Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - Random Rants, Notes and Articles No.2 . .

1900 - Tragedy on the 'Crown of Scotland' - Deliberately Kills His Shipmate, Then Jumps Overboard and When Rescue is Near Commits Suicide - One sailor stabs his sleeping companion, then leaving his sheathknife in his victim's breast he rushes on deck and plunges over the side.

San Francisco - December 1900 - Murder, suicide and accidental death marks the voyage - ended here yesterday -  of the British ship 'Crown of Scotland' as one of the most sensational made by a wind jammer in many a year.

The 'Crown of Scotland' left Penarth (Cardiff) 138 days ago, and soon after clearing the British Channel there was some heavy weather encountered. In the Bay of Biscay Salvatore Servis fell from the fore yard in a fit and was killed. For a time the ship had hard luck, but after that all went well until latitude 14 degrees 19 minutes north, longitude 121 degrees 30 minutes west was reached. That was on November 24 at 10:30 a.m., and then occurred a tragedy that has kept the crew taking ever since. One sailor stabbed his shipmate to death and then jumped overboard. Every attempt was made to save the murderer, but he deliberately drowned himself in full view of the boat's crew that was going to his rescue.

P. A. Haglund and John Warrington were bosom friends in Liverpool, and when men were wanted for the 'Crown of Scotland' both of them shipped and went to her at Penarth. Once aboard, they got themselves in the good graces of the mate and both were put in the starboard watch. During the first part of the voyage the two men were like brothers, but off Cape Horn they began to quarrel. Off Valparaiso they came to blows, and when the coast of Central America was reached they were deadly enemies.

The starboard watch went off duty at 8 a.m. Saturday, November 24, and as soon as they reached the forecastle Warrington and Haglund began quarrelling. They separated in a few minutes and Haglund went to his bunk and fell asleep. Some time had passed when Warrington crept up to his sleeping friend and plunged his sheathknife info his breast. Haglund jumped out of his bunk, plucked the knife from his breast and fell fainting on the deck. Everything possible was done for him by Captain Jenkins, but he died a few hours later.