DISAPPEARED AT SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 230, 27 September 1911, Page 9

DISAPPEARED AT SEA.

MURDER CHARGE.

A couple of trips ago the Aorangi, on arrival at Wellington from Sydney, en route to San Francisco, brought a prisoner, C. Smith, second mate of the barquentine Makawcli, in custody of a U.S.A. police officer, on his way to San Francisco on a,-charge of murder on the high seas. The Japanese steward of the Makaweli disappeared at sea. Smith was interviewed by a "Times" representative at Wellington and stated his innocence of the crime. The San Francisco "Call" of August 13th says: — Mystery surrounds the disappearance and probable slaying of cabin boy K. Inabi, a Japanese, on the barquentine Makaweli, Apnil 9th, when the ship was on its voyage between Africa and Australia. This mystery may result in the acquittal of Charles T. Smi th, second mate of the vessel, who was placed in irons the day of the disappearance by Capt. Thomas Neilson upon the petition of the crew, and whose preliminary trial was begun at San Francisco yesterday (August 12th) before United States' Commissioner Francis Krull. . Seven witnesses examined said that Smith was at the wheel at 4.45 o'clock the morning of April flth, when the cook, jC. Mano, sent inabi with coffee for Smith. Ten minutes later Smith marie his appearance in the galley, asking why his coffee had not been sent to him. Mano told him Inabi had taken it. BLOOD FOUND ON DECK. Smith notified three other men on the ship, who were on watch, of the disappearance of the Japanese, and reported the matter to Capt. Neilson and his wife. Both of the latter came on deck' and Mrs Neilson saw Smith sweeping the deck hear the stern. When the searching crew came to this spot they found blood in the seams of the deck, along the rail and down the outside of the vessel They also found coffee grains scattered about, apparently out of the pot carried by Inabi. The crew petitioned the captain that afternoon to put Smith in irons, as they were suspicious that he bad killed Inaibii. No blood stains were found on Smith's clothes. WANTS CASE DISMISSED. The witness testified that Inabi had acted queerly after the ship left the African coast, and had threatened to shoot Smith and to kill Mano, the cook, by ■stabbing him. Attorney Frank Duryea, representing Smith, moved that his client be released, as no killing bad been proved, and that if there had been, any of the other three men on desk at the time could be considered as responsible as Smith. Commissioner Krull has taken the caso under consideration.