MUTINY AND MURDER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11501, 6 February 1903, Page 9

MUTINY AND MURDER.

TRAGEDY OX A BRITISH SHIP,

(London " Daily Telegraph.") The Leicester Cautle, which is a fulltigged iron ship of over 2000 tons register owned by Meatus John Joyce, of Liverpool, Bailed from S:tn Francisco on July 26Ui last, with a crew numbering twenty-six a!! told, fourteen cf whom were shipped at the port i/f departure. All went well until the night of September 2nd. when the vessel woe in the South Pacific Ocean, some 300 miles to the north of Pitcairn Island, rendered famous by the mutiny on bin Majesty's ship Bounty. It was then that there occurred the shocking tragedy, ot which Captain Peattie gave the folio wins: account to our correspondent at Queens town: — It wae midnight, and I was quietly reading in my cabin before retiring to bed. The ship was travelling under all sail, Wkl making three-and-a-half knots an tour, when an American seaman, named Ernest Sears, came to my cabin door, and knocked. He said, " I "beg your pardon, sir, you might come out. There is a man injured. He fell from aloft from the fore yard, and has been much injured. He has broken his leg." Captain Peattie went on to say that he was partly undressed, but quickly slipping on Ids clothes he was about to attend to the injuries of the man vb*n, to his great surprise, another American seaman, named if. A. Hobbs. entered suddenly, and presenting a revolver fired straight at Captain Peattie, who was ■tunned at this attack. Nevertheless, he ru»hed at the man, struck him a tremendous blow with his fist in the face, but Bobbs was a big, powerful fellow, and the blow had not much effect upon 'hum. Bobbs fired again, and the bullet struck Captain Peattra in the muscle of the arm. The fright the suddenness of the attack, the dischargee of a revolver, and the wound In his arm caused the captain to fall, and then csme-the time for Hobbs to attack. He seized a huge belaying-pin, and commenced belabouring Captain Peattie with it, battering him about the head with great force. The victim shouted for help ac he lay on the floor of the cabin, but 'before assistance had reached him five shots hurt been fired from the revolver, and four »t them had taken effect, whilst the fifth, had graced his arm. A young seaman, named Brennan, a native of the county of Conk, who served for some time in the Soutn African war In an ambulance corps, now ran . quickly to the assistance of his skipper, got him upon the sofa, washed his many wounds with carbolic, and dressed them skillfully, which, perhaps, saved the life ot Captain Peattie. Whilst Brennan was so engaged the Second mate, Mr Nixon, having heard tho cries for help, rushed in also to render «•- ---' sistonce to Die commander, but on entering Uμ cabin door he was shot through the heart by Hobbs and fell dead. The cabin presented an awful scene with the corpse Jytag on the floor, the locker doors all besmeared with blood, and the captain lying on the aofa> in an apparently dying condition. , The chief mate now came on the scene and called all hands, with a view of securing the murderer. But in the meantime Hobbs ihad escaped forward with hie two comrades, ' Sears and Turner. They had evidently planned the committal of the crime, intending to kill the captain and the chief and •eoond mates, loot the ship, and then get away to one of the South Pacifio islands. They had rigged a raft, on which they drifted away from the ship in the darkness." Nothing could be seen of the three men, but the Leicester Castle was hove to under courses, and at one time it was thought the raft was observed drifting towards the .Pacifio isltunlfl, but thit waa mere fancy. The Leicester Castle remained hove to until 6 o'clock in the morning, and although the horjean was scanned with telescopes not 'a trade of the raft and Hβ villainous occupants could be seen, and it is the opinion .of those on board the Leicester Castle that 'the three men met the death they richly (feaerved.