Evening star., 1938-01-01
MAD SHIP KILLER
THOUGHT CONVICT
Sea Wolf Plotted Fantastic
Argosy While Behind Bars,
Prisoner Says.
pictures on page A-2J
pictures on page Az
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 1.-The wild
motives that impelled deluded
man to seize the luxury yacht Aafje
by Staying It's owner, then maintain
brutal command as he sailed toward
some vague destination in the South
Seas-until slugged and dumped over
board to sharks-became clearer today.
From the lips OF convict in San
Quentin Penitentiary came informa-
ton suggesting to authorities that
Jack Morgan, the sea wolf" Of the
bizarre Aafje saga, long ago, while be-
hind prison bars, plotted . fantastic
argosy to q far-on island spot.
Federal officials have not ofhcially
identified Morgan, who killed the
Aafje's owner, Dwight L. Faulding,
and ruled the boat in mad fashion i'm
til slain by two Of his captive fellow
voyagers, as the same man who spent
the period from 1881 until last April in
San Quentin.
Morgan Thought Ex-Convict.
They are reasonably assured, how
ever, that Morgan is the ex-convict
John Hanson, head Of the Los Angeles
Federal Bureau of Investigation, dis
closed information that slightly cleari-
fed his actions.
Federal agents in San Francisco"
he said, talked with q convict at San
quentin who had been a pal Of Nor
gan before the latters release last
April.
THE convict said Morgan was
obsessed with the idea Of going to the
South Seas or some lonely spot in
Central America, and said he'd get
there even If he had to steal a boat and
kidnap every one aboard"
The Aafje, with wealthy owner
Faulding at the helm, sailed from San
Pedro December 20. Morgan had char
tered 1t for . two-day trip to Catalina
Island.
Held Mad Command.
Not far from shore, survivors re-
lated to Federal men, Morgan shot Mr..
Faulding to death. ordered the body
thrown overheard and then held mad
command until Christmas eve.
That night, Robert Horne, 27. crew
member. smashed Morgan over the
head with marlin spike, and, with
the aid Of George Spernak, 19, another
crewman. dumped him over the side
in shark-infested waters.
Horne and Spernak will be arraipned
Monday on murder charges, but Fed
eral officials intimated that prosecu-
ton would be purely perfunctory.
Morgan's wife, the former Lillian
Casanova Of New Orleans, told Mr..
Hanson she met Morgan last May and
never had been legally married to him.
She Joined other survivors in telling
how Morgan. insane with power after
killing Mr.. Faulding. ruled the ship
brutally at gun-point.
In addition to Horne, Spernak and
Miss Casanova, others aboard the
death ship when q Navy plane found
1t Wednesday were Mrs. Lucille
Turner, Faulding's fancee; her son
Robert, 8. and Elsie Berdan, pretty
2l-year-old nurse hired by Morgan
to care for his wife, an expectant
mother, during the voyage.
Says Boy Was Beaten.
The survivors related that Morgan,
before he killed Mr.. Faulding, tried
to attack Miss Berdan, beating her
severely. He also beat and kicked
the Turner boy.
He was absolutely the cruelest man
I ever knew" said Miss Berdan.
The Aafje party had been without
food for three days when the Navy
plane spotted it, drifting helplessly
with an SOS written In oil on . sail.
A Coast Guard cutter towed the ship
in port.
Miss Casanova Is being held Is .
material witness. Federal authorities
here said they expected to make no
further statements concerning the
case until the arraignment Monday.