--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1840 to 1841. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 2 number: 17 published: 1841-07-01 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Shocking and Atrocious Occurrence,” *Times and Seasons* 2, no. 17 (July 1, 1841): 468–469." printed_title: Shocking and Atrocious Occurrence. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-07-01_2_17 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v2n17.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-07-01_2_17 start_page: 468 end_page: 469 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1841 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-07-01_2_17 publication_year: 1841 --- # Shocking and Atrocious Occurrence The entire community was yesterday morning thrown into the utmost consternation, by the reappearance at the Levee, of the ship Charles of Bath, Me., Captain Gorham, which left this city for Bordeaux, on the evening of the 1st June, with a cargo of 65,000 staves, 70,000 feet of lumber, a lot of heading and wheelspokes. She was brought back to the city by the towboat Tiger. We have made careful enquiries [inquiries] into all the circumstances connected with the horrid business which we are about to relate, and the following details may, we think, be relied upon. The Charles cleared on Tuesday last, 1st int., and went down to the Balize the same evening, crossing the bar, and getting well into the Gulf on the morning following. During the whole of Wednesday and Thursday, the Charles as well as the Louis Quatorze, which went out at the same time, was distinctly visible from the Balize, the weather being rather calm; though it was observed that the Charles steered to the west, while the Louis Quatorze headed to the east of S. W. Pass. On Friday morning at an early hour, the Captain of the towboat Tiger noticed a vessel apparently steering for the South West Pass, and looking at the distance, as if her studding sails were set.-Presuming that the vessel was in want of steam, he directed the Tiger towards her. On nearing her he discovered that it was the ship Charles. She was in the following condition: Nearly all her sails were set, and the jib which was flying loose, appeared to have been cut, probably to make an awning for one of the boats. Not a solitary living being was on board. On descending into the cabin, several bottles which contained porter, and had had their necks knocked off, were found on the table; some of their contents had been spilled, and the froth looked quite fresh. Every particle of luggage had disappeared. Not a trunk, nor a bedstead, nor an article of clothing, save an old pair of boots, was to be seen. The apparel and bedding of the capt., crew, and passengers had entirely disappeared. On examining the vessel's deck, spots of blood having the appearance of being recently shed, together with 8 or 10 handspikes, were seen on the starboard side. On the larboard was a small pool of blood running towards the scuppers, and on the same side on the outward part of the vessel, were eight stains of the sanguine fluid which had apparently flowed from some wounded person carried or forced over the ship's side. It must be borne in mind that this appalling discovery was made at an early hour in the morning-about 8 A. M. after knowing the circumstances just related, the Tiger very properly put to sea and cruised about for some five or six hours. In the course of the morning, about 10 miles distant from the Charles, a boat recognized as one attached to that vessel, and containing a dog said to belong to one of the passengers, was picked up. The dog appeared by no means exhausted, and had evidently not been long adrift, as when offered water, he did not lap very eagerly. After searching some time longer and finding nothing whatever to elucidate the mystery, Capt. Crowell returned to the Charles, took her in tow, and returned to town, where he arrived yesterday morning at 7 o'clock. It is needless to state that this singular affair has given rise to innumerable speculations. Horrid rumors of murder and piracy, mutiny and assassination, flew from mouth to mouth with incredible rapidity. The most prevalent supposition-though about as vague as others: was that the crew had risen, murdered the captain and passengers, seized the baggage and money on board and escaped in one of the boats, which is missing.-In the absence of positive information, or even plausible data, upon which to base a conclusion, we forbear indulging in conjectures which may be disproved by the earliest intelligence.