The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-06-06
PIRATE Of SOUTH
SEAS GETS LIFE
Continued from Page One.)

! Mortlemans nor his assistant had. any
knowledge of navigation, and they were
| ignorant Of the locality where their yes
sci came to grief.
Within a quarter of an hour of the
strandlng of the mysterious and name
| less schooner the island trading vessel
Laurel arrived on the scene MortIe-
mans said that he came from Valpa-
raise, and that his vessel when going
about mis-stayed, and went on to the
reef. In reply to questions he said
that he was the captain, and when ask
| Cd the whereabouts of the crew he
pointed TO Skerrett, lad of apparently
seventeen years of age.
The suspicious of the officers of the
Laurel were at once aroused. Mortle-
j mans declared that his vessel, which
was heeling over was not registered,
and when asked what flag she sailed
under replied, No flag at all. !" There
were no clearance papers on board, and
Mortlemans said that his vessel had
no name-that she had not been named
when he bought her.
The mate of the Laurel asked Mortle-
mans whether he had a chronometef on
board, and he replid, 'sNo; hut we
/ have an eight-day clock, which does
not lose minute week.
On the following morning the two
men from the mysterious vessel, at the
invitation of Captain Malcolm, break
tasted on board the Laurel, and the
conversation naturally was confined to
the wreck. Mortlemans then told the
captain that the schooner had originally
1. d. oh oF n, 3.
That he had bought her from Mr..
Usshley, of that port; and that he pro-
posed to christen her the White Rose.
The native magistrate at the Apa-
mama Lagoon became very suspicious
concerning Mortlemans and his COM
rade, and, unknown to them, arranged
with Captain Hendley, master of the
Louise j. Kenny, belonging to Burns,
Philip, and Co., to convey them to Ia,
rawa, the seat of government The
men were offered passage as favor,
and accepted.
During the voyage Mortlemans told
his comrade that he had planned to
seize that ship in place of the one
he had lost, and threatened Skerrett
that if he exposed his hand he would
murder him. 1t was planned to take
both the captain and supercargo of the
Louise j. Kenny unawares, and to muir
der them. Skerrett, Selling the oppor-
tunity to free himself from the tolls
of the monster. wrote a hurried note or
warning and threw it in the open win
don of the captain s cabin. Mortlemans
was then placed in irons.
The Confession.
Skerrett or Jackson, who has turned
King evidence, in his confession made
to the authorities some time ago, said
that there was a crew of four all told,
including the captain, mate, Mortle-
mans, and himself, who was engaged
as cabin boy. 1t was apparent that
Mortlemans had previously planned to
take the ship, for they had not been
at sea many hours before he made
bloodthirsty attack on the mate. The
mate was attending to some portion OF
the rigging when the cook, who had
secured a tomahawk, crept up behind
him and aimed 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. The mate then grappled
with his assailant, and attempted to
wrench the tomahawk from his grasp.
Mortlemans. however, is a powerful
man. and~the mate was greatly handl-
capped with his injured arm. After
desperate struggle, lasting some min
utes. he found he was unable to over
mower his antagonist, and made dash
for the rigging. Mortlemans was tax
on aback by this move, and the fugitive
reached the rigging before he was
aware of his intention. The pirate
again rushed at him and made slasnes
at him with the tomahawk, but the
mate by this time had reached place
of safety.
s.The eommotion brought the captain
on deck. Before he could arm himself,
however. Mortlemans spied him, and
leaving the mate in the rigging, at once
| turned his attention to the captain. Be
| fore the captain could get anything
with which to defend himself he was
| struck on the head with tomahawk
and rendered unconscious. Mortremans
/ now had full charge of the ship. he
| hurried TO his bunk, and secured rifle
! which he had secreted. After deliber
ately loading it, he pointed 1t at the
/ mate. and threatened to shoot him II
he did not jump overheard. The mate
| attempted to pacify the now Infatuated
man. but without effect, and after argu
ING for some minutes he took header
from the rigging into the sea. He was
| seen TO rise to the surface and SWIM
towards the shore, but few MINUTES
later he disappeared, and was appa
rentlv drowned By this time the cap
tain, who had lain where he was struck
down. had recovered Consciousness am
Mortlemans gave him the option OF be
ing shot or jumping overheard. d.
chose the latter course, and immaculate
" Ieaped over the rail. Young jackson
or Skerrett. who had been an eye-Wlt
ness of the terrible deed, took no par
in it, and when the captain Jumpe'
overheard he threw him plank ii
was unable to say whether the captal'
managed to secure the plank, but wa
| strongly of the opinion that he did no
see it. and was drowned. The vesse
was then fourteen miles off the coast
Nortlemans compelled Skerrett to prom
Use to stand by him, and assist. him t
navigate the vessel. Being afraid tina
he might meet the fate of his shipmate
if he refused, he at once fell In wit
the plans of his companion. The carg
. !, of coke was iettisoned, and the nam
of the vessel was then erased. Th
elder man said he intended to call he
| - WIT Doeo ond caiI for AuStrali IL