Tragedy on the High Sea?

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7066, 27 July 1901, Page 4

Tragedy on the High Sea?

CHINESE COOK SHOOTS MATE

AND SELF.

Honolulu, June 5

News of a most shocking tragedy on the high seas was brought to this port on June 2nd by the four-masted schooner J. A. Campbell, thirty-one days from Port Blakely. The affair occurred on the Campbell shortly after she sailed for this port, the first-mate being killed by the Chinese cook. The murderer . barricaded himself in the galley, and held the crew at bay for nearly twelve hours. When a flood of steam was turned into his fortress to drive him out, the Chinese placed the muzzle of a revolver to his right temple and took his own life. The Campbell left port Blakeley on May 2nd with a big cargo of lumber for this port. In addition to her master, Captain Andrew E. Smith, her crew consisted of mate,.Adam Huber; second mate, William Mannng, ten able seamen, Ah Kee, a Chinese cook, and the ! captain's wife.

There had been bad blood between the mate and the cook for some time, and on May 9th the final quarrel between Ah Kee and Huber occurred. The mate had accused the Chinese of losing a bucket overboard. Although the cook was innocent of the . act Huber continued to abuse him, and about seven o'clock In the evening Huber remarked to Manning, who was on deck with him, that he was going "to do up the Chinese." Manning followed to see the outcome. The mate disappeared down a narrow passage between piles of lumber to the galley. Manning heard loud words, and in a moment Huber reappeared, closely followed by the Chinese, The cook fired two shots from a revolver, the second of which penetrated the mate's lung and lodged near the heart, causing death in a very few minutes. The cook then retreated to the galley, and refused to surrender himself, despite the captain's assurances of protection. Finally a watch was placed over the entrance to the galley and the cook left unmolested. The captain was unwilling to use' harsh measures with the Chinese, who had always been peaceful up to this time, and gave orders not to shoot unless absolutely necessary. The cook was seen once about three o'clock in the morning, but not captured. Then a new danger was thought of. Inside the galley was a quantity of coal oil and oakum, and Captain Smith feared the desperate Chinese might set fire to the vessel. Flames would have made short work of the schooner, laden with lumber, and her crew. Preparations were made to extinguish a possible fire.

But the captain decided chat it would be folly, in the light of the new danger, not to get the cook into custody as . soon as possible. It would be suicide to attempt to enter the galley, so steam was resorted to.

A fire was built under the boiler of the donkey engine, and' soon a steam of hot,- spluttering steam was turned into the galley. When this had been continued until it was evident that the Chinese, who had refused to be driven out, must be either dead or very near it, the steam was shut off and an investigation made. The body of the cook was found, almost parboiled, with a hole in the right temple, and a revolver clenched in his hand. Soon after the steam had been turned on a muffled report had been heard, but not thought much about at the time. The Chinese had evidently taken his life at that moment.

Both bodies were buried at sea on the morning of the 10th. Huber was about thirty-eight years of age, and a native of Bremen.

Captain Smith and his wife are well known in San Francisco. His father and brother were lost about two years ago in the wreck of the barque Edward F. Manson off the coast of Australia.