REIGN OF TERROR IN MID OCEAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 15, 17 January 1914, Page 17

REIGN OF TERROR IN MID OCEAN.

H yirUTIKEERS ABMED WITH HEVOLVERS. j -mid scenes on board a sailing ship In | Bid-ocean were described on the arrival at , Itatirk of the three-masted ship Gers .tit-two of her crew in irons on a charge of anUiiy-iuid attempted murder. . The Gers was two days out from Iqulque wta two South American sailors, named Ctegorio and Letuizan, refused to do ans ■;-wort. They produced daggers and revolvers

I! arid retired to the stern of the ship, declari its that they would kill anyone who ' ipproached them. j*. The captain, Samuel Merlin, fearing that I i there wonld be bloodshed if they tried to jr.; aptore them, let them alone, and sup- •*' [lted'them with food.

Towards the end of October the muti«°*s invited other sailors to join them. Re captain therefore ordered them to give t) their arms, and. as they refused, be . fad they would be given no more food. The two South Americans threatened to Order the captain If he dared to give such •"..order, and from that moment they dettaed open war. A veritable reign of terror . ***an on board. Tie two men never slept at the same ■to, one of them always remaining on the I'- '■«""_." They erected a substantial barriI.• "-ate of barrels and other materials, colI : toted a store of food, and for a time stood I J'siege, occasionally firing their revolvers \ ( iOhe direction of the captain's cabin. ' Alter consultation with his officers the "■pliln decided to make a determined . dort to capture the mutineers. The crew . TOB assembled and told to creep up to the "ttks swept by the mutineers' pistols, and litlst'some of them crawled along on their ' . ">msts and got under cover of the barri- !. ait, others were to cover them with their .fearms. One of the mutineers was on the watch, m",'calling to his companion, fired his I Wver. At the same time he shouted ttifif-"the sailors advanced to attack they -odd set fire to the ship, and to show : flu meant what they said, he set light to - tu* straw. I" After approaching near enough the crew rate a simultaneous rush, and sprang ] m the barricade. Tbe two mutineers, • Mgim: the sailors, sprang into the rig- ; ffl'.Trbe sailors rushed after them, and : fet when they were about to lay hold oi tk two fugitives they jumped overboard. | Boats were lowered, and the two south ;; Wicans' were captured and put into