The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-10
ABOUT SAILORS.
Statements in Relation to Men
Shipped From the Home.

The statement that sailors are being
shipped in this port under fictitious names.
ana that the Sailors Home is indulging in
these methods is sufficiently startling.
ms is, however, the complaint of n
Nelson, proprietor CT the Neptune Hotel,
1853 Broadway, and he bases his charge on
the following, which he asserts occurred
during the past few months:
ION June 12th," says Mr.. Nelson, "Bsr-
nard Peterson and Edward Nelson. two
sailors, who had been boarding In the
Sailors Home since they left their ship,
came to me and asked me to settle their in
debtedness TO tn home and take item as
boarders. l did so and settled the two bills
So for Nelson and IS for Peterson
further advanced them Sc 90 and they
stayed with me from June 18th TO July 18th,
and owe me board for that time On the
latter date John Fardeant shipping clerk of
The Sailors Home induced them to return
and ship from that institution. FardeanL
was successful, and the two men returned
to the home.
FALSE NAMES.
''On Wednesday the American ship George
Stetson applied for a crew, and Fardeant
called up two of his boarders, John Natson
and Thomas Emmett and asked them to go
down TO the Shipping Commissioners and
sign articles. He told them that he did not
really want them TO go to sea, but he had
two other men in the home who owed bills
TO the Neptune Hotel and he could not take
them to the Commissioners. MatsOn and
Emmett consented, and went TO the Office
and signed articles. Peterson and Nelson
were then substituted in their place on the
Stetson, Peterson being instructed to take
the name of Matson and Nelson that of En-
nett. and when the Deputy Shipping Com
missioner mustered the crew yesterday
morning the two men answered to the fc-
titious names Matson came to me late and
told me the facIs OF the deception.
II went to United States Deputy Com
missioner Brown and lodged complaint.
The men were brought ashore, and in the
presence of the Commissioner. Fardeant
and myself acknowledged that they had not
signed articles. Fardeant proposed 10 paw
part OF the advance money in consideration
OF the bills due me, but 1 refused the offer
and wanted the whole amount
A DANGEROUS CUSTOM
"The men have gone back to the Sailors
Home. We have always understood that it
is illegal TO ship men under fictitious
names. II l or any other boarding house
keeper had done anything OF the kind we
should be in jail by now.
BY having one man sign articles and
another take his place it would make it
easy to ship criminals out of the city,
In reply to the charge made by Nelson,
the hotel-keeper, Captain Staples of the
Sailors Home told CALL reporter last
night that so lar as putting the men on
board the ship is concerned the statement
is true, but they were not shanghaied and
went of their free will. How they came to
the home and when he could not say, as
they we're in the house when he took charge
one week ago.
- l am not responsible for anything done
by Captain Fletcher. II Nelson lost the
two men it is not my fault. Every board
ing-master in San Francisco is watching like
hawk to induce men to leave the home,
ard IN many instances they succeed. In re-
CARDS to taking blood money the home has
to stand.in with the boarding -masteTs or We
could not ship single man. The reason is
this: The boardng-masters have lots of
money 10 their treasury, and should we re-
fuse the bonus they would pay the captains
to take men from them, and We should be
In the ring, as we are allowed to furnish one
fourth OF all the men shipped from this
port"
THE BLOOD MONEY.
Captain Staples claimed, however, that
the blood money is given TO the sailors, and
does not go into any ones pocket at the
home.
Il can't say what terms, If any, Captain
Fletcher made with the bnarding-masteIs
but | have determined ON what l shall do,
but am not prepared to say at present what
my future policy will be- Regarding the
men shipped on the Stetson, the Shipping
Commissioner knows all about it, and every
thing was done to his satisfaction
Captain Staples also said that the board
ing-masters desire him to discharge his
shipping clerk, Fardeant, and take in his
place man OF their selection; but this he
refused to do, and in consequence they held
a meeting yesterday afternoon, but what
was done IN the matter he could not say.