The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-07-10
THE TRUE VERSION OF
 A NEWSPAPER ITEM
toriginaLl

few days sail of New York when a head wind struck her. There was nothing for 1t but to "lay to" under a dying jib. With the wind came rain. which froze as it struck the vessel.
 The first mate. John Hutchlns, was on the bridge, holding on for his life, for to walk on the slippery floor was impossible and with the lurching Of the vessel he was liable to be slid over board. The main Jib had become loos- ened and a corner of 1t was Tapping in the wind It was doing no harm. It was simply unsallorllke. To fix 1t man must go out on the bowsprit, and. considering the ice and the lurchlng, this was equivalent to going overheard.
 "Connor," sang the mate to a watch holding on to the port ratlines, "go out and clew up the jib."
 The man addressed looked up with an ashen face. There had been bad blood between him and the first mate during the voyage and he knew that Hutchins intended to put him over board. or, rather. he knew that Hutch lns expected him to refuse to obey the order, which would be mutiny, possibly punishable with death.
 "No one can go out there and hve," said Connor. q can't even let go to get across the deck without being shot against the bulwarks and mashed to a jelly"
 "oh, yes, you can. Work your way along the gunwale,"
 There was an Ominous silence. at the end of which Connor said: "Mr. Hutch. lns, I'm going to obey the order and It's probably the last order I'll ever obey from any one. If | succeed, when we get to New York and out of the merchant service-for I'm expecting to be married and settle on shore-you'll have just one more chance tO kill me, but you'll have to take the chance of being killed at the same time. If l lose my life and there's any chance for the dead to torture the living. Pll make lt hot for you"
 "Is this mutinyT said the mate. glarlng at his victim.
 There was no reply. Connor began Co work his way along the bulwarks, watching the seas and taking adyan- tage of any lull. He succeeded inI reaching the bowsprlt and began toI crawl out on lt There were no men forward except Hutchlns and Connor. but those farther aft. seeing the latter's attempt. were frozen with horror Con nor had not covered half the distance to the sail when a great wave struck the vessels bow and sent him Into the brine. Hutchlns from the bridge saw him swept by and the look that was on his face. Nevertheless he was relieved that tho man had gone. There was the usual shout of Man overboardv' and a few life buoys were thrown over. but nothing of moment could be done to save COnnor. who soon drifted out of sight
 A week later the Osceola approached New York bay. The cold had contin- ued. aud her icy coat was even thicker than lt had been. The vessel anchored on Sandy Hook. waiting orders from owners. All on board were worn out SO the captain and most of the crew went ashoro for rest and recreation, leaving the vessel in charge of the first mate and a single watch.
 At two bells In the evening Hutchlns, after seeing that the signal lights were ln position. went down Into the cabin to look over a bundle of newspapers that bad been brought aboard. Sandy Hook Is exposed to the waves of the ocean. and the ship was rolling heavily
 Presently the mate heard a step on the cOmpanionway. Looking up. there on the stairs stood--the ghost of Con- norl He was pale as a corpse. and his eyes were fiarlng.
 "Get up! commanded a voice.
 Hutchlns. who did not doubt that he was facing the averaging spirit of the man he had murdered. obeyed, trem bling. Connor or his ghost had mean while come down Into the cabin and passed beyond Hutchins.
 "Go on deck"
 Hutchins backed out of the cabin on to the deck. fascinated by the glitter ing eye of the man or ghost-he did not know which.
 "The main jib needs clewing. Go out and clew it."
 Whether the prospect of certain death-for the conditions differed only ln degree from what they wero when Connor was ordered to make this at- tempt-Or something human there was about Connor affected him, by this ime Hutchins was ready for defense. Even a ghost can't corner a man with out being turned on. and the mate, seeing that Connor was unarmed, suddenly thrust his hand to bis hip, drew a revolver and fired. His hand was unsteady. Besides. at the moment Q wave rolled under the ship. His shot went wild. The ghost drew revolver from under hls shirt and before Hutch lns could Are again shot him dead.
 Scarcely a minute had elapsed from the time the two reached the deck be- fore Hutchins body was rolling in the lee scuppers. Two of the crew saw the fight and, coming up. drew back at sight of the man they believed to be