A FATAL QUARREL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4407, 13 July 1901, Page 6

A FATAL QUARREL.

The German steel steamship Asia, which berthed at the Victoria Dock, West Melbourne the other day. on arrival from New York, was tho scene of a terrible crime. A quarrel took place between two of tho crew (firemen) named Charles Howe, a native of Bavaria, and William Nicholas Scheucr, which culminated in the death of the former, who was shot down on the deck by Scheuer with a revolver. Howe had been on. leave for a few hours, and, according to Seneuer, returned drunk at about 1.30 a.m., and began to abuse him and to rake up an affair which had been a subject of discord between them for a considerable time. He became very violent in the forecastle, and began fighting. Seeing that there was going to bo trouble, as both men had revolvers, some of the men roused Captain Seyelken, who went on deck, and, proceeding to the forecastle, seized! Howe, who wap a strong man, in order to prevent him doing any injury to Scheuer, who is small, and would have had no chance in; a struggle with him. How© struck, Scheuer with his hand, and the latter then raised the revolver he had in his hand and fired a shot into Howe’s body, the bullet entering the stomach. Howe fell to the deck, exclaiming, “Captain, I’m shot,” and Mr Madstedt (chief engineer), who was standing by, seized Scheuer and, disarming him, discharged the other five chambers of the revolver. Seeing that Howe was sinking fact, the chief officer, Mr Tyedmers, went to the West Melbourne police station and reported the occurrence at 2.50 a.m. Constable Eville at once proceeded to the ship, and had the wounded man taken to the Melbourne Hospital, where ho died soon after being admitted. The constable arrested Scheuer on a charge of wilful murder. Prisoner stated that Howe first pointed a revolver at him, and that it was not until then that ho fired the fatal shot. The weapon which diseased had in his possession was,- however, found to h© unloaded. When asked by the captain why he had shot How e he said, “It was to gave you, captain,"’