The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1904-09-10
THE TRUE VERSION OF
A NEWSPAPER ITEM
fOrfriUal I

The clipper Osceola was within a
few days sail of New York when q
head wind struck her. There was
nothing for it but to LAY to- under a
flying jib. With the wind came rain.
which froze as it struck the vessel.
The first mate. John Hutchins. was
ON the bridge, holding on for his life.
for to walk OF 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 ZOOS
ened and a corner of it was Tapping In
the wind. 1t was doing III harm. 1t
was simply unsailOrlike. To hx 1t q
man must go out on the bowsprit, and.
considering the ice and the lurching.
this was equivalent to going overheard.
"Connor." sang the mate to a watch
holding on to the port ratineS, 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
ms expected him to refuse to obey the
order, which would be mutiny. possibly
punishable with death.
mo one can go out there and live,"
said Connor. Il can even let go to
get across the deck without being
shot against the buIwarks and mashed
to a jelly"
"Oh. yes. you can. Work u way
along the ~gunwale."
There was an ominous silence, at the
end Of which Connor said: Mr.. Hutch
ms, I'm going TO obey the order, and
it's probably the last order I'll ever
obey from any one. IL | succeed, when
we get to New York and l out Of the
merchant service-for I'm expecting to
be married and settle on shore-you'H
have just n 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 II chanc for
the dead to torture the living. I'll make
1t hot for you"
lis this mutiny?" said the mate,
glartng at his victim.
There was no reply. Conner began
to work his way along the bulwarks,
watching the seas and taking advan-
tage Of any lull. He succeeded in
reaching the bowsprit and began to
era wi out on it. There We're no men
forward except Hutchins and Common,
but those farther aft. seeing the latter's
attempt, were frozen with horror. Con-
nor had not covered half the distance
70 thu soil y-h0n n OY.nlf XJrOVn StTIlRE
the vessels bow and sent him into the
brine. Hutchins from the bridge saw
him swept by and the loo hat was on
his face. Nevertheless he was relieved
that the man had M There was the
usual shout of Man overheard" 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, and her icy coat was even thicker
than 1t had been. The vessel anchored
off Sandy Hook, waiting orders from
owners. All on board We're worn out.
80 the captain and most of the crew
went ashore for rest and recreation,
leaving b 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
In position. went down into the Ca bin
to look over a bundle of newspapers
that had been brought aboard. Sandy
Hook is exposed to the waves OF the
ocean, ard the ship was rolling heavily.
Presently the mate heard a step on
the companionway. Looking up, there
On the slairs stood-the ghost Of Con-
nor! He was pale as a corpse, and his
eyes were faring.
"Get upr' commanded a voice.
Hutchins, who did not doubt that ne
was facing the avenging spirit of the
man be had murdered, obeyed. trem-
bling. Conner 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 chewing. Go
out and clew it."
Whether the prospect of certain
death-for the conditions differed only
in degree from what they were when
Conner was ordered to make this at
tempt-or something human there was
about Conner affected him, by this
time Hutchins was ready for defense.
Even a ghost can't corner a man with
out being turned on, and the mate,
seeing that Conner was unarmed.
suddenly thrust his hand to his 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 a revolver
from under his shirt and before Hutch
ms could fire 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 Two of the crew saw
the fight and, coming up, drew back at
sight of the man they believed to be
dead.