Captain James Riach Longmuir was the husband of Helen Ord and master of the clipper Rifleman sometime before 1867 until his death in 1872. On the 28th of December 1872 the Rifleman left London for Australia. Captain Longmuir had expected the steward of the previous voyage to return with him, but was disappointed, and almost at the last moment reluctantly, we believe, engaged a German, of whose antecedents he had no means of obtaining information. The new Steward of the vessel signed his name as William Krauss, he was also known as William Cross.
The sworn detailed account, as set forth in the ship's log, is substantially as follows: - On March 16, in lat.31.35 south, long. 34 west., the chief officer, Mr Morgan, had the middle watch, and about 4:30 am the steward brought him a cup of coffee, which he drank, and then walking aft to the compass was told by the helmsman that the crew thought something had been wrong with their grog, as all hands had been vomitting the day before.
Mr Morgan had been thinking over the matter, when the steward came on deck and said that Captain Longmuir wanted him. He, of course, went below, the steward following.