The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-26
Thrilling Experience Of
Steamship MajeStic'S
Physician at Sea.
LOCKED UP IN SURGERY
Finally Blinded by Red Pepper
and Shst Down by Third
Officer, When Insane Man
Alss Attacked Receivers
Reason When Wounded.

NEW YORK. Sept. 26.-The White
Star line steamship Majestic. which
arrived at Quarantine late last night
from Southampton, Cherbourg and
Queenstown, brought the story of a
desperate and almost tragic battle that
occurred in the ships surgery during
the voyage. DIR. Riversdale French, the
ships physician. narrowly escaped
death at the hands of a madman, one
of the stokers of the vessel. who locked
both himself and the doctor in the sur
gerry, and who finally had ITO be shot
down by an officer of the ship.
The stoker. Patrick Sheehan, was re-
moved to a hospital when the ship
docked. He is seriously, but not fatally
wounded. Sheehan tried to throw him
self overheard shortly after the steamer
left Queenstown, and DIR. French or
dered the man sent to the surgery for
an examination. Scarcely had the fire.
man entered his office when he quickly
turned and double locked the heavy
door. Then he grabbed pair OF scis-
sors, as well as a sharp medicine knife,
which were hanging on the wall
All this was done in a flash, the door
being barred before the sailor accom-
panying the stoker had a chance to
force his way inside. The sailor, how
ever, gave the alarm, Captain Hayes,
several under officers and dozen sea-
men assembled at the surgery and by
looking through the grating in the
locked door could see the mailman. a
great heavy fellow, standing over the
doctor, man of slight statue, who sal
quietly in his chair. Indeed 1t was The
GOODNESS of the surgeon which saved
him from being hacked to pieces by the
insane man.
Meantime the men outside were not
idle. But the insurmountable difficulty
of the situation was that violent on
slaught on the door would have sig
nailed the doctors death. Sheehan's
comrades had coaxed and pleaded with
him to open the door, but he paid no
attention to them. He remained by the
doctor, brandishing the knife and
shears.
Eventually the crowd outside of the
narrow passageway held a hurried
council and decided upon new plan.
The latticed grating in the top of the
door was slowly and cautiously un-
screwed and finally removed. To divert
Sheehan's attention from this maneu-
yer two of. the seamen continued their
pleadings in loud tones. A few min
utes later I he mad stoker was in
duced to turn toward the door, where-
upon he was blinded by mass of red
pepper thrown full in his eyes through
the openingl in the transom.
Sheehan slashed wildly at the doc
tor, but the latter had slipped from his
chair and unlocked the door. Sheehan,
partially seeing and feeling his way,
followed bllndly. In the passageway
he was f1oored by a dozen men, but
powerful and strong as a dozen men
himself he brushed them aside. A Sec
ond attempt to subdue the maniac was
equally unsuccessful. This time sew
eral of the men felt the points of both
shears and knife, but none was seri-
ously cut and the battle was continued
in the small passageway.
The stoker started for Third officer
Norris, trying to stab him. In self
defense the officer was forced to shoot
The bullet entered Sheehans right hip
and lodged in the intestines. The bull
let completely subdued him and he re-
covered his reason Immediately.