The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-01
BLACK NUT|NEERS KILL
Three Negroes Captured in Control
of the Harry A. Berwind.
BODIES THROWN INTO THE SEA

Capt. Rummill and Four of His Crew
Murdered While the Schooner Was
Bound From Mobile to Philadelphia
unable to Navigate, Men A1s Cap
tured and Put in Irons.
Southport. n. C.-News of q tragic
mutiny, costing the lives of four white
men and q negro aboard the four
masted schooner Harry A. Berwind.
was brought here by the schooner
Blanche H. King. which made port
with three colored sailors in irons, the
only survivors of the crew Of the Ber-
wind. Capt. Rummilll, the mate. the
cook and the engineer were killed audit
is thought their bodies were thrown over
board. The body of a murdered negro
sailor was found on the Berwind's
deck, which was splashed with blood
when the craft was boarded from the
King.
The mutiny grew out of the coffee
served for breakfast. The sailors re-
fused to touch the coffee, and it is said
that an alteration arose between them
and the cook. Several Of the men were
asleep, and there are indications that
the mate was slaughtered in his bunk,
which was stained with blood. Drops
of blood were found leading from the
mates berth up to the deck, and to
the side of the ship. The case Is mys-
terious, as the survivors are terrible
in their hate toward each other. The
mutineers were h%andcuffed as soon as
the boarding party had reached the
deck of the Berwind. The negroes
were sullen and silent, but all the
signs in the ship went to show that
they had wrought an awful vengeance
together. 1t was soon developed, how
ever, that they were fixed in implaca-
BILE hatred. One of the men COM
planned that the handouts were cut
ting his wrists. The bracelet was
loosened for a moment, and quick as 4
flash the man whipped out a revolver
and shot one Of the other prisoners.
The bullet inflicted an ugly. wound,
but one that will not be mortal.
Captain Taylor, of the King, says
that he sighted the Berwind thirty
miles east of the Frying Pan Light
ship. The Berwind was not holding q
steady course, and at n time there
was danger of the schooner ramming
the King. Taylor was astounded at
thes sight Of the vessel travelling err
radically, and he became. suspicious
that the crew might be crippled with
yellow fever. He flew a signal, and
the King replied with a request for
boarders. At once a boat was low
cred, and half a dozen men climbed
UP the side of the Berwind to be as
founded at the bloody sight of the deck.
1t was clear that a desperate con-
fict had been waged from stem to
stern Of the ship. The body of the ne
gro was hacked with knives, and there
were several deep stabs in the abdo-
men. Apparently the mar had fought
until he fell from loss of blood, and
then had been slain by a stab to the
heart. 1t Is thought the captain, the
cook and the engineer all died fighting
desperately. The rigging was cut in
several places by bullets and there
Were signs that the cook had been at
tackled in the galley. The prisoners
have absolutely refused to say what
was done with the bodies Of the white
men, and the only possible conclusion
is that they were thrown into the sea.
All the negroes are slightly wounded.
They became greatly excited when
they had been put in irons, supposedly
from the relaxation of the last few
days. Their guarded statements indi-
cate that from the end Of the fight on
Tuesday until the boarding party came
on deck the four men had watched
each other increasingly, fearing treach-
cry. The fifth negro is supposed to
have been killed only a short time
before the signal IA flown to the
King.
A prize crew was left aboard the
Berwina by Captain Taylor, and two
tugs have left here to tow in the
schooner. There is a fear that the Ber-
wind may be lost. as a heavy gale Is
blowing, and the s~hort-handed crew
may be unable to bring her through in
safety. United States Commissioner
S. P. Collier and Deputy Marshal c. o.
Knox have taken charge Of the cap
tives, who still are aboard the King, in
quarantine