The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-27
If oF The 6lIHElER. :
uhy 8 Sailor Thought the SHY
Was Haunted.


rh< American snip ssfheser. arrisezi in
- YESTERDAY from Gan Frarcfsco and
IN sexe On return cargo u cnai This
verrei Was declared h. sailor who occa
80 the position OF rstehraan several
ssers since 70 be haunted b. tie rhofs d
.rn:errd sailors. OF csnzse this Idea o,
sxoess On shipbcard Il mere hzilueinA
son Of brair that bad perhaps been be.
trddled BIZ over indulgence In fnfoxicnx
- beverxxss- But II ever . vessel de-
er~xed 10 u hsnnfed By the revengefnl
rarsfs OF m&ngiec and murdered seamen,
- s1ip Gaxherer should be the one In
urder 10 tell Why this should be. the resdes
I'll te taken back TO the yenx Of orr Lord
I'll. when the Gafherer left View York
100 ceps Sparks, firsf Mate watts and
Secoud Mate Curtis and = MIXED crew Of
mf1oFs or beard.
ne voyage was memorable one. and
s,ofhing in eozparison 70 those inflicted Oh
~ crew Of the Gathefer during the yoy-
- The vessel VS. living bell from be-
3nnfnx 70 end. During the vcyaxe three
n he crew jumped overheard % escape
6um the demontac pereecuf1pns Of the sfd.
81. The remainder OF the crew Of about
IS were I'll mere OF less MANNED when the
ssuel put into Wilmington, Cal. TO dis
eSorxe portion OF her cargo. some hnd
- eyes, others bad broken noses and ha1
- oorfiona Of their e3rB. ard 3 few had
fnc{ared limbs. several Of the crew hsd
keeu struck % much on the head khaf they
ne but little better than % many sdi0fz
VIXEN they arrived in Port Had the crew
q malicious devils they could not kave
nereed IN much worse condition. In al
- anna1s of crueitiea committed ~ SO
- Hendish oficers, there are none which
esurlled In s1sfaiued horror the recisais OF
49, poor mutiIated sailors who came
ssssEd' the Horn on the ship Gasherer In
Al Wilmington the crew deserted and
haired 70 San Fraueisco, whers they laid
dir cases before the United States author.
iflex when the vessel arrived In San
1knncfecc Captain Sparks and Second
Hete Curtis were arrested. bat First Mate
Weafs had escaped and shipped On board
q vessel bound for Liverpool. hoping to
Captain sparks WAS tried, bat thrcs1Rh
lke expenditure OF large ANN Of money
- MS acquitted. His trial lasted for sey.
WAl weeks aud Attorney Murphy, who wAs
prfncipal counsel for defense. occupied
soue u days time In the elosiug arEu.
ueut 1t seemed that Capf. sparks bed
not abused the men himself. bsss he had
%. Second Mate Curtis was convicted and
ssnt TO the penitentisry, and died there
befors he had served ont his term
Il II alleged that First Mate Watts Wa
killed year or two since BY q crew In the
4ndian ocean where be tried % repeat the
cruelties he bad prscticed on ne sailors Of
the tsathereY The crew that killed him
Knew 81 bis terrible record, and TO Be fore.
uarneA In their case was 20 be forearmed.
some four OF i've years since Captain
Dpagks Was on the mouth Of the Coiumbis
II command Of . vessel. He Was the vic.
Tim Of rsInorse and the memory OF the
poor MANNED wrefches who sprang from
me railing :. the Gatherer 20 meet death in
the cold waters Of the ocean must have
been ever ~ifh him. The man at the
wheel suddenly saw the captain emerge
screaming from the cabin. Then he ran C
the side OF the vessel and jumped into the
ocean, inst rs the sailors had done few
years before. He sank 10 rise no more
vengeance Ii mine; | will repay seems
Of Captain Sparks. Though he ESCAPED
from the clutches OF the law he could moi
get awsy from the memory Of the awfu
scenes which we're enacted en- the Gath
erer In the year 1881. To escape from
these horrid reeollsstions he jumped into
the ocean. preferring death to their con
finualce.
In talk had yesterday with Captain
Michael Olsen. the present master Of tbs
Gatherer, he rather excused Captain
Sparks and his Ut3icers The crew on ths
GAtherer Ut that time was made ufsof ses
crsl naiionaiities, and there was only osls
or two able senmen In the lot When 1
was blowing hard aud the vessel was il
danger 10 was necessary 70 use violence q
make the sailors work with sutileieu
speed 10 saw the snip. Captain Olsen Wa
inclined - h~'teg<. however, thar The on
GERS ~ tas 5agnerer were too cruel.
s.H1w Is Il. captain. that men can b
handled on shore without yi1isnee o.
brutality II this can be done on shors
why not At scar
There ARE several reasons. replied ths
captain. sThe main one IL that at sea ws
depend entirely 81 ourselves. The safefs
OF the vessel aud ill ca hosrd often depends
on Instant obedience. II this Il not gfycf
d . sailor 81 tbs sailors. force Is essentis
TO eomrei H.
Another carious phase Of sea life !stha
both captain and sailors become moEos
after being cocped up together for seveFa
months. A captain IN order 20 presery
discipline cannot efsurd 10 be too familis
with his men. He goes os deck and zee
the same sea, the same sky, the same deck
with the same sails and the same faces
He returns 10 hts cabin, and all he can q
IL TO look II his ewE face In the glass. Thi
makes him savage and nsorose. and as th
men meet him with like savsgsry unas
conHtassle crHelties are practsceG. Thf
il more frequently the case when an OF
Ger Il naturally Of a cruel and reveugefu
disposition. To this cause attribute raos
OF tue crueiftes which are perpctrated Z
sea .