HORRIBLE MURDER ON BOARD THE RIFLEMAN.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 222, 30 May 1873, Page 3

HORRIBLE MURDER ON BOARD THE RIFLEMAN.

The ship Kifleman arrived yesterday from London, bringing the particulars of a most cold-blooded murder, perpetrated on Captain Longmuir, and the narrow escape of the chief officer and boatswain from- the same terrible fate. The steward of the vessel is charged with having committed this murder. His name ia William

Krauss, a German. The sworn!" detailed account, as set forth in the ship's log, i? substantially as follows :—On March 16 in lat. 31.35 S.; long. 34^ W., the chiei officer, Mr. Morgan, had the middle watch, andabout.4.4o the steward brought him a cup of coffee which he drank, .and then, walking aft to the com pa is, was told by the helmsman that the crew .thought something had been wrong with their grog, as all hands, had, been vomiting, the day before: Mr. Morgan was tliinking over the matter, when the steward came on deck and said that Captain Longmuir wanted him ; he, of course, at once went below, the-steward' following; when he got to the captaius cabin- he called out, ," ®°. u want me, sir ?" and almost im- ' mediately received a violent over i the left temple, Although partially stunned he turned'round, and as he did so received a second, blow; seeing, at was the I steward he immediately closed with him and got his arms around him.. In the struggle he got the steward against the foot of the captain's berth, calling on the boatswain fpr assistance, who immediately rushed in and assisted in holding the steward's hands ; but unwittingly,let one go, when the steward immediately drew a revolver, and firing at the boatswain drove the_bullet into his neck. Mr.'Morgan seeing the boatswain fall, and thinking him killed, attemptedjagain to secure the steward's hands, and -at length got him fast by the wrists and threw hiiii on the cabin deck, but not before he had time to fire a second shot, which, barely misssing Mr Morgan's head, buried itself in one of the ! 'beams". Mr Newton, the second officer,! hearing calls for help and the discharge of j fire-arms, raiti into the cabin with the rest j of the watch, and after some difficulty! Krauss was secured and disarmed; dread-1 ing the worst, .alight was procured* and; on removing .the coverlet a fearful sight j met their, eye's. There lay Captain Long- j muir with his head beaten in and quite I dead, and the mattrass, bedding, and j bunk deluged*in.blood ;he ; had evidently | never struggled, but must have died from j the effects of a single blow, or perhaps accelerated by strangulation, as a long line was round the unfortunate man's throat and drawn quite tight. Krauss, on being searched, was fdund to have a second pistol (single barrel) concealed on him, also a dagger and long knife and twenty-four cartridges ; and on the floor of the captain's room an iron channel bolt was picked up, about two feet long £ and weighing five pounds—doubtless the instrument used, as the mark of the bolt head is on the beam over the berth, as if it had been caused by raising the bolt too high; five pieces of line of simitar description and length were also found in the steward's berth. The captain's body was pnt in spirits, and has been brought to Sydney. Krauss, „ after being well secured, was placed in the deck house, and'.on his arrival yesterday"was taken ashore by the Water Police". He denies any knowledge of the crimes which have been committed. Captain 'Longmuir had been for irany years intimately connected with this port, in command of some.of the finest ships; he was a most kind-hearted genial man, and respected by all who knew him. He has left a* wife : and a large, family. Immediately the sad affair became known the flags on board the various vessels were lowered to halfmast as a mark of respect.—'S. M. Herald,' May 10.