Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-17


heard Mrs. Nash scream; that at the
end of this approximate length of
time Bran appeared at the forward
comp anionway. walked back over the
roof of the afterhouse, which served
as a part of the deck, to the point
where the blood stains stopped
stepped down on to the port side Of
the deck, walked between the whetl
and the pinnacle to the starboard
side, turned and walked back to the
port side and then again to star
board After that he called to Lo
heac, who was on watch forward,
Four bells" and Loheac came back
and relieved Brown at the wheel
Loheac, at the wheel. heard a CUR
Cling noise from the chartroom, just
in front of him. After he had taken
the wheel and Brown had gone for
ward, he saw Bran go down the com
panionway and Immediately come Up
again.
How long a time would all this
take? The afterhouse was 90 feet
long. Bran had walked its length
twice and the width of the vessel
three times; the watch had changed,
which means that Loheac had come
aft and taken the wheel from Brown.
who had then gone forward The
first mate had had time after that %
go down the Companionway and up
again. All this after the womans
Shrek.
Passengers Own Story.
But the passenger had heard that
Shrek This is his own story: He
was a heavy sleeper but had been
half awakened by the womans
shrek: slowly coming to his senses
he heard also a horrible stertorous
breathing in the chartroom: both of
these shocks gradually brought him
TO himself. He got out his empty
revolver from under his pillow and
loaded it as fast as he could. He
called out, Captain Nash" and no
answer came He got out of bed and
put on slippers. in his night cloth
ing he opened his door The cap
tain's cot was just outside the door.
He saw his condition, FASTENED to mis-
side and put a hand on his shouldt".
which was wet with death sweat; ran
through the lighted cabin, revolver in
hand, and glanced into Mrs. Nash's
room, so hasty a glance that he mad
only a vague impression of blood on
the bed clothing. It was only ten
feet or so through the cabin to the
revolver before him, he approa ched the
deck by the forward companionway;
there on deck, about twenty feet from
him, he saw the first mate aud called
out the words. Mr. Bran! Come
down. adding, the captain is killed"
And yet, in that time if Bran had
committed the murders, he had come
on deck, hid the ak. walked aft to
the Wheel gone to starboard, to port,
to starhoard again. had summoned
the watch to change and had seen il
changed. bad gone 20 the forward
companionWay, descended and had
come running up again! He was on
the deck when the passenger called.
He could hardly have done it had he
been running at the top of his speed,
and if the watch had changed at
dog trot.
Made a Poor Hero.
cd Why did Bran go below after
Loheac had taken the wheel. and why
did he come running up again imme-
diately after? Bram's conduct was
at no time heroic. Strong as my con-
viction is that he is innocent, he
made a poor showing as to courage
afterward. knowing all this. | do not
believe that had he known of the
murders he would have gone down
again into the afterhouse as Loheac
testified
(el Had Bran committed the muir
ders he would undoubtedly have made
some attempt to discover if he had
any inCrimirating stains. He did not,
He sat on the roof of the afteThouse
with the passenger until daylight. He
had had no time below to wash. The
passenger, according to his story, was
on his heels. On regard to this whole
paragraph it may he said again that
1t does not appear how long Bran
was below from the time Brown heard
the Shrek until Bran came on deck
again. In this connection there was
also evidence to the effect that after
the murders some of Bram's clothes
were seen soaking in a bucket)