Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-03-14
ANTICS AT SEA.
THE THIRD DAY OF THE McCALLA NAVAL
INQUIRY.
A Question Of Authority on ShipbOard-Lieuisnant
Merlich Testifes to Some Tough Things
Dr. Herndon Says McCalla Treated
His Men OOureously.


DR.. Herndon Says McCalla Treated
His Men COurteoasly.
New YORK, March 13.-The third !
days session of the McCalla inquiry was
opened to-day. The first witness was
Lieutenant p. J. Merlich. He joined |
the Enterprise in lsss. He told about
men being put in canvas jackets, and Of
the men being irOned together. Also |
how an apprentice named Graham had |
been confined i'm double irons for five |
days. The apprentice was released by
order OF Commander McCalla, and the !
man had been ironcd through some mis- |
apprehension. Men were ironed two |
and two and locked up under guard. !
Dillmore, captain of the main-top, and
others
WERE CHAINED AT NIGHT
to the StarbOard bower chain on the |
deck and covered with tarpulin. This !
was while the ship was at Rouen. France. !
In the case of Fireman Swartich. the |
witness considered the men had been
confined unjustly. On the Enterprise
the enforcement of discipline was not |
in accordance with the rules of the |
navy. He did not think the officers of
the ship were derilect in their duty. AT
Cronstdat much liquor was smugglcd
aboard and men became drunk on duty. !
1t was the worst otTenSe man could !
commit A number of the crew sent
ashore for target practice got drunk |
and threw away their arms. a seaman
named Sutherland attempted TO jump
overheard to escape the punishment
He was stopped by members of the
crew. The Enterprise was not as clean
a ship as some ships the witness had
been in. He thought the men had too
much liberty.
DR. c. c. Hcrndon was the next wit
ness lie is the surgeon of the Enter
prise. He told of the cutting down of
Walker. A little before midnight he
went on deck and was told that
WALKER HAD BEEN CUT
by the commander. The witness dress
ed the wound on Walkers head, about
an inch and a half long. Later the
same man became noisy and was given
some morphine. This was repeated at
> o'clock. Witness did not see the rag
in the mouth OF Walker. The treat
mcnt the man received was the best
that could be given him after he was
wounded. The wound was not danger
Gus.
The witness said no stitches were re-
quired to Walkers wounds.
what was Commander McCallaS
bearing and treatment of the officers
and crcw?" asked Lawyer Choatc.
q ''Hc treated them with every courtc-
say" the witness answered. Assistant
PaymaStcr John a. Mudd testified that
at the time of the Walker incident the
ship was i'm very quiet condition. that
suddenly row arose in the enginc-rOOm
and Lieut.. Mulligan ordered it stopped.
Walker came on deck and spoke in an
inSolcnt manner to the latter officer.
The Commander struck Walker three
times. the first blow being light and the
others were severe.
In crosS-cXaminatiGn the witness said
he did not think Walker was very
drunk: in fact, he IS not sure that
Walker was drunk. He thought it was
necessary to discipline Walker as the
men might want t. take charge of the
ship. He was glad McCalla reduced
Walker to submission by cutting him
down. Things were getting serious.
In his opinion there were
ONLY TWO THINGS
for the Commander to do: first, to quiet
/ ~. 90, j.
This he did at the right time. That
night after everything was all right. he
was surprised to see Walker with his
head bandagcd.
Assistant Engineer +. NJ. Bennett
next took the stand. He said the first
act of cruelty that hc noticed was that
of Assistant Oiler,ThomaS Whalcn. At
Gibraltcr an accident happened to the
launch to which Whalen was detained,
and the launch was disabled. He was
placed in irons, and later had to shovel
coal and had his rating reduced. An
aothcr case was that of Arm0rer Ken
ncdy who was cursed on deck by the
Commander and
RELIEVED FROM DUTY
for the accidental discharge of a rcvOl-
yer. He saw Walker the morning after
he was cut down. Walker was lying on
deck covered with an old tarpaulin and
had basin with bloody water and rags
near him. He knew of Swarich being
kept for some days in strait jacket.
and also knew of men having been
lashcd TO Jacobs ladder.
Under croSS-examination witness said
that he saw Walker AT Southampton in
1889. after his deScrtion. Walker told
him he was sorry for having deserted
and laid the blame for doing so on Lieut..
Lcmly. During the cruise witness sat
ON large number Of court martials.
The witness was asked If he had writ
ten or caused to be- written any state
mcnt relative to the cruise. and the
court went into executive session to de-
tcrmine whether or not hc should an
swcr the question. 1t was decided that
/ he need not.
| Mr.. Choatc said he wanted to prove
! by the witness that there was 4 conspi-
racy to
INJURE TIE COMMANDER,
and unless certain letters that witness
| had written were produced. he could
not gain the necessary information.
The Court ruled that this private cor
rcspondcmcc would have full protection.
Chief Engineer Entwistle had genera
knowlcdg of the punishment admins
tered by Commander McCala. on the
Enterprise. and corroborated previous
witnesses in statements about strait
/ Jackets, etc.
Ensign w. Cline said he knew OF ten
or twelve men to be chained in pairs
and made to march on the quarter
deck for hours. He said the Com
mander seldom, if ever. investigated
complaints made by the officers. lie
said he was friendly, not hostile to the
Commander, but was not grateful for
the treatment he received from him.
Choked at II Banquet.
LOUISVILLE, KY. March l3.-F. j. Rel
CART, a Special Pension Examiner at Mays
vile, KY. met with a singular death last
night. He had been in Office just year,
and his friends celebrated the event by Civ
2 r. II. a