Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-12-03

Mr.. Turner. and Burns and Clarke
went below. They came back in ten
minutes reporting no change In Tur-
ner's condition. There was open
grumbling among the men at the stu
alton. but we were helpless. Burns
and | decided to go on as if Turner
We're not on board, until he was in
condition to take hold.
We thought it best to bring up the
bodies while all the crew was on duty,
and then I take up the watches. l
arranged to have n man constantly
on guard in the after house-a difficult
matter where all were under suspicion
Burns suggested Charlie Jones as prob
ably the most reliable, and l gave him
the revolver I had taken from Single
ton. 1t was useless. but it made at
least a show of authority. The rest Of
the crew, except Oleson. on guard over
the mate. was detailed to assist in
carrying up the three bodies. Williams
was taken along to get sheets from the
linen room.
We brought the captain up first, lay
MS III oI a SuSSL VII lIC uCCh duu
folding the edges owe him. 1t was
terrible work. Even ]. fresh from a
medical college, grew nauseated over
It. He was heavy. 1t was slow work
getting him up. Vail we brought up in
the sheets from his bunk. OF the three
be was the most mutilated. The maid,
Karen, showed only one injury, a
smashing low on the head. probably
from the head OF the ak, for ak it had
been beyond a doubt
At three bells the cook brought coffee
and some Of the men took it. | tried
to swallow but it choked me.
| find it hard to recall calmly the
events of that morning; the three still
Il shrouded figures, prone on deck;
the crew. b~areheaded, standing around,
eying each other stealthily, with panic
ready to leap free and grip each Of
them by the throat; the grim determi-
nation. the reason for which | did not
yet know. to put the first mate in
irons. and. over ali, the clear sunrise
OF an August morning on the ocean.
rails and decks cleaning. an odor Of
coffee In the air, the joyous lift and
splash OF the bowsprit as the Ella,
headed back on her course, seemed to
make for home like a nag for the
stable. .
Surely zone Of these men, some weep
ing. all grieving. could be the tiend
who had committed the crimes. One
nv Fnn l0nl-oI IL, thrip fsnry- +
Burns, youngest member Of the crew, a
blue eyed. sandy haired Scot; at Clarke
and Adams and Charlie Jones, old in
the service of the Turner line; at Nc
Namara. a shrewd little Irishman; at
Oleson the Swede. And. in spite Of
myself, / could not help comparing
them with the heavy shouldered. sod
den faced man below in his cabin. the
owner Of the ship.
One explanation came to me. and l
leaped at 1.-THE possibility of a stow
away hidden in the hold. some mani
acal fugitive who had found In the
little cargo boats empty hull ample
room to hide. The men. too, seized at
the idea. One and all volunteered for
what might prove to be a dangerous
service.
l chose Charlie Jones and Clarke as
being most familiar with the ship. and
we went down into the hold. Clarke
carried a lantern. Charlie Jones held
Singleton's broken revolver. | carried
Il Delaying pin. But, although we
searched every foot of space. we found
nothing. The formaldehyde with
which Turner had %fumigated the ship
clung here tenaciously, and, mixed
with the odors Of bilge water and the
indescribable heavy smells left by
tropical cargoes. made me dizzy and Ill.
We were stumbling along. Clarke