The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-25
MURDER THAT WOULDN'T OUT
CHANCE OPEN WHILE BURIAL AT
SEA rs PRACTISED.
what Wight Happen white Present Customs
Prevail - Possibility OF ASSASSINATION
and No Questions Asked unnecessary
Danger Co Passengers on the Deep.


and No Questions Asked -Unnecessary
Danger 60 Passengers on the Deep.
One April afternoon in lss7-it should be
mentioned that the dates, names and other
superficial details in this narrative are
fotitious--two men exaggerated a waiter in
a New York downtown restaurant by david
ling over their luncheon.
One Of them was n ships doctor. James
Brown, a rough hewn Scot OF 10 who had
a ~curiously uneven gaze. his left eye being
keen and boring, while the right was vague
and dreamy. A similar peculiarly is OBJ
servable in some portraits Of the writer.
Thoreau, but Thoreau's piercing eye is
quito free from the cynical grin which
haunted James Browns. His companion
was an unsuccessful outside broker named
Donaldson. The pair had been intimate
from their chool days.
At the beginning of the meal Brown mem
toned that the Washington, the liner or
which he was employed. was TO have a
well known fnancier az n passenger on her
next trip abroad. Schweininger. the mag
nate he referred 70, was usually described
by the sensational press as a monster who
had strangled competitors by the thousand
In his ruthless struggle for wealth. His
PERSONAL appearance suRktbttu n TdDDit
rather than an octopus, tut for all that
Donaldson admired him profoundly and
he remarked he had half a mind TO book a
passage by the Washington just IN the
of chance Of getting TO now him. d
You'd be wasting your money" said
Brown.
Think he'll keep TO himself'"
a good many of those limelighters do
rapliaI the dantAr " can univ uith chan,
IL I want to-" he added self -complacently.
but ! seldom intrude my attentions beyond
their digestive apparatus"
you we're always n fool" remarked his
companion. and then proceeded to grumble
about the narrowness e. the way that leads
TO fortune. Presently he explained with
n speculative smile. "Schweininger's an
oldish man and his health's rotten. What
a pile / could make if I was sure he'd pass
in his checks before you get across"
Brown paid more attention to his plate
than to this airy fancy. but Donaldson.
who was fond Of castle building. went on
imagining aloud the flutter that would
follow the first news OF Schweininger's
death. and the chances for a clever operator
who had anticipated it. He mentioned
colossal figures. while Brown. fixing him
Witu ihb CApitboiNc CyCt OilNt vi
twice. NO more than that?" At last he
added, as il 10 whet the brokers greed:
Why. man. l could easily range the
preliminaries for you. As soon as he's
out Of New York harbor. Schweiningerm
he in the hollow Of my hand"
Donaldson stared for a moment and then
said indirerently, You might be able TO
get at him. hut how would you get away
after you'd done it2 You'd stand no show
on board ship
a much better show than on land.
There'd be practically no risk
mo risk?' asked Donaldson. lowering
his voice.
In answering him Brown lowered his
voice. too. and this was the first sign Of the
discussion becoming earnest.
Burial at sea. he said laconically.
"Poison9' whispered the other.
Brown nodded.
And the body won't be examined after
ward?"
Brown nodded again.
But suppose they kept II and carried
il on to land?"
They never do unless they're practi-
cslly in port. Even then there might be
difficulty about landing il, on the other
side at all events
But with a swell like Schweininger?"
That ouldn make any difference
not TO most captains. Our old mans a good
deal Of a snob, but he'd never do it unless
we were quite close in"
But there'd have to be a proof or some !
thing about the death? OF course you'd !
be the man to draw il up, though" '
The law doesn't require a certificate of
the cause Of death when the body's buried
at sea"
what? But-well then any one else
on the ship-not only ~you-would be pretty
safe in doing it2"
"You couldn't find a safer place"
: why it's a regular gilt edged opening
for murder! Think it's often usei2"
Probably"
The authorities ought to do something
TO stop it with all these hundreds OF thou
sands of people afoat!'
They'd have to stop burying at sea first
They couldn't do that"
Easily enough. There's no trouble
about preserving a body in these days"
After a while Donaldson brought the
conversation back to Schweininger IL
IL unnecessary to describe the hints and
pauses and pretenoes at joking by which
first one and then the other advanced to
the point. Enough that before they left
the restaurant a criminal conspiracy was
in existence. The brokers honor had
been sold long before this. and as for Brown.
he had fallen a victim to morphia and his
principles were about as thickly punctured
as his skin-a not uncommon result OF
the habit.
They settled dates and agreed TO halve
the profits, Brown safeguarding himself
by getting a written statement from
Donaldson. which he deposited under seal
IN a psnK
At the end Of April the Washing ton
steamed past Sandy Hook bound for the
Mediterranean with 200 first class pas
sengers on board. Schweininger caused
disappointment by shutting himself up
from the first in his stateroom on the upper
deck, where he spent a good deal OF time
studying the comparative history OF re-
ligion.
Attempts were made to get at him
through his valet-a Swiss with gray hair
arranged en- b-osse. but Albert was in
uAA-,..NtAI1 I'll