The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-02 00:00:00

TSB EMIGRANT SHIP CHARLES CROKER.

SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST THE CAPTAIN
AND CHIEF MATE.
On Saturday last, Captain de Conroy, Government Emigration
Agent at Belfast, appeared before the magistrates there, to pre-
fer a number of charges founded on complaints made to him
by several passengers, against Captain Delano, and the chief
mate of the emigrant ship Charles Croker, which sailed from
this port for on the 20th ult., and was obliged to
put into Belfast, on the following Monday, through stress of
weather. _ _
' •

Mr. Johnston appeared on behalf of the complainants,
and Mr. Henry Seeds on behalf of the captain and mate of

the vessel.
Mr. Johnston said that the passengers, in the first place,
complained that they had not been allowed sufficient accom-
modation in the vessel, that the provisions served out were
neither in quantity or in quality, as the Act of Parliament
prescribed, that the chief mate who was often drunk,
treated the passengers improperly, and that the captain was
charged indirectly for having been so remiss in his duty as
to allow such proceeding on board his vessel. Mr, John-
ston subsequently read the surveyor's report regarding the
nrIPR nrnkor Tt was Ricrnevi tk wentfor Lloyd's
and two other competent surveyors. e repurt stated tho
Char:es Croker, if supplied with some rigging and other
gear, which had been injured during the storm which she
had experienced after she left Liverpool, was perfectly sea.
worthy, and that, during the two or three hours in whicl,
they were engaged in making the examination, the vessel
only made three quarters of an inch of water.
Adolphi Holbein,_a respectable German, then made a
statement through Mr. Heyn, Prussian consul, who acted
as interpreter. He said that when he got into his berth to
lie down, it broke, and he fell on the person lying below
The carpenter repaired the berth and witness paid him for
it. He was obliged to pay ten shillings for his cooking
which the cook wanted in hand. Saw the first mate drunk
several times. _ _ _ _

Cross-examined : It was to the captain's cook to whom I
was to pay the ten shillings. There is only one cookhouse,
to which we had access. I asked salt, when in Liverpool,
but didn't get it. As far as I know, none of the passengers
got any salt, I had to buy salt myself in Liverpool.
Captain de Coma said he had examined the ship and con-
sidered her quite seaworthy. He had also examined the
provisions on board, and found them to be of a suspicious
character.
Robert Wilson said he engaged a berth for himself, his
wife, and two sons, which was only two feet two inches
broad, He was promised another when he took his passage
but did not get it. I was obliged to lie on a box. I at-
tempted to get access to the captain, but the mate pre-
vented me. I got no provisions after I left Liverpool, until
the day before we came into the Belfast Lough, when I got.
about 301bs. of bread, flour, and other articles. I had to
pay one of the cooks, the first day, a shilling for boiling

some water for me.
Peter Tanis, examined—l did not get all the provisions I
was entitled to, and I received no salt. I went on board on
Tuesday. The first time I got water was on Friday. The
mate told me I would have water to the mast head before long.
I asked the captain for fresh water, and he told me to go
alongside, and draw a bucket of salt water, for it was good
enough. I saw the mate intoxicated on the Friday morning.
I have been at sea before, and never saw any one so reckless
of life as the mate was. I saw the passengers giving money
and spirits to the cooks for cooking their food. When I
wanted water, 1 first went to the man whose duty it was to
serve out the water, and he told me to go to the steward, the
steward told DO to go to the mate, and the mate told me to go
to the captain, who, in his turn, told me to go and draw a
bucket of salt water.
Charles Fonsi (a German,) examined—l have a complaint
against the first mate. I was in my berth when the mate
came and pulled me out, to make room for two females. The
femal s came on board after I came. There were two young
men and myself, besides two young women, in the same berth,
previously. (Laughter.) The mate caught me by the breast,
Ind attempted to throw me out of my berth. The berth was
divided into two compartments. The mate wanted to force the
young women into the berth, in order that Nye might divide
them among us as we could. I received neither salt nor water
on board. I applied, and they refused to give me any, though
I had a vessel with me for it. They told me the vessel was
too small. I gave ten shillings to the cook of the cabin, for his
trouble for getting my provisions cooked iluring the voyage.
I could not get near the other cook house, as it was always
crowded.
To Mr. SEEDS—The captain's cook demanded the ten
shillings from me.
Mr. JOHNSTON then called the attention of the bench to
the Act of Parliament, requiring that water and the necessary
provisions should be eerved out each day.
Captain Delano, examined--I am captain of the Charles
a
Croker. I left Liverpool on Thursday the 21st, and the pilot
left us on Friday morning. The storm came on then, nd it
was not until after two o'clock that day before I got any food.
There were 22 hands on board, all of whom were fully done
up before we came into the lough of Belfast. I never saw the
mate drunk, though he has sailed with me on several voyages.
I have known him to he very attentive to passengers, and I
never knew him to conduct himself improperly. It was not
strictly necessary for the safety of the ship that Nye should
come into Belfast. We had the necessary quantity of water.
The biscuit which Captain de Courcy tasted 'was the same as
supplied to all the passengers. I have been in command of
the ship for seven mouths. So far do I think that th vessel
is not unseaworthy,that I have my own wife on boaerd with
me. I know that Dr. Moore also tasted the water and the
biscuit on board. I have been 20 years at sea, and I never
was in a vessel that I considered stronger than the Charles
Croker. She is now laden with 1,100 or 1,200 tons ; but
last winter, she brought from Now Yorkcargo of 1,400 tons

of iron,
Another of the passengers, an Irish woman, named Mary
Clarke, made a voluntary statement to the effect, that in
her opinion the captain and sailors did all they could far the
passengers. She caused much amusement in court by the
manner in which she gave her evidence.
Mr. Tracy (one of the magistrates), said that it was unnec-
essary to proceed further with witnesses. The bench were of
opinion that the charges had not been substantiated. It was
necessary, however, after the complaints had been made, that
there should be a public investigation.
Mr. Hun agreed with the bench that the charges were not
subs6.ntiated, and said he had done nothing more than his
duty as Pruisian Vke-Conkiul in seeing that the complaints of
the Gertuau emigrants should in fully investigated.