The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-04-29
Two More Maine postmasters.
THE LOSS OF THE RACER.
Continuation of the Trial of Capt
Cerrior.

Boston, April 28.-The trial of Capt. GerrioT
of the schooner Racer, charged with barratry in
causing the loss of that vessel off Cape Elizabeth,
was resumed this morning in the United States
Circuit Court before Judge Carpenter. The court
came in at 10 o'clock, and evidence for the gov.
ernment was continued by the testimony of Cap
tain Walter M. Falt of Gloucester, who said the
Racer was built in 1852 at Essex and he had
owned her up to the time of her loss; she was
last repaired four years ago, receiving new deck
and transom, and being made practically new
from her water line up; this was supposed to be a
thorough examination of the vessel; all her iron
work was renewed at that time; her iron work
should be good for fifteen years; she was insured
at the time she was lost; have known Gerrior for
about year; he had been two voyages in her as
cook under her old master. He came to take
command through the leaving of the crew, HIM
as master His first voyage was 10 Irf6 BANKS,
and he was gone about three weeks. Then he
fitted out for the last voyage, asking for more
trawl gear and boats and getting them from me.
There were five boats on the Racer when she
sailed and complete outfit of fishing gear. The
vessel was let to Gerrior in the customary way of
"ifths" that is, one-fifth of the gross receipts.
The vessel left Gloucester on the 18th of Septem-
ber the agreement being that he should fish OF
Cape Sable Island. She was 53 tons register,
new measurement, being about 70 feet long and
90 wide First heard from her as beng in Hall
FAX in the latter part of September or the first OF
October Heard from her later in Sidney and
Canso drafts being sent me for payment as having
been drawn on me by Gerrior Also @ received ,, "a
Banks, ana another from him on October 26,
dated at Sydney, and saying he was getting plenty
of fish; l heard nothing direct from him after
h9t did where the
/ saw her reported in the papers as being at Port
Clyde, Me-; then heard OF Gerrlor at Portland
soon after Christmas, and went there to look for
him; was there when he was arrested; Gerrior
said the vessel 'busted out leaking" and went
down; he also said that he sold $500 worth of
City Marshal when asked for it; he also told the
Marshal that there was $4,000 pounds OF fish on
board the vessel when she went down, and that
the Bay of Fundy. On cross-examlnatlon by ME-
Burdette, witness said he hired Gerrior on the
reputation given him by the previous master
Gerrior knew nothing about the insurance on the
vessel.
in Sydney last autumn with her husband; he
Shipped aboard the Racer and she came to Port
land on the vessel with him; the vessel got to
Portland on the 22d of December; Gerrior said
once in Sydney that the vessel would never
reach Gloucester again; he said he would send me
home from Portland because If anything should
happen to the vessel he didn't want any women
aboard; we left Sydney on, the 10th of November
and stopped at several places before reaching
Portland: at one of these the vessel struck
on a sand-bank and stayed there from Saturday to
Monday when she was pulled off, she went
ashore again at Petit Menan and was got OFF IN
about the same time; there were. no fish left
aboard the vessel after she left Cranberry Island
on the night after we got to Cranberry Island L
heard some one pounding on the outside OF the
vessel; asked the captain what was the matter,
and he said plank was split and ne mad put Two
spikes in it, the vessel went ashore at Port Clyde
dragging her anchors, and was got off again.
AT this point in the witnesses testimony the
from the close and confined air OF the court room,
ordered recess until o'clock.
After the recess the direct testimony OF Mrs.
Catherine Sherman was resumed: In response to
Mr.. Almy she said that they reached Portland IN
the morning; there were then on board five men
and two women, the others having LEFT at Two plac-
es on the coast; all stayed aboard that night;
Captain Gerrior and another man went ashore
for about two hours; witness never saw the vessel
afterwards she heard the captain say that II he
sank the vessel the owners would get the insur-
ance and he would get new vessel; Wnen at the
Jail awthe captain write a note, on a piece OF
newspaper and then drop it on the floor, and Ida
Williams picked it up and burnt 1t after reading
it; when they were at Portland she saw the cap,
tain go down into the 'run'' and cut piece Of
drinking most OF the time.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Burdette: She describ-
ed the size and location OF the hatch opening;
she was iii the locker under the cabin when she
saw the captain go down and cut piece OF wood
the place where this occurred was not I where
Ida Williams was in the locker with her at the
time; it was a rusty hatchet that the
captain used to chop the wood with; she
heard him chop but did not see him; the piece of
wood which he chopped was about two inches
thick; nobody said anything to him at the tmelhe
chopped the piece of board; she did not know that
when the Captain cut the piece of wood it was to
prove to her husband that the vessel was sealed J
the chopping which he did at Portland took about
ten minutes after leaving Sydney there was
good deal Of head wind it was in consequences me
not remember they put into Halifax because OF
severe wind; in the neghborhood Of Petit Menan man
they had very severe weather, the night before
the vessel struck at Petit Menan they had head
Winds she was on deck at the time the vessel
struck; the vessel was running under boom and
riding sail; they could see the shore on either
side; the vessel did not 60 on to the shore where
the lobster rocks are remained on t the vessel
sell one Of the dories did not know if the dores
were badly injured; the captain told her that Il
the ship should be lost before getting to Portland
that she would be all right the vessel was pump
ed several times before they reached Cranberry
Island; the water did not come up as far as the