Murdered Captain's Son.

Bush Advocate, Volume XVI, Issue 582, 5 December 1904, Page 5

Murdered Captain's Son.

Joseph Smith, -the son of the blaster of the Crane, was almost overcome with emotion in telling his story to a Central News representative :-*-. "I wantNto efface the recollectioi of that night from my memory," be said. "It is. an* experience I would not go through again for worlds, and tbis was only my first voyage, too. The first intimation I had that we were- being fired into was when I heard the shot coming into the ship. I was asleep in my bunk in the forecastle at the time, but I immediately dressed- and ran on deck. And what a horrible sight I saw there ! Lying right up; against the winch was fbe' body pf my poor father. His head bad almost been completely, blown away, and I nearly fainted at tbe sight, v Then I could, see several other members of the crew lying about in various parts of the ship, and I thought at first they had all suffered the same fate! As soon' as I discovered what had happened I ran to the mate, whom I could- see aft, and between us we hoisted a red light as a -signal of distress to the rest of the' fleet. ? v.

"My only anxiety was to get off the horrible ship. The crew had been put for five weeks, and we were to return next Saturday. Consequently we were very light in the water, having burned up nearly all our coal. That is why,;l suppose, we, got so many of the shells.Fortunately *our - v . signals , .were noticed, arid the* imMediat'^ launched a boat arid" took J us ofE.y 'With; so many men disabled it Would have been impossible for us to have launched our own boat, the gear of which had been damaged by the fire. We were quickly rowed on board-,;and I waSf so ovetconie by thQ sight of my poor father that I cari scarcely remember anything more until we reached Hull. We had had an exceptionally fine.^tirip, arid my father would have niade a lot of money out of it., : '. My fath«ibad four sons. X being the eldest, and only sixteen. My father bad ' been : eigbt > years 'iri" his euployment. ..... I do not,. .know what my poor mother Vill v d<>ne^;."