Evening journal., 1911-08-11
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
An Echo Of a Famous Naval
Sensation Of the FOrtieS
By Holland

Some ten or twelve years ago was
the guest at the country home near
Tarrytown, n. y. Of the late G. G.
Clarke, then vice president Of the New
York Central Railway system and for
many years the right hand of Com
modore Vanderbilt aud his son, VIII
liam H., In the financial administration
of that system. Mr. Clarke was anxious
to show me some Of the historic spots
in Tarrytown and in its vicilty and
especially Sleepy Hollow, still redolent
with the traditions OF Washington
Irving, and also to point out TO me the
spot where the three pickets of the
Revolutionary army had captured
Major Andre AS We were riding along
the highway not far from the point
upon the side of II whore the monu-
ment erected in commemoration of the
capture of Andre stands, Mr. Clarke
suddenly told the driver TO rein in the
horses to a walk.
1T was about there" he said, point
ing, that Alexander Slidell was killed.
] presume, however, that you do not
know him by that name yet he was a
brother of John Sidell who was a
member Of the United States Senate
representing Louisiana, and who was
one of the two commissioners Of the
Confederate government who were
taken from the British mail steamer
Trent by Captain Wilkes at the begin
ming of the Civil War, an action which
almost brought about war between
England and the United States.
Alexander Slidell better known as
Alexander Mackenzie, was the cause oi
one of the most sensational incidents
i'm the history of the United States,
Mr. Clarke continued. "The name oI
Mackenzie he legally assumed. II was
his mothers watden name, and il Is
my recollection that he assumed IL al
/ the request of one OF her near rela-
] tiyes. an uncle. 1t may be that prom
ise of inheritance caused him TO max,
/ this change in surnames. AT any rate
he was an officer I'm the United States
navy, and in 1912 was in command oi
/ the brig-of-war Somers.
Upon that brig were large nuf
ber Of apprentices; they practically
constituted the crew. One of them was
a son of John G. Spencer, who was al
that time Secretary of War IN the cab
met Of President Tyler
when the Somers was in midOceaI
returning from the African coast
! Commander Mackenzie heard that &
mutiny was brewing. He instantly in.
vestigated and had three of the ap
prentices arrested as ring leaders Ol
the alleged conspiracy and court mar.
/ tailed on tho deck. They were found
/ guilty and were hanged from the yard
arm. One OF them was the son of th:
Secretary of War
Il remember we'll what a tremen
/ dous sensation the news of the execu
tion created; ] was then twenty year,
of age Mackenzie was himself cour
/ martialed. but Il was found that h'
had acted strictly in accordance witt
the rules aud he therefore could no
be convicted But If he was acquitte
by court martial, he must have suffer
cd agonies, i'm view of the fact that th
American people almost TO ma
turned their faces against him. He wa
told publicly and privately that ther
would be awful retribution for him.
About four years later, during tn
Mexican War-in which Mackenzi
took part on land, by the way-cam
the report that the brig Somers ha
sunk i'm midocean with the loss Of
large part OF its crew, and i'm publ
and private il was said that retributio
for the hanging of a mere boy had be
gun. Two years elapsed and then on
day-about six years after the hans
ing of young Spencer-Mackenzie. win
had retired to Tarrytown. was out rio
ing horseback along this road; ths
was his only recreation. Suddenly th
horse shied--no one could ever tell ;
what-and threw Mackenzie over hi
head. They lifted him from the grouu
a few moments later; his neck wa
broken-he had been instantly killel
And once again it was said by the 81
perstitions 'Retribution for the hans
ing of young Spencer-the final retr
button
Copyright. 1911, by E j. Edwards. A
rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell
"a Confusion of Literary Names m