Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-01-15
THE
CONSCIENCE STRICKEN
CAPTAIN.
. A Tale Of tho,Sea In Which
Summary Punishment Is
Melted Out TO Two Cownrds
BY CAPTAIN A. ]. KENEALY.
7 CAPTAIN A. !. KENEALY.
CopNtqht, Iseo, bp Erpin Wardmon.

9 Copyright, 1890, bp Erufn W'drdmdn. Q
oooooooooooooo oooooooooooooo
1t was in the East India museum mt
Salem, Mass, that ! first met my
friend the captain. He was gazing
reminiscently at large case of curios
which he had brought from Calcutta
ever SO many years ago. Fashioned In
Benares by the cunning hands of Hin
doc artilicers. the exhibit was repre-
sentative of the Ingenious handicraft
of those patient and indefatigable
workers. The glass case on which his
eyes were fixed mournfully and yearn-
ingly reminded him perhaps of Salem's
maritime decadence.
In the good old times Salem's clip
pers were the proudest and fastest Of
all the gallant argOsies that plowed the
southern ocean, bravely breastlng the
towering sens encountered off the Cape
of Good Hope when running "easting"
down and making fast passages out
and home. Then it was that Salem
had u mighty rival in Boston, and the
fastest vessel picked up the choicest
freight from the Indian, Chinese and
Parsee merchants anxious to send by
the smartest ship their soft and gleam-
ing silks, their fragrant teas and aro-
matte spices and all the other fantastic
products of their old and storied coun-
tries to the new and rising nation Of
the occident.
don't know how 1t was that came
b. lxo "
friend the captain. There is Kind of
| Freemasonry among those who fol-
low or have followed that cruel and
caprioious mistress, the sea, for a
livelihood that frequently amounts to
magnetic attraction, just as two
ships In the doldrums, without breath
of air blowing or an inch of current
running, gradually will approach each
other coming nearerrand nearer until
eventually Qf the calm continues) they
drift close alongside each other and Ell
ther collide or exchange friendly cour-
tesies.
In the same mysteriously magnetic
way the captain and drifted together
and became good chums. He was n
striking personality. Although past
his nineticth year, his eyes had not lost
heir fire. Above the average height
of man. he lowered erect in spite of
his burden of days, and his white hair,
eyebrows and beard were in striking
contrast to his mahogany complexion.
tanned by many tropical suns. He had
a powerful Roman nose. a short upper
lip and massive lower jaw, denoting
dogged determination and an obstinate
will.
He was clad IN the costume affected
by mariners n half century ago-a blue
coat and waistcoat with brass buttons,
trousers OF snowy duck, white shirt
and we'll starched choker. On his
crisp thntch of glistening silver hair
he wore nn easy hat of felt.
1t had an irresistible fascination for
him, he said, that quaint old museum
at Salem. There he spent much Of his
time. 1t reminded him of his past. An
old East India skipper feels always
longing to revisit the scenes of his
earlier tripmphs.
The captain lived IN a delightful cot
tage outside the town, far from the
maddening' clnng of the trolley car
gong--a sweet, old fashioned dwelling
of red brick, with clematls, honey
suckle ana trumpet vine shading its
spacious veraudn. There, with an old
colored manservnnt whom he had
bought frorn n slave ship and who re-
fused to be liberated, he kept bach-
clors hall Many quaint and bnr-
barrie, dish did the old slave cook for
us-highly seasoned Indian curries and
dishes savorlng Of the Kongo. whence
he Ind been stolen by Spaniards In his
youth.
One evening over bowl of punch, In
which Mcdford rum and fragrant lines
were the chief ingredients, the captain
unbosomed himself to me. He said he
was haunted by the memory Of one
sin which he had committed and which
he was afraid might make things go
hard with him ON the day of judg-
ment. He said he had repented bitter
ly of his crime, which was done in
moment of anger, and he thought he
would like to have the views of anoth-
er old salt as to whether he was just-
fed In the drowning Of two sailors.
You could have knocked me down
with a feather when the captain thus
gave me his confidence. This kindly
old gentleman with distinguished man.
ners, generous instincts, leading n
calm, pure life. murderer! Never!
thought |. Perhaps he is the victim
Of some queer halluclnation such as
an old man sometimes labors under.
But his story was straightforward, and
I have no doubt of its perfect truth.
This Is his yarn.
"When was In the East India trade,
was supercargo as well as captain.
My sailors used TO say l was marrI-
net, and likely-I was; but, although a
strhft disciplinarian, treated my crew
well, and many of, them had made sev,
eral voyages with me. The ship had
command Of at this particular time
WAS my only love. never cared much
for women, III had been spliced TO
nargmg doll, I should be dead today