oliver Cauik. OF ST. Michael's,
master of the boat Frank Collier. a .ol-
ored deck hand. of Queen Anne's County.
who had sailed for years with him. was
also missing. and is supposed To have
shared his fate.
About $500. which the captain is known
to have collected as the price of a load Of
oysters he brought to the city. is also
unaccounted for.
The police tonight arrested Robert
Wyatt. about twenty-seven years old.
charged with the murder In his trunk at
lodging house in this city were found
the bank book of Capt. Caulk, as well as
a number of letters addressed 10 him A
pair of bloody shoes and shirt with un-
mistakable blood stains upon IL were also
schooner.
The Dream arrived here Saturday morn
ing with load of oysters, which were
disposed Of for something over 500. Capt.
Cauik was paid in cash. and remarked he
had over $50 besides with him.
Just before she left Pratt street wharf
well-dressed young man. about twenty
eight years Of age, come aboard her He
told Capt. Caulk he wanted 10 go 10 ST.
Michaefs with him. and the captain con-
sented to take him as a passenger He
wore dark clothes far different from those
usually seen on oyster boats.
Nothing more was seen or heard Of the
Dream until yesterday morning about
o'clock. when she drifted into the mouth
of Rock Creek afire. James Dolan and
John Harrison, government employees at
Rock Point. boarded the sloop, and were
Mortified to see the body of a man lying by
the stove. The head and arms were miss
ing and had evidently been chopped off.
Near by lay a hatchet
Saturated with OIL.
"A silver watch was found. as were
other small articles, but no money
Everything about the boat smelIed of
coal oil, which showed on the waters
on the creek in greasy patches where
she had sunk. The few rags which were
sticking to the trunk of the body were
also saturated with the oil.
Capt. Frank Price. of the pungy Amelia
CT Rock Hall. says that about o'clock
yesterday morning a small skiff, rowed
by one man. loomed up alongside. The
man tied the painter of the boat 10 one
OF the pungy's stern davits and scram-
bled aboard He said he was captain of
an oyster boat which had been run down
and sunk few hours previous by a
steamer in the fog. He said a nolored
man he carried with him had probably
drowned.
He stated the steamer had kept right
on and made no effort to save them. He
did not give his name or that OF hs
boat, and when asked for further particu-
lars. he seemed very much excited and
was reticent. His excitement Capt. Price
thought was due to his misfortune in los
ing his vessel ard said no more to him
When the boat reached Pratt street
wharf about 11:30 o'clock yesterday FORE
noon he became very excited, and thank
ing Capt. Price for his kindness, jumped
ashore almost before the lines were made
fast and hurried away. Capt. Price then
remembered about the yawl boat and
went aft to look for ii. II was gone. and
Dttii cut
AS Capt. Price had not heard of the
murder or the fate of the Dream, he sus-
pected nothing except that the stranger
was as he said, a shipwrecked oyster-boat
captain.
Capt. Caulk was unmarried and lived
with his sister at st. Michaels. HIS
brother, Capt. George Caulk, Is a promi-
nent oyster packer Of that place, and has
been telegraphed for.
The negro, Collier. is also well known
among the oystermen, and had an excel
lent reputation for honesty.
Capt. Price identified Wyatt as the man
whom he had picked UP Sunday morning
off Sparrow's Point. and other persons
recognized him as the man who was seen
aboard the Dream before she sailed from
here last Saturday. 1t IL supposed that
the murderer, after killing or throwing
overheard the colored deckhand, hacked
Capt Caulk TO pieces with an AK or
hatchet and then set fire 10 the sloop.
Wyatt nag resided al or near st.
MichaePs, the home Of Capt Caulk, for
five years, and evidently knew all about
his business transactions.