MUTINY ON A BRITISH SHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 145, 19 June 1895, Page 2

MUTINY ON A BRITISH SHIP.

►_ — ONE MAN SHOT DEAD BY THE i CAPTAIN.

San Francisco, May 7. Nkws is brought by tbe steamer Gaelic< that arrived lasb nighb from bho Orient' that a mutiny broke oub on board the British barque Launberga on March 24th laeb. One of the vessel's crew, Patrick Kelly, an Irishman by birth and atnaturulised citizen of the United States, was ahot dead by the captain. Tho skipper was stabbed three times and all but murdered, and one of bhe ship's mates was cut terribly and badly clubbed by the mutineers. The Launberga was anchored near Lloilo settlement, several hundred miles from Hongkong. She was on her way to that porb, and listed for a Pacific Coußb voyage from China,

The Launberga'e crew had been giving the officera a great deal of troublo. Thoy were mutinous from the time the vossel lefb tho old country. Some of the men refused to work, and had to be placed in irons.

On tho nighb of March 3rd, a number of men were permibted to go ashore and it ia thoughb thab they must have purchased a lob of li-quor and amuggled ib on board the ship. On the morning of the 4th a few of the Bailors appeared to be in a state of intoxication, and the captain gave orders to hia mates to search the forecastle for liquor. This waa done, and aoverul bottles of Chinese gin were seized and cast overboard. Toward evening five seamen named A. Sebum. r», George Brown, Patrick Kolly, JV. Gov 'w-ki and J. S. Land, con--Bitibubinfe a committee of' kickers,' carno to the after-cabin door and asked for tho skipper. The captain and his second officer roßponded. One of bhe men said : ' We wanb permission to go ashore, and if you dou't let us go there will bo trouble.' 'Go back to your quarters,' replied bhe captain, ' or I will place you all in irons.' While the parleying was going on Kelly slipped up boside tho captain and stood watching him. The sailor kept his right hand on the handle of his knifo.

The captain stepped forward one step and gave Sailor Brown a push, telling him to go forward at the samoitime.

•Give it bo him, Tab,'.said Brown to Kelly, and the latter, drawing his knife with a rapid movement, stabbed at the captain three times. One blow atruck the officer on the shoulder, another on the side andanothor on bhe arm. He tripped and fell to the deck.

All the sailors drew their knives and commenced cutting and slashing right and left. The second mate waa floored and a blow delivered on his head caused him to bleed badly. The captain thought thab his aid had been done for, and as Kelly was on top of him, And about to attempt to stick his knifo into his prostrate victim, the captain pulled his revolver and fired poinb blank ab*the sailor's head. Kelly fell dead, the shot having penetrated hia brain.

The aecond officer in the meanwhile had been fighting like a tiger. Ho was cut in a dozen places, bub he managed to draw hia pistol and Bhoob Brown through the righb Ehoulder and aeverely wound Land. The first and third officers and two middies rushed into the fight at this juncture and beat bhe Bailors back into bhe forecastle. Then they stood guard wibh loaded revolvers until signals with shore brought off bwo boatloads of native soldiers and a launch from an English gunboat.

The mutineers were ironed and taken to Manilla on a British steamer, whence they will be shipped to London for trial, Kelly's body waa buried at sea.