The evening world., 1914-04-01
A Sea Story Wifh a Mystery
That No Reader Can SOlpe

the floor there. Mrs. Johns gave
a. her reason . fear Of some.
thing going wrong. ~ there was
trouble between Mr.. Turner and
the captain. I slept with . re-
door OF the etoreroom open.
At some time shortly before
. o'clock I wakened with . feeling
Of suRocation. and found that the
door was closed and locked on
the outside. I suspected . joke
among the crew. and set to work
with my .pen.knlle to unscrew
the look. When bad two screws
out . woman screamed. and
broke down the door.
A. the main cabin was dAr1e I
saw no one and could not tell
where the cry came from. I ran
into Mr.. Wallis cabin. next the
statsroom, and called him. HiA
door Wa standing open. 7 heard
him breathing heavily. Then the
breathing stopped. struck .
match, and found him dead. His
head had been crushed In with
an axe, the left hand cut Off. and
there were gashes on the right
shoulder and the abdomen.
I knew the helmsman would DO
at the wheel. And ran Up the after
companionway 70 him and told
ham. Then ] ran forward and
called the flrst mate. Mr.. Single
ton. who was On duty. He had
been drinking. ] asked him to
call the captain, but he did not
He got his revolver, and We hur-
ried down the forward companion.
Tho body Of the captain was
lying ct the foot OF the steps. his
head on the lowest stair. He had
bean killed Ike Mr.. Vail. His cap
had been placed over his face.
The mate collapsed on ths
steps. found the light switch
and turned II on. There was no
one In the cabin or In the chart
room. ran to Mr.. Turner'S
room. going through Mr.. Wallis
and through the bathroom. Mr..
Turner was in bed, fully dressed.
I could not rouse HIM. Lake the
mate, he had been drinking.
The mate had reused the crew
and they gathered In the chart
room. I told them what had hap
pened and that the murderer
must be among ~. suggested
that they stay together and that
they submit 70 being searched
for weapons.
They went on deck In Q body
and I reused the women and told
them. Mrs. Turner asked me TO
tell the two maids who slept In Q
cabin OF the chart room. I found
their door unlocked. and receiv-
ing no answer. opened II. Karen
Hansen. the lady's maid. was on
the floor dead, with her skull
Sr7shed In. The 0towardeao, Hen
delta Sloane. was fainting In hsr
DUNK. An axe had been hurled
through the doorway ~. the Han.
sen woman fell and waS found In
the stewardeAs's bunk.
Dawn coming by that time. I
suggested . guard at the two
companionways and this was
done. Tho mon were searched
and all weapons taken from them.
Mr.. Singleton wsa under suspi-
cion. II being known that he had
threatened the cADtain's life. and
Oleson. q lookout, claiming TO
have seen him forward where the
axe was kept.
Tho crew Insisted that Single.
ton be put In irons. He made no
objection, and We locked him In
his own room In the forward
house. OWNS to the loss OF
Schwarts, the second mate, al
ready recorded IN this log book
Zee entry for Aug. o.. the death
OF the captain and the impr1son-
ment Of the first mate, the ship
was left without officers. Until
Mr.. Turner could make an ar
rangemsnt, the crew dominated
Burns. one Of themselves. a. mate.
and asked me TO assume COM
mand. I protested that knew
nothing OF navigation, but Agreed
on its being represented that -
] was not one of thein tnero could
liza no III feeling.
Tho ship was searched, on the
possibility of nnding . stowaway
In tho hold. But nothing was
found. I divided the meu into
two watches. Burns taking ono
and I the other. We nailed UP
the after companionway. and for
bade any member Of the crew to
enter the after house. The fore
castle was also locked, the men
bringing their belongings on deck.
The stswardssA recovered ana told
her story, which. In her own writ
ine, will bs added TO this record.
The bodies Of the dead were
brought on deck and sewed into
canvas, and later. with appropri-
ate services, placed In the Jolly
boat, IL being the intention. later
on, 10 tow the boat behind US. MT.
Turner insisted that the bodies Be
buried a. sea, and, on the crew
opposinG this, retired to his cabin.
snnouncing that he considered the
position Of the men Q mut'ny.
Some feeling having arisen
among the women OF the parry
that l might know more OF tns
crimes than was generally sup
posed. having been In the efter
house at the time they were com
mitted, and having no references'
/ this afternoon voluntarily sur
rendered myself to Burns. actins
ART mate. The men. however,
rslnsed to accept this surrender
olhy Swo, Adams and Mcnamara,
favoring It. I expect 10 give my
self up to the police at the nearest
port until the matter u thoroughly
probed.
tain's cabin:
(Signed) RALPH LESLIE.
(John Robert Burns
Charles KlineordlingeI
(Jones)
William McNamArA.
witnessed Carl l.. Clarke
Joseph @. Adams
John Oleson
Tom Mackenzie
lObadiah Williams