The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-06-21
uOW A MUTINY
WAS AVERTED.


did I sail with such forebodings. II
was late in the season, and we had
picked up a crew in San Francisco
such as no officer would be pleased to
sail with even In fair weather. My
| first mate I trusted implicitly, but my
second was new to me- and knew 1T
| tie of his antecedents. The men had
been spending some time ashore be-
tween cruises, frequenting the lowest
dives in the city, and when they came
aboard they were drunk.
1t was bleak day that we sailed,
and the weather didn't improve ON
acquaintance. My ship was a sailer
and required constant handling aloft
| A fine mist or a sleet fell most OF the
| time, and the rigging was thick with
ice. The consequence was that every
| time n man was ordered aloft he either
went with n growl or refused to go Mt
all. My first mate. Whittemore. and j
] were kept busy most OF the time
threatening. cursing or even knocking
them down with any implement that
came handy. AS for Harden. the sec
ond mate, II he gave q man an order
and It wasn't obeyed he gave 1t to
some one else.
One day, when we were beating
against biting northeast wind and
the clouds were splitting snow. while
standing on the after deck ] saw the
men gathering on the forecastle.
knew trouble was brewing and. giving
Wbittemore meaning look, directed
his attention for'ard. As for Harden,
he was below, though had he been on
deck I should not have placed any
reliance on him. Next I saw man
Of the crew of the name OF Billings
urging his shipmates TO follow MIN
aft. starting himself. going few steps
and returning for more argument. A
few followed him on some OF these
incipient advances, but the bulk OF the
crew hung back. Finally, after
barangue that could not hear, he
made another move. and all but two
or three Of them went with him.
IT'S not a pleasant sight for one
man with no support but single
comrade out on a blustery ocean to
see a knot Of men. doubtless with arms
concealed coming to murder him.
made up my mind to sell my lie as
dearly as possible and uncovered re-
volyer / had carried ever since setting
sail. Whittemore came and stood be-
side me.
The men had reached the compan'
ionway when one of them caught sight
Of something on the port quarter. ON
ers turned to look. and one by one
they stopped Thinking II safe to do
so. turned my own eye In the direc-
ton they were looking and saw a ship
coming athwart our course. 1t was
. she that had arrested the men. Those
bent on mutiny don't want any wit
nesses. They stood peering Mt her,
and as she drew nearer It was plain
that she had suffered rough usage.
Her masts. all except her foremast,
were gone, and that had single sail
set. No one was to be distinguished
on deck until she came within hailine
distance. when through the flying
snowfiakes one person was discover
able
At the wheel stood a helmsman. The
,, ship scudded across our course not
hundred yards In advance of us, and
,, only the one man was to be seen. He
was motionless except for the rolling
of the ship. hailed. but he neither
, answered nor turned even to look al
us. He was not plainly visible and
only so for few moments. Tor nc
!. sooner did he reach the nearest point
, to us than a snow squali hid both hin
, and his ship. and when 1t thinned the
, vessel was but few indistinct lines.
Sailors are the most superstitious
people in the world, and my crew was
of the lowest and most superstitious
type Of sailors. I could see by theiI
appearance that they considered the
, passing vessel phantom and the
wheelman ghost.
, Here was my opportunity. Drawing
my revolver and motioning White
. more to follow me. / walked briskly
: forward. On reaching the forecastl'
1 covered Billings with my revolver
and ordered him to walk aft. He look
, ed at the men for help. but saw tha
they were cowed and obeyed the or
, der. j marched him down the gang
{ way, and in few minutes my mates
, had him dlsarmed and in irons. TheI
went again on deck and told thu
crew that II they wished to escape {
hanging when we reached port they
had better return to duty at once
, Most Of them obeyed with alacrity
, Those who showed signs Of giving fur
! ther trouble ! had put in irons b,
, the very men they had been innuenc
I Ing to mutiny.
r The wind howled that night, and thu
, next day we got an observation. Find
ing that l was far out Of my course,
put her off considerably. sailing In tn,
direction of the phantom. In anothe
day we overhauIed her. AS WI
, came up astern Of her we saw he
name, the Aida of Tacoma, Wash
} There was the man still at the wheel
D but not another person In sight.
E drew up beside her. as near as dared
E and. examining the helmsman through
a glass. saw that he was stone dead.
( sent boats crew aboard, VIII,
| Found that tbn shin bnd haan diaun n az