Untitled

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 254, 11 April 1888, Page 6

Till I I hs, j Blann* nic no! iliat I .1111 ( i icil .A - nps\ 1111 1 1 Ut ii 'ii, in , \ o i lnnut it'll lios -tionu Ihe tni. ,\iul (.-in i - i nt i,hi. A \<>v I "Wi i I , (leiald, nut ti lui'omiu with too i loiiii a -!oi\, on- Jit t £ limn, in the de.nl wa-te .nul nnililK i.l lin ni^ht, tho L( \ i,i ' h.m w.i- iii.unii; t!u ('apt tic \o.iif l-l imK ! Kid the ii iddle wati'li. .rid whilo 1 wa- alone at m\ po-t <<l 1 1 tit \ , | dit'.uiunu ami liiooliiu a- w-'.ial (it (In ! Mitwie <jloi\ ni tlio temole pli He, ( apian 1 So ami So, ami hi- h..u U -hip. 'Jie >< mum jutj ut tho >ea, I w<> -■ jiiiiii'd h\ lln iin , tln i o\ -wain, who had ]ii-t < imu up un d< , k lo ' -moko a pipe \i>\\, i'>nniL,.nd I utieai nMi. ut :i(ia' fin iiu- „- inn ul.itiw po-nion- . would admil o, '>i,i i>t 1 1 j i'iilliic haU'd llhei i pi ai; uid hid l '_m>hi! i , -- t W i , \ (■eiald, that latal ni_dr ' !>i-t! >i-t -poi.t. 1 i linnie ot in\ dirani-. loi thi_\ urii ii"t | pLii-. miKli Ic-- i oii-pnaoio- llt'i\t"! i kuo \ - it wa- onh in lit ai tip, -iii t.dL. i i amu-e m\ -t It and him dm inu tin ninlniuhl I uatdi uu tl'i dt ck ol (h- Lewatlian, thai I , *>po\o at all Fn-t. i told him Mmn 1 o! m\ ' niihi -en-at lou.d hh e- or puate-, towhuh 'ho It-toned wit It l apt at <> nt ion. At It lr^t h, j 'loint om l>\ m\ oik 1 nit a ti i'm one e\t l omo (oanothoi l-.adwlnta -pltMidid a< hn \ c 1 incut, it would !i it \\< (mild onl\ !a\ a plan and win o\ti tne ili-r unum d inn, i ineipowei tin othu.i- I>\ loin 1 ot numlu'io i- to win ,i Moodh'-- \ntoi>, and thru tuin r ! u I t withuii into .• _;,and pn.'ir -hip ilia' -houid bi i ii'in tin vumln ,md (Liioi ot tin wo! Id \\ t would not kill I ,r t a, it am ."id tMin - i ->, I - ml. luit w on id Uf< p :htai in i ll- t i v/i'tnn ih nt until vi mnlil -a i \ -l tin m a-hui ) " Mi, (it i.dd. wo wt i. tla\ diL.iiinnu and 'i i- 1 if ''Uild'nu nothing iimu !hou_;!i I I. ii ah ilia naniou! tho notioi^ot t ikinn t [ir i -j.\ v<\\ in in o wai and tin nm_; it into a -• ill i '^loatoi pii.ut -hip, . tH 1 -am in it In kin u thfiiiv, would uiiauimou-l\ olt,i t mi' lm tin m t apt. a i I "W i' u.ilktd on until m\ \'at<h m.io\ ii . and I'a-l -Ni ld-iupman ( lout-, who Mail t lie mot 111114 «,ii(h, 1 line to 1 eat u un ' I did not turn in, hou. \t 1, luu, lo.itmmd on dt i k, tallvHi'j 1 o (.'low l- a- 1 l.ad taikt ! Itu !'t la- 1 , in \1 1 d 'Aiming ot a ip, t limu mop' '-1 noii- I v.iii pu '*! mi; ni\ \ i-iom- into /' i>i '/■>, ! -vi Il\ inu iut-1 '- '- (. o\ i-. Km ti Li t io> iiii 1 pin 1- wt iiii'_ht piitoim, of ii.anl j-1 t il^hi- Hi rtnl! t 1 I ,l\v', O' til -pit lidld \1 1 t o 11 1 - w t - 1 n 1 11 1 1 i _; . 111 1 a , al l d 'in <_; <> 1o t o u - I 11 '1 - w>' won Id t aiiluii It w ,1- a,l t d' , Ii • i.dd — nothing hut talk. I .mi -o I t i-t inait d wa- 1 Whh tin 1 1 1 ))•_■'• L ,lril I I did not 11111 111 nin I'n'il in ud i\ h^ht, an.l th- n I ! !,i\ aw akt tin aiiiurj ot it It had fo Ipiatll al . 1 mil in \ , (■( ■ .1 aid \\ 1 \< vi c not coii-puatoi - , w 1 weifoiili pluti- '' J Hii -11:1 ot it , laiin-t l\ <ia \\ lit d ( Ii Llltl 1 11/llLl llt 1 ' \\ 1 11, d.i \ !i<_;ht 1- 1 (li-i!in -'oni-t , ,md 1 ihoiiuht httlu of mil louianln t ilk w hii lni-s \\ithiM\ dulii- 1 uid not him tinwihli t licit ni^ht, noi in\ onp itiinitvol 1 n ( 1 1 1 1 li 1 1 1 •_; 111 .1113 nmii lain 1 , nlot- l!ul tin next niuht 1 had .ho moiniau \\an!i and u Inn I w 1- almn on th < k I>m ni' 1 ann to me, aatl, mm h 10 ia\ di-m,i>, -aid ' I lia\o -oiiinh d MMH ot tMe tin n, and tin \ I ike kindK 10 tio idea ot -' i/nrj ihe -hip L'ln \ an :;nin^ to -ound -unit ot th i oLhei- \\ c -hall In ,u 11101 1 to 11101 1 o\\ " !h 1- la n - thi ill<'d am I a-tom-ln d nn ' ( m.ld it ho |io--i!)1i thai til'iiio had lalvi 11 ill Ihid- id m hhitid (_"ii in -1, and t hat (In ( tou u<ji" -o up i.» mul in\ , -o 1 ( ah toi pii.u\ ' Oi wa-iiiinn di.iwiiij; 011 hiinuiL;in.ition and pi.l^lll'4 wnh un , a- J \)a{\ Icon \- itlt him ' '• ' I- tin- 10, i o\-s\«un '" I a-Utd. uiulli my hi o u)i. "' ' Tin-, h o, -u. Wo -hill Mel moio to mvi 1 ow . '••Cut, oo\-'n, it would he ultoilvun-pO-oilllo tO (Ml!) Old/ (110 pint' Ot hC'l/lll^ till-, l^ieai nianofw.'ii ' Thooiow wouldn t do it' IW-nie- think of the mai 1110s '" "'The maiine- he mo-tiv .I^lll ih, -ii , but lhe\ umild he with u-^ in tin- Tins hutf ihu captain and ollicei - oi t his ship like [) Will.' '"Ceiald, 1 eonti-.- I apjjalled al the tiam of I had mad \ 01 U ntly laid. No 0110 01.11 iiiiuw the Dower and the eon^equenees ol a few idle \voidt> ! "'But JJniiio.' t'iul 1, 'tin,- mad tillair must no iui thei ' Neither jou nor I would tin n tiaitoi to 0111 flair '' " ' Lor, nii, wii.-iL.N llie liat;, attor all said '! Nothing but a bid of led, white and blue bunting pateh-woik! It's gone too far Lo j^o back, lin thinking, sir. Hut we'll hear more to-moi row. "Ay, (inald, we did hoar more tomorrow' SuniL-o found ih |v.st ofl the little harbour ot I 'ol to i'raya 111 the (.'ape Vcide Jslunds. And instead of sailing into the harbour, the ship lay to, and the drum beat to quarteis. I was- in the act of turning out ot my hammock, when 1 was instantly aiiested and put in iiou.s. Tlieic was a panic throughout the bhip. Too .surely I ch\ inert the cause ; but I thought — • foolish boy that I was— l thought that 1 could easily make it all light by a candid explanation to my nuperiot ofhceis. Nor dirt I rtroam of danger to myself or comrades. T was rather glad that the intended mutiny was stopped bctoro it could begin, and I rather wondered who had betrayed my playing conspiracy. Later on I discovered that several of the crew whom the unfortunate fool, Bimie, had sounded, carried the newrf of the ' plot ' to the captain, who oiden-d the ariest ol the 1 higloadei.s ! 1 Binne and Clowe- 1 were the 1 iugleadci s, and we were all put in irons within ten minutes

after the first intelligence of our 'conspiracy ' had reached the captain's? ears. " Action was taken on us with lapidity and vindietivoncss only prompted by cowai'djce and cruelty. Listen : It was seven o'clock that morning when Captain MeKondric received the iirst iut'onnation against u.s. It was icn minutes past seven when we wort' arrested and thrown into irons, and at thirty minutes past seven we weie anaigncd before a court-martial colnpo.se 1 1 ot the captain and oflioors ot the Lennthan. The trial was \ ei y biict. The testimony against us, as to our conversation, 'it least was \ cry direct and clear. The only delonee that I could oiler was the candid -'tatemenl. that J had intcded to in ivC to m\ snpcnor oihceis, and which 1 \ainly beho\ ed would sa%o us. I made it; hut it had no elect whatev er ; it was not e\en credited. " We wcic nMiiandcd to the guard-room while our ollkers and judges deliberated on our case ,uki settled our doom. " They wci o not lorn; about it. ]n an lion we woe called in to hoar our sentence. l(r was death. We won: all tlnec to be hanged tioin the \ aulann at s"umiso (he next moi 11inu. 71 "I alteiwaids learned that tho second lieutenant had hrld out toi a time 111 lasour ot otu ac jimtal, bu' th it he had heen talked o\ci <it la-t, and gnen his v ote with the olhei - " The rapi.hl\ with which :i!I this had ou'uind had -a stunned my M'li-t'h that 1 could seanch lealise the situation s'ul iii'ieutl) to Mill -i hum it [did, howevei, j a-k the pm 111 >_'c (!) wiitinu to my t.iihei, I .mhl, 'Mci it v.is m mlid me, 1 spent the | marniuii in umiiin. .1 long lettei ot i;\plan- | ation to hut', in the hope ol clean m_! u\\ t .me in Mi- le-jnd- Atlei 1 hid l.m-hei! • md -( dt'i! m\ KtU'i, 1 askt d 101 a l!ibk, land -pent Iho iMtinoon, "is loun .is day- | h'^lil I.' led. hi Krtdiuu Ihe New Testament I anil in |)i .i\ in j When it «<is toe ilai kto ici'l I pi.v ed (inl\ They bionuht me tood iliat I • ould nut ( a(, toi I -ccmed choking ; and dunk, which 1 quailed with audit), toi I «,i- i iiiimimh d w ith tlni-t I '• \o'\. (Jci.dd, \ou wish to hear how I i s ( aped ' "\i's' -aid ( 'ilium 1 Kit/'u lalii, vjia\el\,. " It wa> lin out' 111 1 Ihe un -ought, \ c iiim.u \ , a— i-tance nt thai -ani" \ouno lieutenant; • who had In :d out longest against in\ (on \iitiiin. l!( I linii'.'lil th,it a nuel wmn'4 !li id In mi (loin Hi- <'onipas-ion was 1 jeiKi tl i 111 his ptmh mi c, and hi- -Mi-c ol |iwtiee stinuwii iha'i hi-, -eii-e ot olhcial 1 dut\ ■'1 i 1,1 1 das . \cu will 1 eitu mliei . wew c le |\in^ in iiii thi h 11 i»oiu 01 I'ci to ii a\ a, in tin t'ljic <U \ title Isl.uui-. In the niuht w • -ailed into i he h 11 i>oni andanehoied 1 " I'll it uivjit the \ouiig lieutenant, who -h.ill !>•> •< ii"i !i -- h.iil ILe midd!< m"t» h 1 In *i, \s il h i l.c iv ij> ol In 1 -.nl' >i - w in mi In li. id we.i o\i >, in Miitth d<h\eiiil nn tiem m\ t< tv 1- and m\ pu-on, tied 101kahout me to help me to keep u\>, j_m\c me i>iai'il\ to ,i(if! -tien^th, and lowe tel me 10 ih' %' .itc 1 - ed'^e. bidding me to s\\ l.n toi m\ life to I'orto I'lavd, and then m.ike toi t he back t omit 1 \ 'M.ei.ikl, J was. 1 c h.oiipioji swnninei in m> \outh. That niuht ! h.idc\ii\ matciial and mental aid toi -in ee--. The sea wacilm 1 w.i- b^hth clothed, a- when 1 li-tt m\ hammock I aided b\ ( orkI wa- matLi iall> -hmulaied b\ blanch and mentalh \>) the -tion'_ r lo\e ot life and hbeitj Net that niuht s was s\it h a teat ,1- ii,'- no' otti n bi 111 ac.eoin-j'h-iud in ilu \v ell hi 1 inu-t lia\u -\\ ;m till, mi mill- al, lta-t betoie 1 leached the -lioie— a lonclv beai h below the town — uheie 1 thiev nn-elt down, -o utteih i \hau-ted that [ tell a-lee|) .uul slept like thi dead, until the thundeiinn boom ot a cannon iwoke nu nuiia-hoek "1 -,aittd up. conscious of son>c halt toiu'tlin hoiioi fiat 1 could not lieall. ' i 11 1 1 j 11-inu mid, -luninv lull in m\ 'acv, ilbniuiK d m\ meii»oi\ a!-o I uiidc;i-Lood tin aw 'ul situation now 'I liv houi ot (. \t ciiiioii w a- p.i-sinc, That booinm'4 t union w 1- Ihe -lviia 1 ut m\ coniiades iliM'.h -lie ignominious death thai I hail M'id> (I b\ a iiioi. ignominious Iliulu : toi -i) I then N'h m\ 1 -cape to be I could not ie]oueinm\ liccdom, in in\ -alct^. All, no ' I e.-t m\-elt down and lolled m the -!imU, 111 a'i'4'n-h o: Miuit such a- 1 had nt nll kniM\n in m\ lite betoie, and have nesci known -nice i was tempttvl to no back to the -hip and m\ s It up, though tin mi a-uic wa- ni tt 1 1\ mipiat ticable. '1 la 1 tae" 1 , ludi naked, 'md rolling 111 tlu hot -and-, until my hi ad began to bin c and a< Ik aii<\ tin o!> At length Ihi ew • tliiiou-, tien/ied andstaihd up a\ it lithe w dd de-i'.:u (/ si 1 kiuu t he ship and deln erinu n>\selt up to in-tiM ; but Lelore 1 had iii;iniui\ nikN I It 11 pio-tiatc and itisen--llilt to tht '41 tuiml '• \\ hen 1 u.co\ «•!(»(! con-ciou.sncs-, it was not moininu but night : neithei was it. (lit ho -amis mult 1 thu binning -un, }\,\ii wnihfil in <i'_M>ih ot mind and body ; hut a 1 o"l inattie-s, m a dai k 100111, with I tin sluliiiht \i I'tle thi ouch the open window- whuellu wuh a deliiious sense ol coolness and icpo-c. [ " ( t mv mini 1 instantly Look up the Imiii ot thought 1 hat had bcui mteiiupted 1 1\ mv illness ' ' lla-.ihi ship sailed ?' I iiumircd. " \ \ou c an-weit d me in an unknown tongue, yn<l a pan ot hands iawd n\y head . nil plai ,'d a ie!n shing tbaught to my lips, i tbank it, and tell asleep again. " W ell, Ceiald, lo be buet, it -eems that I had been found on the sands, hm mug it h kui, and i,iLjiiif> with hen/% b% .some poor natiM-. who can led me to the hoiu'e ot a I'oiiuunes" pi ic^t In ing near the town. This poo; 1 priest had taken me m and nuisocl me tluough the long illness that, followed ; his pooi pai ishioneis, horn tlien I small means mini-teicd to my necessities ot e\ei) until ni) lull icstnration to health They never knew my history: they ne\(T e\cn aiked it. I was the ha\ ellcr, naked, biuiscd and %\ounded on the highway and they weic the good Samaritans who succoured me. Thai, was all To the pi icst alone, and nuclei seal ol confession, i told the stoiy ot my sins and lomoiso, and he comforted and counselled j me, tcllinu me not to think ot taking any future measure without the knowledge and consent ot my father, and advising me to go to England by the ne\t ship bound thither that should stop at their port, and to communicate %vith my father horn that sate distance. " I follow ed Fathci Scbastiano'.s advice. A month aftci that 1 .shipped as a man bofore the mast on an Itimlihh mci chantman bound tor London, and so at- length found myself *ate under the Biitibh Hag, for there was no extradition tieaty in those days. " lleieAithui Fit/gerald paused as tiom i exhaustion. Uorald .idmini.stercd a fe%v sjioont'uls of beei-juiceand ahalf wineglass of brandy, and then inquired : " How was it, then, that you were never heard from again as aliving man, and that a report of your liming committed .suicide by tluowing yourself overboaid obtained universal ciedence, and was never contradicted or doubted V" A strange smile played over the lace of the elder Fitzgerald as he answered :

* Manj of our elder readers will remember a parallel case to this that occurred about thirty years ago, and for winch the otlicoi.s that sat upon the court-martial wove subjected to a Court of Inquiry and censured.

" Why f was nevor heard of again you will soon know. Mow the report of my suicide £ot about 1 will tell you as it was told me by one of the sailors who had assisted mo in my escape, and whom 1 met years attenvaids in California. This man j^ave me the .sequel of that fatal night's proceedings. Ho said that lie and his conlederate had j(ot the iions that they had taken oil' my limbs, and also they had obtained a cask ot nails, and kept them ready neat the stuiboaid until the end ot the lieutenant's watch, when a midshipman came to leliexe him and take the mornin? watch. (This was to save the yuunjc lieutenant from the charge of neglect of duty, you ) Then they watched their opportunity, threw the iiotis and the cask into the sea, and simultaneously wilh the' splash raised aery of — " ' A M \N OVKRItOARJ) !' "Contusion followed. A search was made. I wat. the only one missing*, and it was decided that I, fetteted as I was, had thrown myself mco the s-ea, where my irons had sunk me to the bottom. "Theicyou have the 01 i^in of the icport and belief in my suicide, and also tlic ica^-on w !)> my escape was never suspected, and no pui'-uit wan c\cr made lor me. "Thesuloi j(avft me another piece of infoi niation w liicli touched me piofoundly. It was tliat my unhappy comrade in misfoi tune had w ith llieii last bicith e\oneta(ed me liom any intention to tempt them into unit in> . " I 1I 1 in. illy, the man told me that the younir limit onant who had sawd wy lite was ne\ei Misp< ci( d ot li.v m<4 done so ; but that, '•nice he had broken tlie rules of the semee, he cuiHdcied himself m honour bound lo iosi'jn his commission, and lie fiat/ ie-i^ni d it immediately on Kluinni!/ home '' \(iw, CeiuUl, 1 must, kll you how it \\a- lh.it. the in, oi t of my suicide remained uneontiadtctcd, and that 1 was new r heard ot a<_>ain ;ii a In inn man. "When 1 icached England I wiotc to my hither a \eiy penitent IcUei, infoiminy him ot my almost mnacul'ius c-eape tiom an unmet iled death, dcplonnu my tatal ■ tdil\. but tittcily icpttdiadn^ the chaise oi mult, and bcsccclnnu him to answer my lctlei [ iti'uved no itpl\. I wiotea^ain and <i<j,ain, to meet onl\ a ( ou'einpl uous .silence Tiien I wioteno niinc until lonji atteiwaids, when 1 lcamod that tin- Lex latli.in had iefuin>'d honn hum licr \ oyiiyc : that the olhccrs who had < mil t-m.u tialled and condemned to death me and my unliapp\ i omp.uuoiis h.M ( in en .se\ en-lv dealt with b\ an indignant nic-s and pi>oplc ; | i haL tlic ucneial outcv (kmanded ,i (. om L I ot lnquii\ mtothen pi occf dmtrs ; that this eouit had lensuied tl en conducl and tcpii m.indf d t hem Thai was al'. "Then I \\ioti a'j.i'n lo my talliei, told himutlhe iniinci It tic 1 had wl it Len, tet X 1 1 ed him 1') the u I ion ot the ( urn t ot Inj()uu\ on in\ . a-< . lcinindc d linn that this action made it < ompaiat i\ i\\ sale tot me to ntiiiii h0;,,! and miploied hnn toiieenc mi (.ciald ' iiin lather ai)s\\er<d hk at, l.i^t.and hi- letlii < ondemnrd nu to t!u lite ot \Aj>,iur\ I )ia\ce\ei finer h d '' "<!icat hi awns, Ai Hum . is that ■<(>' Was be -o uniclcntin'j '" i \claimed Colonel L'lt/ m-iald " You -hallhoai. He wiotc to me sij ■ m^ that lie had iecci\cdm\ fu -t. U-ttt is. but tin oli\ioiis iL-asdiis lie iiad lynoird them, t.uith (!i<lininn a coi tcspondcncc with a /itiifo, din/ (i if/mi ' That lie now wioU to toi hid uudt i hi*- hca\ie->( nialcdicrion He -ml thai I was the In st lo bunj; dishonoui and lepioiich upon the stainless and dlus tnou- name ot Fit/yerald. He hencetoith utteil\ disowned mi as In- sun and loi exu di-vaideu me lie .nuied that he only refi.uned tiom in\okui2 upon niv displaced liead llei\{iis hci\ie-t cm so on certain conditions that I should toie\ei lcnoumc the name ot !'it 't^eiald, and toic\ct c\patn.itc m\ sth tiom m\ countij. He eon- * bukd l)\ -a\in<4 tl\at it ever J should pie sunn to beai the name ot Fit/^eiald, oi \cntuLL to set my toot within the bounds ot Vii'iitiM, (\cn to (Jann in) inhei it am c, a tathei s bittcKst eui-e should tall upon mo ami l^li^ln; me ' "Tlfat w.is i uthle^s! Thai/ was hoi lible '" exclaimed ( olonel I'lt/'jet aid. '' li closed in th.it lettci was ,i lull o" c\ih.tnm on hi- London b<uik( i s Urn tthou-and pound- a little le^ac^.ihc po^tsei ipt e\ p'aineii. that had ln.cn ietl me b\ \ny |>ooi mollut fiom liei nm.ite [uofieit}'. which \\a- to be paid mi, \is, liei iccjuest, when I should be twent\ ;\cais old. Had it been m\ f.tt hci's .dins ilunu at his discarded son, i Jeiald, I 'hould haw inclosed and sent it hack. T t was my dear mothei's otienn<, r , and I ktpt it. "Hut, (Jeiald, that lettei— that bitter, inthUss letter — not only held o\er mo the thiea u ol a cuise, it was m itself the most deadh and damnable ot cuises. It made me a vagabond on the face of the earth. It neutiali-id all the (jood the woi thy Portuffucsu pi ies( had been able to do me. I went loith like anothei I-hmacl, my hand against c\ci) man, and cwi} man's hand anauist me. %l 1 i enounced ni) country and my ramc. I took the name oi Adam LacklandAdam, because i had fallen, and was cast out ot my laicn ; and Lackland, becau.se 1 was disuiliciitcd and ioi bidden to set toot upon mj ow n sod. "In a spint. of uttn i eckle-sne,-s 1 |omed a band ot mpsies, my Mwirthy complexion and black hair making me not an unhkdv one ol ilicniseh es. "Ah! (ieiald, how awfully the curse tell upon me, and all connected with me, you haw yet to lieai ." ( To Ik ( 'dii/niiKi/. )