The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-08
MAN WHO SAW BODY
OF KING 0'KEEFE
CAPT. w. M. M'KELVEY.
RULER OF ISLAND OF YAP PROB
ABLY INFERRED AT GUAM.

odicer of Marine Corps Was Then
stationed in That Part of the Pa
cihe and Remembers Incident,
Though mt the Time He DiI
Not Give IL Especial Attention.
O'Keefc Was no Doubt Sole Sur
viNOr of Inflated Vessel.
Capt. w. NJ. McKelvey of the United
States Marine Corps, who may have
seen the burial of King O'Keefe Of
zap, formerly of Savannah, was in the
city yesterday morning.
He came from Port Royal on the
early train, but remained only a few
hours. Important business took him
back. While here he was the guest of
Mr.. Fred NJ Hull.
Much interest was centered in the
coming Of Capt. McKelvey, as this was
the first visit since it was ascertained
that he was present at what seems to
have been the last rites over the re-
mains of the Savannah man whose
fame carried his name around the
globe.
Previous to the statement of Capt
McKelvey it was the general belief that
King O'Keefe and his son had persisted
at sea.
Body Buried in Guam.
1T was either the latter part of 1901
or the first of 1902 that the burial took
place" said Capt. McKelvey. AT that
time l was stationed at Guam. A
schooner on its way from zap to Hong
Kong came in and asked permission to
bury a body. The captain of
the schooner stated that the
body was that of King O'Keefe
of zap. At that time 1 was
not fully informed as to the history of
King OKeefe and did not pay especial
attention to the information. suppose
that l could find again the spot where
he was buried.
When 1 got in the vicinity of Sa-
vannah and heard the full story of
King O'Keefe 1 wrote to Mrs. Hull, and
communicated the some what meager
information l had on hand.
Sailors Probably Ignorant.
Il do not think that the sailors who
brought the body ashore knew much
about King O'Keefe and had probably
| heard his name from the man himself
before he died As near as l could get
II the schooner had picked up the man
from wreck, where he had nearly per-
ished from starva ton. Soon after be-
and he soon passed away. Guam was
the first land, and as the dying man
expressed a desire to be saved from a
grave in the deep they brought him on
to the island.
Before the burial was allowed l
sent a surgeon on board the schooner
to see that the death was not due to
| a contagious disease. After the inves-
tigation the permission to bury on
shore was granted.
Guam is only a short distance
from the Island of Yaq, but few
| boats passed between that island and
Guam, and but little was known of it's
life.
Il regret that I did not obtain fuller
information on the subject so that
could give a more definite statement
of the burial and the last days of King
| O'Keefe."
Left Hong Kong in 1901.
In May, 1901, King O'Keefe set sail
from Hong Kong in his own ship,
bound for his island in the Carolines.
Until Capt. McKelvey told his story
no news was received from the party
on the Inflated vessel, and as a ty-
phoon swept along the coast of China
about that time it was concluded that
the ship had foundered, and it's entire
crew persisted. In the light of subse-
quent events ii would seem that the
ship was really wrecked, and that
O'Keefe was the only survivor.
For the purpose of settling up the
estate of O'Keefe, Mr.. Walter c. Hart
ridge is now in that corner of the
world, and though opposed by many
| obstacles has managed to reach the
island of zap. The result of his pres
ent visit to the island is not yet
known here.