A SEA MYSTERY.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1924, Page 3

A SEA MYSTERY.

KOI.(TitIN AKTKi; HALF A CKNTTI! V. AUSTRALIAN AMD t. Z. CABLE ABSOCI.It lON LONDON. Sej'tember 12. 'lhe “Daily Kxpioss” publishes a lonpthy story by Captain 11. I.ucv, who was wounded at the Dardanelles, nfid who has now arrived at l.ondon from India. The star.v is one purportin'; to jdvc the solution of the ehe.sio sea mystery of the abandonment of the Marie Celeste, o2 years apo. when the ship was found driftinp with all her sails set, and not one soul aboard, and was towed to Oibrnltar. Captain l.ucy says that he learned the facts (2 yeans apo from a man named Tripps, havinp been under oath not to reveal them until Tripps was dead, lie believed that lie was now nl liberty to speak. Captain l.ucy states lie met Tripps at the Day View Hotel, in Melbourne, where lie had been liviup for live years, and was not known to do any work, lie discovered that Tripps had about £IOO in the Bank of Australia. lie found him a job as boatswain. Tripps told Lucy that he was the boatswain on tic Marie Celeste. They siplited a derelict and they found therein a safe whidi they forced. It contained a sum of L'tl-M) ) ill paid and silver. The Captain of the Marie Celeste took £I2OO id' it. the mate £OOO. the second mate £lO.l. Tripps TOGO, and the rest was shared annuip the crew. The Ca] tain ordered Ihe derelict to be sunk, as it was a dnnp-r to shippinp. Then the <|iiestiui of tin* lepality of takiiip lire money arose. It was decided that they could not sink the Marie Celeste, as she had been spoken, so the captain and crew t|iiitfcd in three boats hclolipinp to the derelict which they had used to briup the money aboard. They jainlcd the name ‘M,oiidun, Schooner” on tic boats, and on atriviup at Cadiz, they reported the has of the schooner "I. ilob ii" Im strikin'', a Mlbni' ipo I urcob. and then they se| a rated. Their objc t in abnudotiinp the .Marie Celeste "as to make everythin" as mysterious as possible. Ctipl.tin Lucy adds: “I s".w Tripps' Tapers, sbouinp that, he sipiicd on at Boston aboard the Marie Cahste. hut I confess lie always coveted his name. 1 believe that Tripps knew the name of the derelict, hut lie said it was obliterated.” I