MUTINY AND ATTEMPT TO BURN THE SHIP CHAPMAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1089, 16 June 1865, Page 5

MUTINY AND ATTEMPT TO BURN THE SHIP CHAPMAN.

The Wellington Independent of the Bth instant gives the following particulars of the arrival of the Chapman, of a mutiny that occurred on the voyage, and of an attempt to bum the ship after her arrival:—

The ship Chapman, 750 tons, Captain Featherstonhaugh, from London, arrived in this harbor at 2.30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, after a passage of 100 days- from the Downs. The Chapman left Gravesend on Sunday the 19th February, and anchored in- the Downs on the 22nd left again on Thursday the 25th, and experienced bad weather during the run down channel, which she finally cleared on the 2nd March. In the Bay of Biscay the Chapman again fell in with a heavy gale, which lasted 12 hours, the vessel shipping a quan'ity of water. Daring this gale two cases of acid which were on deck commenced leaking-, and for the safety of the ship were thrown overboard. The line was crossed on the 29th March, in longitude 26deg west. Passed the meridian of the Cape on the 27th April in latitude 40Je<j south. On the 24th May passed between two targe icebergs. Sighted the coast of New Zealand on the 2nd inst, and arrived as above.

The Chapman brings a large and miscellaneous cargo, five saloon and four second class passengers, of which the following are the names:—Mr, Mrs, and Miss Bannatyne, Mis 3 Stable, Mr Montgomery, and Mr Joseph in the saloon; Mr and Mrs Morgan, son and daughter in the second cabin.

Captain Featherstonhangb, of the ship Chapman, which arrived on the morning of Tuesday, the 6th instant, has been suffering under the infliction of a mutinous crew, seven of whom will be- brought up before the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day, charged with embezzling cargo in addition to the above serious offence. From what we can ltarn, it appears that only a few days ere the arrival of the Chapman, the chief officer reported to Captain Featherstonhaugh that the most of the watch were drank, further stating it as his impression that they had become so by breaking into the cargo. Acting on this information, the captain sent his first officer into the hold to see if such were really the case. The mate went and reported that access had been obtained to the hold through a scuttle in the forecastle, and that some cases of liquor, particularly mentioning a brandy case, had been broken open and their contents stolen. This information was given on the Ist of this month, only two or three days previous to the arrival of the vessel, and it was impossible then to calculate the amount of the depredations. That night, as the vessel was supposed to bs near the land, Captain Featberstonhaugh was anxious to have a sharp look out kept on the forecastle, and for that purpose went forward himself about midnight to see that all was as it should be. On mounting the top-gal!ant forecastle he found nobody, and instantly called out to know whose turn of duty it was. A man named Gatacre, running out of the forecastle, replied that it was his. After enquiring his reasons for leaving his post and going below, to which no satisfactory reply was given, Captain Featheratonhaugh ordered the man aft, upon which he made use of some insulting language, and rushed back into the forecastle. The captain followed to drag him out, and then the alleged mutiny took place. No sooner had he laid hands on the refractory Gatacre, than Morton and Lawson, aided by some other of the crew, whom he was unable to recognise, rushed at him and knocking him down released their mate. Seeing that his assailants were the worse for liquor, and not knowing to what leogtln they might proceed, Captain Featherstonhaugh fired two shots from his revolver among the mutineers for the purpose of intimidating them. This had the desired effect, and he was enabled in the confusion that ensured to regain his feet, and secure the ringleaders. No one was hit, but the cowards who had attacked one man, finding him determined, and knowing him to be backed by right, fell back and allowed him to effect the purpose for which he had entered the forecastle. This instance, flagrant as it is, is not the only one in which the crew of the Chapm-m showed their mutinous spirit. They, at least part of them, had previously attacked the second mate of the ship, when in the execution of his duty as officer of the watch, he had given them some necessary order. This order they distinctly refused to obey, and increased their crime by knocking down and beating the giver of it. Captain Featherstonhaugh and his officers are worthy of all praise for the bold manner in which they enforced discipline amongot such a disorderly crew, and it is to be hoped that though' mutiny on the high seas is not now, where no loss of life has occurred, punishable by death, yet that these mutineers will be taught a lesson that they will not soon forgetYesterday, the 12th instant, the police flag vas again seen flying on board the Chapman, and the police went off. Information was then given that a man named John Phillips, an able seaman, aided by a boy named Francis Shea, an ordinary seaman, attempted to set fire to the ship. The-prisoners were brought up for examination before the Resident Magistrate, when the followiag particulars were elicited :—-

First, Captain Edward Featherstoa* baugh, the commander of the vessel, stated that about three o'clock yesiarday morning* he heard a man call out 41 fire, fire," and jumped out of his bed at once, in. order to find out the reason of the alarm-. He was told that the hold of his own ship was in flames, and at once called for assistance, and getting the "fire engine rigged, jumped down below through the forescuttle with the hose in his hand.

He found that the fire was amongst the cargo some distanae from the acuttlc, nnd was unable to penetrate far into the hold owing to the smoke. He and the mate, half choked by it, crept in, and after much labor succeeded in, the flame* under, and were thus enabled to arrive at the seat of the fire, which they found had originated amongst some broken ca»e», of

which the contents had been previouslyplundered. The fire bad evidently been smouldering long ere the flames and smoke were seen, as a large number of cases were burned, and one of the deck beams was found to be much charred.

After the debris had been cleared away, the hose was kept playing until the fire waa extinguished and the amount of damage ascertained. Up tc this time, Captain Fiatherstonhaugh, whatever were his suspicions, was unaware that the conflagration was thework of an incendiary, and it was only on. his emerging from the hold that it was made known to him that such was the case, and that the perpetrator of the deed was the seaman John Phillips. Hearing this he nt once placed him in irons, and oi> a statement made by him to the effect that ''he was not the worst, and that the boyFrancis {Shea was the principal culprit," he thought it advisable to handcuff him also.

The principal witness against the man Phillips was William Charles Russell, the survivor of the boat-sailing expedition, who stated in Court, that while he was on watch on Sunday ni^ht, he heard a voice cill out " help," upon .vhich he ran in the direction from which .the voice came, ami discovered Phillips, almost suffocated, and vainly struggling to get up the fore scuttle. When Phillips saw that assistance was at hand, he called out, "Help me out, Russell, for God's sake help me out," and renewed his efforts to extricate himself from the burnincj mass below. Russell did assist him, and on getting him into the forecastle discovered that his canvas jumper waa inflames.

The fact of the man being in the hold at night, where lie had no business, was in itself strong evidence of his guilt, but there was still other proof of it, and that was also given by Russell, who swore that during the early part of the evening he had ca'isht him sneaking down and stopped him.

This is all that is known of the dastardly attempt to set the Chapman on fire, and nothing more will be discovered until the next sitting of the Supreme Court, when John Phillips will stand his trial. Before the Resident Magistrate he made a vague and rambling statement, in no way exculpating himself, and not implicating the boy Shea, against whom there is not a tittle of evidence. Consequently the charge against the lad was dismissed, and John Phillips alone is committed to trial as the incendiary.

Captain Feathcrstonhaugh has noweight of his crew in gaol, and has lost four by the boat accident, which we record in another column, so that his ship i* left short handed, and he is put to gr^at inconvenience.

It is solely owing to the energy and activity shown by himself and hia officers, aided hy the seaman Russell, that the fine ship Chapman is not now burnt to the water's edge.