Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-07-22
by N. Quad.

copyright, 1900, by G. e. Lewis
CT all the deviEsh, cold blooded
things done by men you will have
read of few 10 equal what took place
aboard OF the Spanish merchantmen
the Santa Maria, in the year 1862 It
was published in the papers at the
time, but only partial account. and
as We had war and excitement at
hcme the incident was soon forgotten
One OF the Oldest business houses in
Mexico up to the date above named
was that OF the Spanish house OF Ga
lera & Co.. founded rs years previous
~. The business OF this house was
banking, mining, merchandising and
cattle raising. II had dozen branches
in Mexico, and it bad dealings with
half a dozen countries. In a financial
sense it was stronger than the govern
ment, and its yearly profits footed up
an enormous sum. A son Of the found
er had succeeded to the management.
and when old age came ne turned the
active work over to a cousin named
Alvarez. The new manager was a
young man of 25, born in Spain of a
fine family. and had been educated for
the priesthood. He was man with
out vice. Such was his probity that
he was called Holy Alvarez" even in
his youth. At an enormous salary and
with autocratic powers young Alvarez
took over the management of affairs
in Mexico, and almost as soon as he
stepped foot on North American soil a
change took place in his character
He began to drink, gamble and play
fast and loose AT about that time a
noted French adventures appeared at
the Mexican capital, and Alvarez
speedily became her favorite.
OF course. there was gossip about the
new manager and there were those who
predicted that his etxravagances would
ultimately bring ruin to the old house, but
there were no official complaints. He
knew little or nothing of business, but he
did know how to spend money royalty
and in year he had people guessing how
much longer 1t would take him to bank
rupt the house. 1t was after the balance
sheets had proved to him that he was
spending more than the profits to the
house and was a debtor to an enormous
amount that he set about preparing a
grand coup, The Spanish merchantmen
was loaded with consignment of gold
silver va.
Spain and the cargo insured to the last
cent. Alvarez took into his confidence a
young man named Prado, and when the
Santa Maria sailed his confederate went
with her as supercargo. The ship was
manned by crew of IA men, all Span
iards. Thirty days after her sailing TO
the southwark the American bark Home
ward left the port of Valparaiso home
ward bound. We had been out three days
when we ran into a dead calm, with the
weather so terribly hot that the deck
planlls smoked In the sun. As we lay
heaving on the ground swell smalh boat
drifted into view. 1t seemed TO be empty
and had been in sight for two hours and
was not over half mile away when the
captain decided TO pick it up A boat was
sent off, and when she returned with the
stranger we had a sad spectacle under
our eyes. There was a dead man lying
at full length under the thwarts lie
had not persisted for lack of food or wa
ter, as the boat was we'll supplied 1t
was sickness of some sort that had
brought his end, and the hot sun had
baked and shriveled his body until the
sight was not one to look at twice. AS
there was no evidence that a second per-
son had occupied the boat, we inclined TO
the belief that mutinous crew had
sent their captain adrift. There were
some who thought he might have been
blown off the coast. and yet in that case
it did not seem as II the craft would
have been stocked with food and water
as she was
We gave the corpse burial and hoisted
the boat aboard. and two days laser tho
puzzle was solved We had caught a
breeze and made run Of hundred miles
when we sighted a dorelict She was "A
square rugged ship with All sail taken on
her and was driving away broadside 70
wind and sea. II was plain that she had
sprung leak, but she was BY no means
vatcr-loggcd. We ran down and hailed
her. and. getting no answer. the mate
was sent 20 board her. was one OF the
crew 81 his boat, and the sight we saw
xra fffra bod Gxrc~ the ...s. 90 - -