The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-07-06

Mobile. Soon after leaving PhilaGel-
pnla, ne said, there was trouble with
the food, which continued all through
the voyage, becoming worse after the
vessel left Cardenas for Mobile. The
members OF the crew were Captain
Edwin B. Rumill, whose home was in
Maine; John Hall, mate; Smith, en-
glneer; Folby. cook: John s. Coakley.
negro seaman; all of whom were muir
dered, and the three negroes, Adams.
Sawyer and Scott.
At Mobile. Scott said, all of the crew
went ashore, and Adams, Oakley and
sawyer bought revolvers at pawn
shop, telling him. Scott, that they
were going to Fix" the officers of the
schooner If they had any more trouble.
coming up to the story of the tragedy,
Scott said:
"On Friday night, Oct. 6, off the
FLORIDA straits, storm struck us and
carried away our fcretopsail. The last
time saw Capt Rumill was on Mon
day night at 8 o'clock. On Tuesday
morning Sawyer was on the lookout
and Adams at the wheel.
About 4:30 o'clock the whistle
blew and went to the cook to get the
coffee pot. Hall, the mate, was sitting
there drinking coffee and the steward
was In the gallery took the coffee
pot and went to the forecastle. When
l went in Adams was lying down on a
bench and Sawyer was sitting by a
table reading. | went aft to the wheel
to relieve Coakley, and he said he was
going forward to give the cook HI.
IN few minutes | saw Coakley come
back and he and the steward had some
words and then he grabbed the stew
ard. | saw Hall, the mate, coming and
Coakley turned the cook loose and
grabbed Hall and shot him three times.
Sawyer ran up and grabbed the stew
ard.
When heard it / ran on the STAR
board side, and Coakley had the mate,
throwing him overheard. Sawyer
fired two shots into the steward. Dur
ing this time Adams was wrestling
with the engineer, and when Coakley
and Sawyer had thrown the mate and
cook overheard they came to Adams
assistance and each of them fired two
shots into the engineer. Then they
threw him overheard
After supper Sawyer said, we will
take the water tank and put it in the
big boat and let it go adrift. and when
we are near land with the vessel we
will water-log her. Then we could
say that there were eight of us in the
small boat and she capsized and
swamped, and we swan back to the
vessel. l opposed the plan and they
all jumped on me, knocked ME down
and tied me with chains. In trying
to release myself l shot and killed
Coakley. Adams and Sawyer over
powered me again. Then they hoisted
the distress signal. That night the
schooner King took us off and put us
in chains"
The testimony of the officers and
crew of the schooner King as to the
state of things on board the Berwind
when they picked her up agreed with
the story as Scott left it. The four
white men of the crew were missing,
and the body of one negro (Coakley)
was on the deck, while Scott was
bound with chains.
But the story of Adams and Sawyer
put different light on the affair and
from the testimony Scott was in the
conspiracy as deep if not deeper than
the others. The court took the same
view of the case and sentenced all to
death. They were sentenced to be
hanged on January 26th last. Sawyer
and Adams appealed to the United
States supreme court, and the presi-
dent reprived Scott pending the ap-
peal of the other negroes. A new