Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-26
THE SAMOAN SAILORS CASE
Not Quite SO Sensational as Has
Been Reported.
A REPoRroRIAL exAeegRATIoN.
An Investigation Into the Complaint
OF the Discharged seamen-Tbe
Officers Justify Themselves
All Claims to Bc Satisfied,
Serious Charges.

WASHINGTON, July 25.--On the 10Th OF
June the San Francisco papers contained
statements of certain survivors of the disas-
ter TO the American vessels at Samoa, en-
listed on the Trenton and Vandalia, which,
IL true, presented a severe indictment
against the navy department. The papers
reported that about thirty of the men wero
roaming around San Francisco unable 70
secure tho wages due them, destitute and
dependent upon charity. The charges Of the
men were in substance that they had not
been paid "bag money" about $50, which
the United States contracted to allow
them IN case of the loss OF their
clothes by the sinking Of the vessel;
that their wages prior to the date of
the disaster had not been paid, that they had
been discharged ana sent adrift, none Of them
with more than s25 that the clothes
furnished them in Samoa were charged for al
regular rates, leaving them little or nothing
to live on; that Lieutenant Carlin, executive
oificer of the Van6alia, refused TO sign their
certificates to be presented to the fourth
auditor. Six of the sailors joined in n
petition to Secretary Blaine that he use his
influence. Copies Of the newspaper articles
were also sent the president. The matter
ordered All investigation and the
papers have just been returned
to the navy department Commodore
Benham, OF the Marc island navy yards,
says the newspaper articles have a grain of
truth and great deal of exaggeration in
them; that the attack upon Lieutenant Car
lin is unjust in the extreme for tho reason
that he remained in San Francisco by his
own request in ordor that he might be able
TO look after the interests Of the vandalias
men. The commodore further furnishes a
statement made by Lieutenant Burnett
showing the amounts paid 10 men who
reached San Francisco, ranging from s28 to
$2T2 Eighteen of the men are reported as
having deserted after the arrival and ofcourse
they received nothing. Lieutenant Carlln, in
his report, says that of the nineteen men the
San Francisco papers claim are roaming
about the water front of that city, one was
discharged at his own request at the expira-
ton Of his term of enlistment three were
discharged by sentence of court-martial and
thirteen were deserters. The clothing issued
to the men was charged to them at dis
count 662s per cent. 1t was good clothing,
worn alike by officers and men. The claims
the statement tnat he had told the men he
would help no one until he got his own
money, Lieutenant Carlin says:
81 will say that am here at my own re-
quest for the special purpose of putting
wrecked sailors In shape so that tho fourth
auditor may properly settle the mems ac-
counts. This work is now finished. Appli-
cations for indemnity (bag money! has been
made out for all the men, dead or alive, aud
| have as yet taken no step toward getting
my own money"
OF the six men who signed the petition to
Blaine, McCluskey was not at Samoa at ALL
Lane was discharged by court-martial He
was on board the Nipsic, which was not sunk
and has not a shadow of a claim for any
thing Boyle and Stewart were discba arged
at the expiration of their enlistment AL of
them, except Boyle, were paid in full, but
some Of them had CLAIM for personal effects.