A Dangerous Youth.

Hastings Standard, Issue 197, 15 December 1896, Page 3

A Dangerous Youth.

AN ATTEMPT TO Pol SON A SHIP S CREW. Information has reached Liverpool concerning the extraordinary attempt on the part of a cabin boy to poison a ship's crew. The affair took place on board the large steamer Duhvieh, of London, while on a voyage to New York. On the steamer was a lad of about sixteen, named Robert Peacock, whom Captain Richard Myles Cox, commander of the Dulwich, had shipped as cabin boy. The lad had been brought up in the East bind of London, and lie afterwards spent some time on the training ship Warsprite, whither he had been sent in consopicnct' of being concerned in some petty pilfering. Captain Cox, who belongs to the Royal Naval Reserve, saw the youth on board the training ship, and being impressed with what he thought was the boy's frank and cheerful demeanour, shipped him on the Dulwieh as cabin boy. For the iii; st few months his conduct was quite satisfactory, but afterwards various articles were misled by the ollicers and crew, and the thefts were traced to the boy. For this the captain locked him in the cabin and chastised him. This occurred when the steamer was out two weeks from the port of Iloiio. in the Philippine Islands, and the boy was Very sullen for the rest of the voyage. One morning, while the cook was preparing coffee for the crew, he discovered on stirring the pot a large soft lump on the bottom, and on draining off the liquid it was found that the can contained a quantity of vermilion sufficient. it \va< said, to have poisoned the whole crew. Suspicion fell upon the cabin boy, anil when confronted with the evidence of his guilt, Peacock had nothing to say. He was locked up in his room, and when the vessel readied New ork Captain Cox reported the matter to the British Consul. The youth will probably be sent back to England for trial.