Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-17

you discovered the captain and Karen:
Why should | not call the men here
and remind them Of all that"
Il do not believe you will. They
know l was locked in the storeroom.
The door-the lock-
You could have locked Yourself in"
You do not know what you are ay-
ing!!"
But | had angered her, and she went
on cruelty:
"Who are you, anyhow: You are
not a sailor. You came here and were
taken on because you told a hard luck
story. How do we know that YOU
came from il hospital: Men Just out
OF prison look as you did. Do YOU
know what we called you, the first two
days out? We called you Elsa's Jail
bird. And now. because YOU nave
dominated the crew. we are il YOUR
hands,
DO Mrs. Turner and Miss Lee thinl,
that:"
"They feel as l do. This is a picked
crew-men the Turner line has employ
ed for years"
You are leaving me only one thing
to do" l said. 81 shall surrender my
self to the men at once" | took out
my revolver and held it out to her,
This rope is a dead line. The crew
know, and you will have no trouble:
but YOU must stand guard here until
some one else is sent"
She took the revolver without a word
and. somewhat daZed by this new turn
of events. | went aft. The men were
gathered there. and | surrendered my
self.
ut will leave you pretty short hand
ed, boys" I finished, but you'd better
fasten me up somewhere. But I want
to be sure OF one thing first; whatever
happens. keep the guard for the wom-
en-"
WED like to talk it over, Leslie"
Burns said arter a word with the
others.
l went forward Il few feet. taking
care to remain where they could see
me, and very soon they called me.
There had been a dispute, I believe.
Adams and Mcnamara stood off from
the others. their faces not unfriendly,
but clearly differing from the decision.
Charlie Jones. who by reason of long
service and a sort of piouS control he
had in the forecastle. was generally
spokesman for the crew. took a step or
two toward me.
We'll not do it. boy he said. we
thlnk we know Il man when we see
one. as we'll as having occasion to
know that you're white all through.
And we're not inclined to set the talk
of women against what we think best
to do. SO you stick to your job and
we're back of you"
In spite of myself | choked I'D. |
tried to tell them what their loyalty
meant to me; but l could only hold
out my hand and. one by one, they
came up and shook it solemnly.
I'VE think Mcnamara said, when.
last Of all. he and Adams came I'D,
that it would be best, lad. if we put
down in the log book all that has hap
pened last night and today, and this
just now too. It's fresh in our minds
now. and it will be something to 90
by"
By unanimous consent the task Of
putting down what had happened was
given to me. | have a copy of the log
book before me now. the one that was
used at the trial. The men read it
through before they signed it.
Aug. 10.
This morning, between $50 and 3 O'Clock,
three murders We're committed on the
yacht Ella. At the request Of Mrs. Johns,
one of the party on board. / had moved
TO the after house to sleep. putting my
blanket and pillow in the storeroom ana
sleeping on the floor there. Mrs. Johns
gave, as her reason. a fear of something
going wrong. as there was trouble between
MI. Turner and tho captain. l slept with
a eVolVe beside me and with the door
Of the storeroom open.
AT some time shortly before 8 o'clock |
Weakened with 4 feeling Of suffocation and
found that the door was closed and locked
on the outside. l suspected a joke among
the crew and set to work with my pen
knife to unscrew the lock. When [ had
two screws out q woman screamed, and
I broke down the door.
AS the main cabin was dark | saw no
one and could not tell where the cry
came from. | ran into Mr.. Wallis cabin,
next the storeroom. and called him. His
door was standing open. l heard him
breathing heavily. Then the breathing
stopped. l struck a match and found
him dead. His head had been crushed in
with an ak, the left hand cut off, and
there were gashes on the right shoulder
and the abdomen.
l knew the helmsman would be at the
wheel and ran up the after companionway
to him and told him. Then l ran forward
and called the first mate, Mr.. Singleton,
who was on duty. He had been Thinking
| asked him to call the captain, but he
did not. He got his revolver, and we hur-
ried down the forward companion. The
body of the captain was lying at the
foot Of the steps, his head on the lowest
stair. He had been killed like Mr.. Vail.
His cap had been placed over his face.
The mate collapsed on the steps,.
found the light switch and turned it on.
There was no one in the cabin or in the
chart room. 1 ran to Mr.. Turner's room,
going through Mr.. Wallis ard through the
bathroom. MI. Turner was in bed, fully
dressed. I could not rouse him. Like the
mate. he had been drinking.
The mate had reused the crew, and
they gathered in the chart room. I told
them what had hapDenad and +bo+ +bo