SCUTTLING OF A BARQUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9307, 9 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

SCUTTLING OF A BARQUE.

A ROMANTIC AND DRAMATIC STORY. fCrts story of tho sea unfolded ab the Glasgow High Court lately had an air of romanticism about ib recalling the yarns told round the galley fire. The Gylfe, a barque of 900 tons, with a cargo of timber, left Quebec in July, bound for Port Glasgow, and four or five days after leaving the port she began to leak, although pronounced seaworthy before starting. A fierce gale was blowing, and when the master, Captain Tait, examined the hold found that there were ten feet of water in it. The Gylfe was taken to St. John's, where she was beached and caulked, and the crew discharged. The barque was surveyed before leaving St. John's, and some of the old hands were re-engaged. .Louis Le Bourdais, a Frenchman, was appointed master, and his brother Joseph first mate. Immediately after leaving St. John's, the Gylfe began again to leak, and on the 17th o'f Aueust there was an entry in the log book that there were 6ft sin of water uT the hold. The master became alarmed, and swore that ho would leave the old ship as soon as they got clear of the banks. The boats were got ready, and on the ISth Robinson, the second mate, ■was asked by the captain to bore a hole in the bow port of the ship to make her leak. They were, he said, then right on the track of steamers, and as soon as the Gvlfe filled they would abandon her. The second mate wanted to know why they were to quit the barque, because there was nothing particularly alarming in her condition ■ but the master made no reply. The second mate said that he would not bore the hole, but suggested that the master's brother, who was a carpenter, should undertake tho job. The brother consented, and the master went and sharpened the augur. Joseph went below and began boring the hole, and Robinson asked what he was doing, and the mate replied that he was making a hole at the reouest of the master. The wood, he said, was very hard, and he was making little pro«Tes3- In about half-an-hour Joseph came on" deck, and reported to the master that he had finished the job, and the master said, "That's all right." It is important to note that it was shown in the evidence that prior to the boring of the hole the barque had been pumped dry. The water came into the vessel rapidly, and the master told the men not to kill themselves at the pumps. He also gave instructions to the steward to give the crew plenty to eat, as they were going to abandon the ship. On the 20th August the steamer Persian Monarch was sighted and signals, of distress were displayed by the Gylfe. The Persian Monarch came towards the Gylfe, and the master sent the boatswain and six of the crew to ask the captain of the steamer if he would lend a few hands and some provisions. While the boat was away, Robinson, the first mate, and several of the crew received instructions from the master to batter the bow ports out. They, however, did not. want to knock the ports out, and reported to the captain that they could not carry out his instructions. "if you had," said the captain, "struck the blows straight, you would have succeeded." A messenger Chirac from the Persian Monarch requesting that Captain Bourdais should see the master of the steamer, and when he returned ho told the crew that they would throw their deck load overboard, and if they did not do that they would leave the Gylfe when another steamer turned up. The crew then protested, and said they knew all about the attempts to scuttle the barque, and would not remain longer on board. If they did so it was at the risk of their lives. Captain Bourdais then said, " Well we will leave her here, but go forward and see if you can knock the ports out.' . They again signalled the Persian Monarch, which was at this time at least three miles distant, and the steamer returned. The captain then ordered his brother Joseph to bore another hole in she hold. Joseph descended, bat shortly afterwards came on deck and said that ;he bit was not big enough. A barrel of kerosene, at the request of the master, was broken and spread all over the cj-bin and. other parts of the vesaeL She moat;, be said, before being abandoned, be 3eG fire to. The captain and seven or eight of the sailors then wen c in a boat; to the Persian Monarch, and Robinson, the second mate, and Joseph, and a ho&Crrwain remained to Co in the next boat. Some of the crew of the Persian Monarch came on board and were shown over the cabin. Then asked who had pas th* oil over the cabin, and they were sold that it was done by the order:-; of Captain Bonrdais. The captain of the Parian Monarch sounded the hold »nd tnnnf] 11 fe&6 4 inches of water. The boatswain (>i the Monarch thought the Gylfe conkl he treated a little longer, and Robinson, the mate, thinking they were to take pca*Bß*»on determined to stick by her. They tried to tako Robinson away, but he drew a revolver and threatened to shoot dead the first man who attempted to remove him. Robinson was then left alone on the Gylfe, and 'the captain and the crew had gone on board the Persian Monarch. Robinson squared the mainyard, he said, and, as he put it "went away for this country." He had only proceeded about a mile or so, when he saw Captain Bourdias signal to him from the deck of the Persian Monarch to pub the helm down. He did so, and the captain and the first mate came back to the ship in a small boat. They tried to induce Robinson to quit the vessel that evening, but he refused, and the following day another vessel was sighted. The three men—the captain, his brother, and Robinson the second mate—stuck to the vessel and brought her to Queenstown. From there she was towed to Greenock. On reaching here, the authorities received information of what had occurred on the voyage. Surveys of the vessels were made, from which it was ascertained that the reported attempt to scuttle the barque was true. The master and the first and second mates were apprehended. Robinson was arrested at Calais and brought back under the extradition warrant. He afterwards turned informer, and the Crown authorities put him in the witness-box, where he revealed the singular story above narrated. In all essential details his evidence given before the Lord Justice-Clerk and a jury at the Glasgow High Court has been corroborated by other witnesses. Louis Bourdais, is a man 34 years of age, and is a native of Quebec, being of French extraction, although a British colonial subject. For so young a man he was decidedly older in appearance than might have been expected for his years. He was tall and slightly round - shouldered, wore Dundreary •whiskers, and in the dock his expression during the trail betrayed deep anxiety. His brother Joseph, 20 years of age, while not without seafaring experience, had never before taken rank as a ship's officer, and, indeed, held no certificate qualifying " him for such a post. Robinson, whose dramatic part in the adventure was the central feature of interest in the trial, is a middle-aged man, and seems to have led e strange go-a-head career, gave his evidence with great coolness, but, under the search

ing cross-examination of Mr. Comrie Thom son, he contradicted his own story or several important points. It was evident therefore, that all his statements were not to be implicity relied upon, and in summinr np the case the judge very properly ad vised the jury to accept only such portion! of his testimony as had been corroborated Mr. Comrie Thomson made a brilliam defence for the unfortunate skipper anc his mate, contending that they had boor made the dupes of Robinson, who wished he said, to make capital out of the salvag< of the ship. He led the prisoners t< believe up to the last moment that h< would abandon the ship along with them but at the critical point when all but him self had gone he drew a revolver, and, lik< a hero or a blackguard, threatened to shooi anyone who would attempt to force hin away. Both Captain Bourdais and hi: brother Joseph were convicted by the jury and a sentence of ten years' penal servitudi was passed on each of them.