PIRACY AND MURDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14507, 26 April 1909, Page 5

PIRACY AND MURDER

SOUTH SKA SENSATION. ASTOUNDING ALLEGATIONS, Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. SUVA, April 24. The White. Ruse pinny trial attracts a crowded audience. Joseph Mortimer was found ''Guilty" to a charge of piracy and murder. Fred Skerrett turned King's evidence. Comis-el for the defence raises an objection as to the jurisdiction of the court. The case has been adjourned till Miniday. The above case is the sequel to one of the most: sensational events in the hisiory of the Sout.'i Sea. Islands. A little American schooner, of about 50 tons, named the Ncuv.--- Tig.'e, Hying the Italian flag, and engaged .n the coastal trade of Callao, sailed ii' November, 1907, ou a short jouri.ey, and. according to the statements which ai« in the hands of the prosecution, as soon as she was out. of sight of laud Mortimer, who was employed us the cook of tho vessel. planned the murder of both the captain and the mate, and successfully carried out liis intention lo sleal the ves-el. He saved a young seaman named Jackson, who also went under the name of Skerrilt, and_ by threatening his life made him an obedient; accomplice. The name of the vessel was erased, and the schooner sailed before the wind jntil at last she reached the Gilbert 1.-lands, where she was wrecked in February. 191)8, on a reef in a lagoon. No,it,her Mortimer nor his assistant had any knowledge of navigation, and thoy wore ignorant, of the locality whore their vessel cams to grief. When tho schooner was lost, Mr T. ]?. Dunn, of Sydney, was engineer of • lie trading schooner Laurel, and was on the scene of the wreck within a quarier of an hour after it happened. In tho course of conversation with a prcwma.il, Mr Dunn stated that Captain Malcolm, the master of the Laurel, was the first to aiijht the wreck. "Wo wore lying in tho Apa-mania Lagoon, and Captain Malcolm saw the distressed whooner heeling over on a reef. When wo pot alongside, a short, thick-set man of about ?.t,who«e name T subsequently lea,nit was Mortimer, asked, ' What- do you think of this?' I asked him how lw got there, and he replied. 'Wo were going about, and she mis-stayed, and went on to the reef.' He told me that. tie. was from Valparaiso. Then T clamtwecl up on board and asked for the skipper. 'I am tho caplain,' he said. I asWl him where wore his crew, and pointing to a lad of about 17, bo remarked, 1 That is the rest of tho crew.' Rv this tima T was becoming suspicious, and ventured the opinion that it was remarkable lhat a vessel of lhat size should be naviff-iled by two men, and T asked him how lie hoisted tho sails. Ho told m-e that one man could sot them easily, and I then informed him that- on bur schooner, which war, about the Fame size. *ix men were required to hoist the mainsail.

"I asked him whether the vessel was insured, and he sa.id, 'No.' He also told me that she was not registered, and when I asked what flag he saMcd under, lis replied, 'No !!-.!!' r.t a'!.' T continued to question him. ami ho lioc-ame more and more mv-tH'icus. The vessel had no name he 'old me--never had a. name when he bought her—and lhe.ro was no clearance.

" \\ her X bad teen conversing with rhis man for about a quarter of an hour Captain Ifendley, the master of tho eehcoiw Loicisn .1. K'-nnv, helongi:i)r to Hums, Philp. and Co. (Ltd.), eaive on board, so 1 left. I told Captain Malcolm everylhing that had occurred, and ho significantly r"pli"d. ' ITftiV! is =omei h'ti" fishy about J his all right.'

"'l'iii l mate of l.ho J.-aurol asked Mortimer whether he had a chronomelev on board, and Ills reply, which wa,s received with shrieks of laughter, was, 1 Xo; but wo have an ci«hl-day r-locl; which does not, lose a minute a week.' He produced ihe timepiece as evidence.

"On Ihe following morning the two men, at the invitation of Captain Malcolm, breakfasted on bo-yd the Laurel, and Ihe conversation naturally was confined lo the wreck. Mortimer teld the captain that, the schooner had originally been named the Pue'.ehe, of Valparaiso; that he had taught her from Mr I -shley. of that, port, and that he proposed to christen her the Whit" Rose. Captain Malcolm, lo whom 7 had related the conversation of t'v previous dav, winked at m» across ihe breakfast tr.ble.

"WltPTj f!m Laurol jirriveil ul Tiiriwn oniric time aftev.wcirds vso honr-A from Vr MurdoHi, tho A-si4.wt Rf<:(]«nt British in the (Jiltari (troiio. <ha.t Mnrtim?r had planned in lruirdov f-ho captain and smwrarjo of Burin. Pliilp. n.ul Co.'s schooner Louise .T. Tvennv. and lo «oiw> tho vessel. The native inagfrtMle at the Apanmnw Lagoon became vetv s;ispieious concerning Mortimer unci Iris comrade, and. unknown to tliem, nrromwd with Captain Ikiullov, master of tl:-> Louise J. Kenny, io convoy fneni I'o Tsi'iiw'j. 1 1,ri of frovcrnment. The mon wi? dferoiT a WW as a. favour, and accepted. "During the voyage Mortimer (old his comrade that ho had planned to seize lliat •hip ill place of the one lie luid lost, and threatened .TMeon tint if 110 exposed his hand he wouM mnvdei- him. THE CONFESSION. :l .Tack-scn, who turned evidence in exposing hi; shipmate, said that Ihore was _ a t . rw 0 f fo,, r all Io UK inchulimr Ihn eapiain, mate. Morlimf-r. and himself, who was cmraired a' cabin boy. It was anparont that Morlimer had ' previously manned lo tab the ship, for th»v had not' been at ten manr liour-i before lie made a nloodthirsty _ attack on Ihe mate. The mate ns . attending (o tannic portion of Ihe i'i?ginfi\ when I lie ccok. who had spem-od a tomahawk, crept up behind liini and aimed a blow at lii? head. At thai inslnnt the mate moved, and in.;!,'ad of Idllin" him as was intended, the blad.? struck 'his arm, i'aii.'iiit» a sever* wound. The linte then grappled with his a-ailant. and ntlempM lo wrench (lie tomahawk from hi- gras,,. Mortimer, liou-ever. is a powerful man, and the, male was flatly hamlieami.-.d with "IS ; injured arm. After „ d-spar.ile ~lrtiifsrle. If »i;- somo ,pinnies, he found he was •■Hi." o overpower h : s anla-onist. and made a da-h ,or lh" Mortimer was taken cmcK by il m mOVt , ;|lu] j| |( , |-|~,;.i ivp rn !U ,i.cd he nirjjinir hsfo:-e he was awa''p of hit; in•en ion. MorSmcr .vain riuli«! at him and iw-U rfislicj at him villi the lomaImv.-. ,ml !!,« ; , n i P hy , i|m; , , rpnf-ioiJ a ~1; 1C1. 0 f c , | r„ jv "Tho .'onwnolion brought Ihe en,.lain on he rr„M arm himself. however. Mnri.nior spi.-d him. an,!, leaving Ihe 'r r- ri,, !- r - •»>'»(,i 1,;, ill lent ion o the rantdn. Hn' r ,-p fa)) . r<- aiivlhino; with Whieh ln ■ kpep'f ~, ~ siwfe on |lp , lwd i..t,i thnli.n;?lnwk. anrl -<~i :Jo ro ,j ihe' : \i n""7 1,5,1 pf >-"ip. ir« burned to his bunk and soured , riiK „hich 1,. . Prm „,,_ After drbberalelv loading it he pointed it ; f i 'l'rwtw»,l lo .Vol him 'f he d.<l not junv. overboard. The mate alleiiint?d to ,-wi.V Ihe now infuriated "'an. but. without effect. nn d af|"r oi'suiiH' for some m.nulrs he iook a he.-der from 'ho r>««m inlo Ihe sea. Jle was .ren to r«e io In-! surface and swim toward? th» sliore. h-.il a fow mmul<ps later he disappeared. and was apparently drownivl. Bv his time the captain, who ], a ,l lain where •ie was strurk down, had reeovered cnn . sviousness and Mortimer jravo him ihe out,on of heme shot or .jumping overboard. He enosc the laftor rom-se, and iin-mrdiatelv 'fapt over the rail. _ To„n B Jackson, who had h-VMi „„ eyc--, V itness 0 f th c torriWe deed, took no pari in il. and when tj.o cap!ain junined overboard ho thr"w him a plank. Ho was unub!? to sav wheih«r Ihe caplaiu was abl« ( 0 snetirn the ola.»k. but. was strons-ly of tbe opinion that lie did not ?"e it and was drowned. The v«<*?| was then 14 miles off ihe roast. Mortimer mad" .tnekson or Skerrilt promisp lo staml by him and assist him to navisrate flin vessel. was nfrnid ihat he mitrht meet the fate of liis shipmates if he refused, so lie at once fell in with the plans of his companion. Tho cn'-s;o of coke was and the nime of the was then erased. Th" mai\ said li° intended to (nil her the White Tto?e and sail for Aus'-alia. w-liore he would dispose of her. -The perilous voyace was then commenced. Neither man knew much about nnviqation, jnd (hoy always sailed with tho wind."