The Washington herald., 1908-05-03
CRIME ON HIGH SEAS
Ship Captain and Nate Made
to Jump Overheard.
WRECK DIsCLOsEs TRAGEDY
Two Sailors Seize Schooner and
After killing Officers Take Charge.
Stranded on Reef, They Are Ar
rested ana Turned over 90 the
thOrities-Prigoners EngIIshmen.

Sydney. May "A sensational story OF
brutal double murder on the high seas is
reported in the Herald.
Capt Malcolm, the master Of the trad
ing schooner Laurel. while lying at APP
panama Lagoon. I'm the Gilbert Islands,
noticed the mast Of fore and aft scoon-
er with no sails set and concluded that
she was either stranded or had anchored
TO save herself from drifting ashore.
He proceeded with the engineer of the
Laurel in a launch TO the craft which
proved 10 be a ffty-ton American built
schooner hard and fast on the reef. She
was so far Up that the engineer waded
out to her, when two men appeared He
asked for the captain, and was told by
the elder Of the two that he was in
charge. No satisfactory information could
be got as to the whereabouts Of the rest
of the crew, and offers of assistance were
declined.
Two days later the two men went
aboard the Laurel and asked the captain
10 take them on 10 Fiji. The local native
magistrate had. however, warned the
captain not to take the men with him, as
A- 1A-sAiCNANA NA4Nt-Af anu AlANAAtAcu ~ HNAAL
them TO TaraWa, the headquarters OF the
British resident commissioner in the Gil
bert group. for inquiry.
In reply 10 Capt Malcolm, the elder
man then stated his name was j. Taylor
and that he hailed from Manchester; that
the younger mans name was G. Jackson
and that he came from London He add |
cd that they were bound for Tahiti
Changed Name.
Capt. Malcolm pointed out that the yes !
sci had no name painted on her, and !
asked Taylor what he called her, Taylor |
replied that they intended to call her the |
White Rose. and said she used TO be /
called the Puelche, Of Valparaiso, from /
which port they sailed on october 70. He /
had purchased her from q Mr.. Usshley /
at that port. Taylor was also asked II he /
had a register, but stated that the pre-
vious owner refused TO part with it. It
was also learned that they were without /
a clearance.
II was soon afterward discovered that |
the vessel was the Neuvre Tigre, which |
sailed under the italian flag and was en- |
ployed out Of Callao in the coastal trade. |
The two men were then arrested and |
taken by Messrs. Burns. Phillip & CO. |
steamer L. J. Kenney 10 Tarawa for |
trial.
DuIng the voyage the younger Of the |
two prisoners made a sensational confess |
sion. He said his name was Jackson. but
that he also went by the name Of Skier
rett He was twenty years Of age and an
Englishman. His companion, Joseph Nor /
timer, who was about forty years Of age, /
was a Belgian, and was employed on the /
vessel as cook. The NeuvTe Tigre left /
CallaO with a cargo of coke for one OF /
the coastal ports. There was a crew Of /
four, all told, including the captain. mate. /
Mortimer, and himself, who was engaged |
as cabin boy.
Il was apparent that Mortimer had pre- /
vionsly planned TO take the ship for they
had not been at sea many hours before /
he secured a tOnlahawk. crept up behind 4
the mate, and aimed a blow at his head /
At that instant the mate moved. and. in /
stead OF killing him. as was intended, the /
blade struck his arm, causing a severe
wound.
In the Rigging.
The mate then grappled with his asail- /
ant and attempted to wrench the toma-
hawk from his grasp. Mortimer. how /
ever, IS a powerful man. and the mate /
was greatly handicapped with his injured /
arm. After desperate struggle the mate /
made a dash for the rigging and reached /
g place Of temporary safety.
The commotion brought the captain on /
deck, bat before he could arm himself 4
Z Mortimer struck him on the head with !
the tomahawk and rendered him uncon-
scious. Mortimer now had full charge Of |
the ship. He hurried TO his bunk and Sc
cured q rife which he had secrsted.
After deliberately loading it ne pointed /
ii at the mate and threatened to shoot
he ,n4
mate attempted to pacify the infuriated |
man, but without effect, and after argu-
ing for some minutes he took a header
from the rigging into the sea. He was
seen to rise to the surface and swim to-
ward the shore. but a few minutes later
he disappeared and was apparently
drowned.
BY this time the captain had recovered
consciousness. and Mortimer gave him the
option Of being shot or jumping over
board. He chose the latter course and
Immediately leaped over the rail.
Jackson says that when the captain
jumped overheard he threw him a plank.
He was unable TO say whether the cap
tain managed 10 secure it, but was Of
opinion that he was drowned. The vessel
was then fourteen miles of the coast,
and 1t is extremely improbable that either
OF the men was saved.
Cargo JettfsOned.
Mortimer made Jackson or Skerrett /
promise 70 stand by him and assist him
TO navigate the vessel. Jackson was
afraid that he might meet the fate Of his
shipmates If he refused so he at once
fell IN with the plans Of his companion.
The cargo Of coke was jettlsoned, and the
name Of the vessel was then erased. The
elder man said he intended to call her the
White Rose and sail for Australia, where
he would dispose Of her.
The perilous voyage was then begun.
Neither man knew much about naviga-
ton, and they always sailed with the
wind At S o'clock one morning they
brought up at the island of Apamama.
but the vessel went on the reef and be-
came hopeless wreck.
AS the outrage was committed on a for
eign vessel on the high seas, II is highly
probable that information will be for
warded TO the authorities at Callao and
the prisoners transported there for trial
Mortimer refused absolutely to saw anv-
thing about the affair. Jackson's confess
sion was shown 10 him, but he again
would not make any statement. The two
men had previously been shipuateS bav-
ing Joined a Chilean warship at LiverpooI
for voyage to Valparaiso.
Skeleton Seven Hundred Years old.