Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-11-08
TALE OF AN "OLD SALT"
eEAMAN LEGG, THE NARRATOR,
Is A Gop-FEARiNG MAN.
And Says He Captured Mermaid
Storekeeper OF an Atlantic Liner
Tells Strange Story Of His Find
on Chinese Coast.

New York. - William Legg, en-
gineer aud storekeeper on the
Olympic. who has followed the
sea for over thirty years, ar
rived at New York recently and star.
tied the city with a mermaid story.
Mr.. Legg told his friends he had the
stuffed body OF one In a glass case
aboard the big liner. Thus the story
Ia told by Harry Rascovar Of New
York, according to the Buffalo Elk
press:
While was lighthouse keeper at
the Steep Island lighthouse, OF the
Chinese coast, about $50 miles from
Shanghai" Mr.. Legg said, II found a
living mermaid on September 2, 1902.
The mermaid had been flung on the
rocks and was still alive when pick
ed up. The body below the waist was
that Of fish, with fin on the back
and one on the stomach and double
filmed tail. The body was OF a dark.
greenish blue, without scales. while
the head and shoulders were Of the
regulation human flesh. The mermaid
was about 20 inches long and emitted
whining sound before it died. death
being caused by laceration In the
throat, where it had been flung on a
sharp rocky projection.
AS yoN can see by the stuffed
body" said Mr.. Legg when telling
friends about his experience, the
mermaid had perfect human face.
slightly Chinese in cast Her hair
was brown, as some of the hair still
shows. although most of it has turn
ed white by the action of the acids
used in preserving the body. The Chi
nese fishermen told me that they had
very often seen these mermaids,
which they call witches. and have
heard them making their peculiar
whining noise on the shores at night.
These mermaids do not live in the wa
ter. but between the crevices Of the
rocks on the Chiese coast, going into
deep water only for an occasional
swim.
THE body Of the mermaid as 1t re-
clines under the glass case in my
room on the Olympic shows a perfect
human head, with hair probably four
inches long. part of it white and
part brown. 1t has regular teeth
and nose, but the size Of the head
Is not larger than that of a new born
baby. There are no evidences Of
scales on the body. A remarkable
thing about the mermaid ia the per-
feet shape Of the hands and arms.
Those who may doubt the truth Of
the statement will change their mind
when they know am an intensely re-
ligious man, God fearing and devot-
ing my life to the betterment of the
sailor"
Stripped to the waist, Mr.. Legg
presents wonderful appearance. Tat
tooed on his chest are scriptur1l
texts, and across his stomach is tat
tooed picture of the last supper in
colors. Mr.. Legg is unable to say
from what painting the picture tat
tooed on himself was taken, but 1t is
most wonderful work of art. When
he turns around there is found tat
tooed on his back, between his shout
der blades, the Lords prayer, and un-
derneath that the hymn, Nearer, My
God, to Thee"
1T was from my back. as worked
in the bowels Of the ship, that the
engineers who sang Nearer My God,
to Thee upon the sinking Titanic,
learned the hymn. The unfortunate
fellows worked with me on the Olym-
pic, and other White Star steamers.
and they could plainly read as they
worked the inscription on my bach"
Mr.. Legg says he has lectured on
the subject OF the Mermaid in Eng
land, giving all Of the proceeds Of his
lectures to the seamens missions in
England. He says he thinks OF quit
ting the sea and exhibiting himself
and a mermaid he claims he has. for
the benefit Of the various religious
bodies connected with the seafarers
in Great Britain.
"Ustil l found this mermaid" Mr..
Legg says, II had heard the peculiar
means and winnings on the rocky
shores of the Chinese sea, but had
never believed it possible that these
sounds came from real mermaids. The
place where l picked up this little be-
ing lies between the Bonham and Ting
Tong lighthouses, l have never found
another after this ons, although have
heard Of many cases where the ma
tives have come across the mer-
maids"