Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-04-15
MYSTERY OF THE
STOLEN PAPERS
Explanation of a Queer Incl
dent Aboard a Warship.

In this story are necessarily concealed.
In the summer of 1898 we We're cruis-
Ing in Cuban waters. Our ship was Il
rarily into the navy.
One morning the commanding OIL
GERS orderly came around among the
officers with an order for them to re-
port in the captain $ cabin. As soon
AS we arrived we saw that something
of Importance was to be communal
Gated
"Gentlemen," said the captain. when
came down here at = O'Clock this
morning from the bridge before enter
ing my room | heard some one within.
The door was slightly ajar. and | saw
n man riding my desk ! waited till
he came out. and without making my
presence known to him | entered. to
find package of papers missing The
man who committed the theft is one
of your number
Four of us looked at one another as
If hand grenade had been dropped
on the deck above. The fifth. Ensign
low whom we all loved. looked at none
of us. Nevertheless his face wore the
same imperturbable expression we had
all seen on it in action.
When the captain had spoken he dis
missed us-not word about prefer.
ring charges against the culprit. not a
word about a discontinuance of his
duties. nothing but the bare facts.
We were all sure that Reeves was the
man referred to. yet such was his
bearing. repellent Of any mention of
the accusation. that none of us breach
ed the subject to him. When we saw
that no explanation was Forthcoming,
no move made toward demanding an
investigation. all except myself felt 1t
incumbent upon them to cut him.
One night when We were lowering
near an undefended part Of the Cuban
coast Reeves came 10 me and request
Cd that | should act for him in an af
fair of honor | consented. and he sent
ne to Surgeon Irwin, who informed me
that he represented the captain ask
ed bin what the affair was about, but
he did not know. No one knew eX.
cept the two principals. The surgeon
handed me a paper signed by the cap
ain. 1t was waiver of his rank be-
tween the hours Of 4 and on the fol
lowing morning.
Shortly before dawn principals and
seconds took the captains dinghy and
pulled to the shore. Anchoring the
dinghy to the beach. we went back of
the dunes. measured of the ground and
placed our men. and when all was
ready the surgeon gave the word. The
ccrtain received a bullet in the arm.
IRWIN asked him If be was satisfied.
and he said he was. ! asked Reeves if
be was satisfied. and he also assentt
supposed the two would shake hand
but they did not. The surgeon band
aged the wound. The captain wore
his coat, Us usual. and We rowed back
30 The ship without any enc on board
l,noWing the purpose for which we had
gone At the juniors ness when we
assembled for breakfast the surgeon
said:
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