AN OCEAN HORROB.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 22, 26 July 1881, Page 2

AN OCEAN HORROB.

A FRENZIED CHINESE COOK. THE CAPTAIN KILLED AND THE SHIP BLOWN UP. [vbom odb own correspondent.] Auckland, This Dat. Details are to hand of tho murder «f Captain Hornsby, of tho ill-fated Eustace, and the dest' notion of that schooner. The facts of the tragedy,- as related by tho mate, are as follows : — On the morninjjr of tho 13th June, while midway between Capo belucas and if azatlan, the Chinese cook, Tom Hay, began to act in an eccentric manner, exhibiting signs of insanity, and laboring under the impression that someone was going to take his life. A3 he was not violent he was allowed to remain at large. After staying in his quarters from 9 a.m till 2 p.m., ho went to work apparently all right. A little after 7 p.m. he went below, and was supposed to retire to rest at 8 o'clook. While conversing with the mate, the captain remarked that he would go below and light a cigar. Almost immediately he returned with a ory of pain, and, holding his hands over hia abdomen, called out, " Catoh him, catch him!" The mate rushed aft, and met the captain at the cabin-door, when the latter criod, " Pull this knife out," and the mate then saw a murderous-looking butcher's knife protruding from the captain's stomach. Ho tried to pull it out, but was unable to do so ; with tho assistance of the man at the wheel, however, ho afterwards succeeded, and tho oiptain, giving two or three gasps, fell back and expired, to the horror and consternation of the crew. Tho man at the wheel taw tho insano murderer rush to a locker in the oabin, in whioh tho axes and weapons of the ship wore kept, and blow out the cabin light. The men wero called aft, and laid the captain's body on tho quarfcar-deck, and covered it up. The oabin door was then closed the men all going forward except the mat", who romainod at the wheel, armed with a belaying-pin Shortly afterwards the cook camo to tho door, but the mato prevented .him from coming out, and again called the orow alt. As the cook declined to come out, the door was again closed and made fast, as the >orew wero afraid of the cook as all tho firearms wore in the cabin. _ As foon as the men had gone forward again, the cook oame to ths door and told the mate that if he molested him ho would kill him and then firo the ship. As there were 2000 kegs of powder on board, the men were afraid of this, and desired to leave the ship immediately. The mato dissuaded them, but had a boat prepared with water and provisions. Nothing of moment transpired until the next day, when tho cook offered to pass out to tho men any provision they might require, but tho offer was declined. About 2 p.m. an alarm of fire was given, and smoko was seen proceeding from the oabin skylight. Tho long-boat was immediately launched, bat was capsized, and tho crow went into a small boat as fast as possible In ten minutes the lee-side of the quarter-dook was in a Bheet of flame, and in five or ten minutes more a torrific explosion took place. This was followed in a fow seconds by a second explosion. The mate and orew then pullod for shore, and made land about fifty miles north of Mazatlam. Hero they wore well cared for by a wealthy Spaniard, and sent to Lota.