MURDER OF BULLY HAYES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 243, 13 October 1877, Page 4

MURDER OF BULLY HAYES.

KILLED BY HIS COOK WHILE CRUISINa IN THE SOUTH SEAB.

[From the San Francisco Fost.\ . Captain Hayes, of »ho schooneryacht Lotus, which sailed from this port October 9, 1876, for the Samoan . Islands, was murdered in March last, by the cook, a Dutchman, who shipped in Samoa as cook nnd seaman. The Lotus left Bonham Island, one of the {Marshall, group, about 120 miles.soutbwesfc. Six days afterwards she camback, and the following information waa was obtained from tbo man acting as mate:— The second day put the captain spoke to the man at the wheel, who Was cook and seaman, about his steering. Some altercation followed, when the oaptain went below. Wbgn he came up the companion-way, come time after, the man let go the tiller, and struck Captain Hayes on the head with the crutch belonging to tha main boom. He fell and immediately expired. No firearmaof any kind were lound on him. The acting mate at that time was below sleeping. Tho vessel returned to Baaham Island as soon a_ possible. The captain was buried at sea. The Maggie Johnston arrived at Bonham the latter part of March. Tba.a_atfer .was explained to Captains -Bliveo and Henry, and it was found that the mate (not having signed any artioles or papers of any kind, to bind himself to the vessel) had no control over her at all. Rumors about her going away fco other islands in other hands got about, which induced Mrs" Gapelle & Co., a large Grern.au firm there, to ask Captains Bliven and Henry, as American citizens, to do something in regard to tbe matter. The only thing they could do was to deliver the vessel's papers t6 Capelle ahd Co., lor safe keeping, until her owners in San Francisco could communicate instructions. Tha actitjg mate was ieft in charge, and did everything possible to Qx thiugs up. An inventory of oil goods on board was taken, and atl were stored in Capelle & Co.'s warehouse. The vessel was to be moored to a 1,600-lb. anchor, aaits unbent and put ashore in the warehouse. AU was not completed when the Maggie Johnston left on May 15, but it w_B expected that everything would be fixed ou that day. Captain Hayes will be remembered as the gentleman whose strange life and adventures were published in.Qctober last, under- the caption of " A South Sea Pirate." He had many frienda who contend that his errors were those of the head and not of the heart, and it is said of him even by hia enemies, that he was a man who never counted the coal when he could render assistance to a fellow-sailor in distress. He was equally well known in San Francisco, Melbourne, Sydpey, and the groups of the South Pacific where years of his Ufe had been spent.