New-York tribune., 1876-07-24
ACQUlTTIYG THE sAILNG-MASTER.

hCQUlTTING TIE SAlLING-hENI-
The formal inquistion held by Coroner James
DEMPSEY at the NcwBIIghton village Han ou SATURDAY..
developed no particulars other than tnose already pu
iished Of the disaster 10 the Mohawk Tho main Vari oi
testimony presented 20 the jdry meant % deter
| mine how far the salinemas'cr, OHNcr y. Rowland,
responsible for the nps,lDg 0f the yacht, aud tie
consequent drowning OF Ar AMI Mrs Garner, Ai,s Hun
ter, Frost ThorGc and the cabin boy, Pete: Sullivan.
Tbl0ughog, the village and among New Ork and Staten
Island yacLtsmca, the opinion ha, widely prevailed ami
Ia. frequently expressed. That Rowland betrayed
degree Of ucowpcfeucy amounting 10 ciminalIiy. Tine
verdict of Tie Coroner. jury was therefore ahzIousy
awaited and unusually large number oi spectators
attended The examination Of witnesses At thccary hour
Of $50 a. N. the courtroom IN the Village Hall was
packed with eager listeners mostly yaohtmcn and sail
oIs the conversation Of those present bctrayng
feeling against Rowland Tie mate and crew 81 Ac Mo
hawk present, ranged in front Of the CorO-
ners desk, aud facing them was their CAPTAIN,
ho had been brougL; in by police sergeant previous
10 the admission Of the crowd. lie appeared quite calm
and collected though al times, ia conversation with
those near him, he showed Indignation charges
! made against him lie refused to be represented by
counsel SAYING that ne would conduct his own case. On
the arrival Of the Coroner at o'clock, tine Of The
jurymcn were called, published in TE THiEUSE, aud
they were all iound 10 De present Some Of the number
objected TO the presence Of reporters, but Coroner
Dempsey Oycrlcd the objection, Insisting that Che pro-
ceeiings should bc open to the PuoliC.
Aftc reading Ne cst!mDny taken Friday. for ths
verdict in regard to the death Of Miss Hunter the clerk
called upon the first witness The quartcrmaster Furgcs
SEN on whose affidavit the warrant for the arrest OF
Capt Rowland was Issued lie stated tia; his real
/ was 1hUrwad Furgcsscn, although he was commonly
known as Thomas Thompson. lie testified that at The
time Of The disaster The tOp,as and jibs OF the yacht
were SCI aud The main and fore sheets fat aft that when
the yacht Ecccd over, he ret 90 ne HgaHtOpsl hal
yards without orders and trying TO get at the fore
sheet when ne lost his footing aud lie then made
LIS way into tie cabin and found Mr Gamer trying 10
save Ii, wile who was unable 10 move ne heard no
orders given by the Captain 10 lower the mainsa had
t,e Captain lowered the Hainsan and pat his helm up
tlc vessel he ought might have been saved During
his testimony he was frequently interrupted and Cross
Questioned by Capt Rowland Int without cOntradctng
himself or giving any other important statements.
The other duartcrnaster, Frederick Palm testified that
at the time of the accident be under the cockpit
trying 10 sleep He heard the Captain give the order 10
"loer away tie fogetopsa" and getting on deck, lie
the rail Of the yacht hardly yet in the water tie main
SAL and foresa set aud the maugahtopsal halt down;
he perceived the Captain at the Wheel but saw him make
no motion and heard him give no order to lower the
maiusal; he thought that If the mainsail had been
lowered the vessel would have righted IN answer to
questions from the Coroner, the witness said that the
men were afraid 10 without orders from the Captain
who had discharged hands short time before
On being crosse 1amined by Captain Rowland, he said
that when he on deck there was no time ~ Saekcu