The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-14
SHIP IN WITH TALE OF MUTINY
THE HILARTUS, CATTLE LADEN,
HAS An EVENTFUL TRIP.

Nine Swarthy Buccaneers shipped In South
America struck, but the Unterriied
Captain Marshall Oyerawed Them-All
We're Allowed 10 Escape at Bahia.
When the cattle steamship Hilarius,
which doesn't live up to her NAME, tied up
1T the Atlantic docks in Brooklyn yester-
day afternoon a story of mutiny was told
that had all the elements of the real thing.
Here is the story gathered from the
various accounts OF the men who took part
in il, except Capt. Marshall, who said he
disliked publicity:
Or February 20 the Hilarius left Buenos
Ayres and steamed to Montevideo, where
she took several hundred head of cattle
aboard. The ships crew couldn't handle
so much live stock, 80 fifteen cattlemen
were t. AIKEN aboa rd-Italians and Spaniards.
The worst line of vaqueros I've ever laid
eyes on said Fourth Engineer John Nerces,
the hero of the yarn.
Nerces is an Armenian who has become
Americanized. He, his wife and two boys
we're in Montevideo when the Hilarius
put in there and they we're in hare luck.
Nerces had been trying to get out OF the
country for some time and he tackled Capt.
Marshall with the proposition that no work
out passage for himselfa and family. Capt.
Marshall agreed, the family came aboard
and Nerces became fourth engineer.
There was more work than honor and
gold lace about his job. That is probably
the reason why, twenty-four hours after the
Hilarius started north, one of the cattle
men, a one eyed man named Pietro-all
brigands are n med Pietro, and most of
them are one eyed offered to let him in
on the ground floor of the scheme to murder
those who weren't in the syndicate and
then get away with what was worth taking.
Nerces was informed that all the con-
spirators had knives and pistols, SO he was
diplomatic. and was almost elected leader
because he overdid it. As soon as he could
he informed the captain what Pietro and
his gang were up to and the officers and
members Of the crew who could he trusted
were old what was up.
The captain gave each a revolver, put
men with rifles on guard in the charthouse
to peek ont and shoot the first man who
did a hostile act and then all hands waited
for the mutiny to begin. =,
1t came next morning. Pietro headed
the gang and broke the news TO the cap
tain that they had formed a local Of the
sons of rest and that the captain must land
them somewhere without much delay.
They were forward at the time. The
captain had his answer in his pocket,
1t was a piece Of chalk, and with 1t he
marked a line across the deck.
The nine looked on, not knowing what
was doing.
The captain Strengthened up and looked
the gang square in the eye, as brave captains
always do. =,
See that" said he. That is a dead
line. If any one of you wants to cross it
let him try. Three men. each with a rifle,
have been ordered to shoot through the
heart the first man whose foot goes across
That's exactly what he said, according
to the information ohtainable yesterday. =.
Nobody took his dare, but all of the loyal
crew were armed and ready to shoot at
the slightest preteXt, to say nothing OF a
mutineer. From the charthouse sentlnels
with rifles waited for some one to take
liberties with the chalk line. For a day
the ship was practically in a state ofsiege,
and then on March 3 came Chapter II .,
One Eyed Pietro toed the chalk line and
demanded an audience with the captain.
Rifles covered him, Everybody. agrees
upon that point. The captain refused to
treat with him and One Eye vanished be-
hind the winches. In a few minutes bullets
spattered against the chart house and the
fire of the rebels was returned" No score.
Same thing happened on the next day
and on every succeeding day until March p.
Then the Hilarius was off Bahia and the
crew got sore.
See here, they said to the captain,
we're tired of being shot at, and besides
| the noise of the revolvers keeps US awake
and Ncrces says his youngest kid hasn't
had an afternoon nap in a week. Now II
you put into a Brazilian port and nave these
fellows imprisoned for mutiny you'll have
to hang around and lose time for weeks
getting them tried and convicted proper.
Whynot let 'em desert?" .
The captain thought that was the easiest
way out of it. SO the Hilarius anchored
as near Bahia as she could get without
| grounding and The watch was told to guard
the chalk line and forget the rails.
The man on the watch that night saw
nine dark figures steal out OF the fore,castle
and drop over the side. He counted nine
Of 'em and then went to sleep. What was
the use of guarding any more? The mutt
neers had skipped. And the next day the
lila RVS sta ed north nEain.