The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-09-18

| such a CRIME, with all the charac .nriS
ties of piratical callOusness. was tolt
2 in the Supreme Court of this PLACID
= and out of the way little island las
: week.
To make the story sequent ant
! avoid the repetitions of evidence i
, were best to tell it as narrated BY
counsel'z address and the testimony
of witnesses.
In 1902 there lived in Callao, the
port of Lima, Peru, an Italian master
had rife and seven children. Dur.
ing Rh year named he went to Con.
cepci4h b, in Chile, and there bought
the hall of new schooner of 100
tons, which he registered under the
Peruvian flag and to which he gave
the name of the Nuevo Tigre. For
this vessel he paid something approx
imating $4,000. -
Before leaving Conception Cafeiro
purchased there the wheel and steer
ing gear Of wrecked Valparaiso ves-
gel, the Puelche, this name and the
bort being engraved on the brass cap
Of the wheel. The apparatus was
atted in the new craft, which was
brought on to Callao. However, Ca
feiro died next year. having appointed
lne Piaggio his executor. Piaggio,
not being a nautical man, hired the
Craft out to the shipchandler's house
Of Morello. the latter paying him
S125 month. .~-,A-, ~~sr--s.
Of this sum SEQ was used for the
support of the widow and family OF
Cafeiro, the vessel being their only
! means, and the remaining sum was
devoted to clearing off the deceased
husbands debt ~,.~~
Little Crew is Formed.
The Nuevo Tigre was hencaforth
engaged in the Peruvian coastwise
trade, one Niccolo Melis, formerly q
petty officer of the Italian navy, ard
described as of excellent character.
being in command. The mate or
ooatswain was one Juan Bosner, de-
scrlbed as being man fifty years old. |
lnese two, with a Belgian seaman
twenty-five years old, Joseph Mortel-
mans, alias Joseph Mortimer. alias
John Taylor, formed the Tigre's crew
= November: 1897; A. tbs time the
schooner was painted gem, her
wheel cap bore the deep cut legend
"Puelche, Valparaiso" and on the
stern of the vessel herself and her
dingy were the names "Nuevo Tigre,
Callao."
A few weeks previous to this Nor
teimans and London youth named
Fred Skerrett had been shipmates
from Liverpool to Callao in a Peru
Wan cruiser, the Almirante Grail.
Mortelmans being a steward and
messroom boy The result
was an introduction to Captain Melis
md the engagement of Skerrett on
ne I1gre. For some weeks or so they '
we're engaged loading her with sui t
'hates and charcoal. The provision
ng OF the ship being through, she b
Tut to sea on November Is, 1907, the il
our men being seen on deck as she a
feared the mole Of Callao. one at the k
Wheel. two at the halyarcs and one :
oiling rope on deck.
Skerrett's narrative now comes into
lay, and it has cost Mortelmans his I,
berty for the term of his natural n
re. According to the boy, all went N
ell until about midday on the Sec CT
nd day out. At that time the can ],
lin. prior to going below aft, sent -
kerrett to clean up the forecastle. T
t this time Mortelmans was at the I
heel. Bosher. the mate, was sitting
the hatch preparing vegetables for 6
inner and the little vessel was head
e along well for her port.
After about fifteen minutes cleas-y
g up the forecastle Skerrett heard a ST
ud cry on deck. He climbed the re
and met the mate. who an
rs running. Skerrett saw a wound tr,
the back Of the officers head. He re-
Ked what was the matter, but the wi
ate. making no reply, dived down to
g 1orecastle hatch. Hurrying aft, tic
,errett saw that Mortelmans. who IN
a left the wheel, had a chopper. M,
tn which he hit the captain as he III
Is coming on deck. ~
NC captain 1ell back into the cabin RI.
Skerrett, perched on some coke. lvi
Mortelmans descend after him, a ct;
rec struggle ensuing. In a short
ne the captain came on deck, badly q,
unded. He asked, as he passed u;,
errett, ooh, Charlie, what is this w.
." elg
not
Fierce Struggle Followed. wh
Inc terrified youngster replied that vel
thought the man was mad. First of
oI Meils picked up the iron bar can