Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-06
BY WHAT RIGHT !?
High Handed Proceedings
Alleged on the Corona.
Sailors Manacled and Herded
in Cattle Boxes.
Passengers Ordered Locked in Their
StaterOOms.
How the Ship America Got Her Crew.
Allegations which, II Facts,
Should BE Legally In
vestigated.

vestigated.
The trouble over providing the Ameri-
can ship America with crew at San
Pedro, seems not to have ended with the
sailing OF that ship Sunday. 1t will be
remembered that some time ago crew
of eighteen men arrived at that port
from San Francisco, and on getting here
refused to serve, on the grounds that
they had signed the shipping articles
under false presentments. On Sunday
morning fresh crew arrived on the
steamship Corona, and it is claimed that
force was used in transferring the crew
from the Corona to the America.
According to the allegations, shipping
master McLaren, of the San Francisco
union, who came down on the Corona,
was put in irons and locked in his cabin
to prevent him from talking with the
new crew. Further it is alleged that
the members of the new crew of the
Corona forcibly objected to being placed
on the America on the ground that they
had been induced to sign the shipping
articles under false representations.
1t is also claimed that they demanded
the right under the federal law of ap-
pearing before United States commits
sioner, and were not given an opportu-
nifty OF 80 doing, and that one of the
sailors had to be transferred from the
Corona to the America in sling, at the
same time being in irons and protesting
that he wanted to appear before the con-
ots Sknd nr1th h1x =
ca has sailed for Nanaimo and it is diff
cult to say what will take place on
the voyage.
Mr.. Frank Alves writes to the HERALD
about the same matter under date OF
April Sd. Some extracts from his letter
are as follows:
II would like some law abiding and
intelligent citizen to answer this letter,
and tell me and many others what
right or protection is given to native
born or naturalized American. Here
we are at present in the nineteenth
century, at the time when every woman,
child or man, are supposed to have the
privilege of speaking their thoughts,
without some monster Of the law arrest
ing them on a charge of treason con-
cocted by some enemy or another. l
am an American, born and raised in the
state of California, and have chosen the
sea my profession, since 1886. /, for
one, am ashamed today, to think how
corrupt the laws of our noble country
are in regard to the shipping of seamen.
Our laws relating to the shipping, pro-
tecting and provisioning OF seamen are
the worst and most corrupt OF any OF
the maritime nations of the world. The
state prisons of Japan, China, and all
the Mongolian provinces are palaces
compared to the quarters given the men
on board of our American sbips-the
pride Of come and the hatred of others.
In all mail subsidy contracts the cry
from Washington is, "Where are all OF
American seamen?" You can today
get but very few native-born seamen to
man our ships. The laws are all one
sided. Protection is given to owners
and captains alike, but the seamen are
nothing but common sailors, and 30 do
not deserve the rights that the captains
are entitled to. All maritime nations
Omitted States excepted) have laws to-
day to encourage seamen, and not to
hinder them from advancing and better
ing their condition. In our navy, mer-
chant, surveying and revenue service it
is all alike, If a man through sickness
or some cause cannot attend to his work
he is cursed and kicked and abused un-
til from sheer desperation is driven to
find grave in the deep sea.
"a crew was shipped in San Francisco
a few days ago for the ship America,
now lying at San Pedro, by the United
States commissioner at San Francisco
and brought down on the steamer Co.
roma. Before they got to Santa Barbara
they decided not to come any further.
On leaving Santa Barbara every male
passenger on the steamer was put under
lock and key, 80 that they could not wit
ness any of the transactions that would
probably occur between the union sail
ors and the deputy sheriffs. There were
on board of the Corona seven deputy
sheriffs, and thirteen went out about 2
O'Clock this morning with Deputy Sher-
iff Anderson. The America was then
lying at anchor, and the steamer CoIo-
ma, instead of calling at Redondo, as
usual, had quietly passed and intended
oput the men aboard. The men then
emphatically refused to 60 on board the
ship, and were Immediately put in irons
and were met by the muzzles of twenty
deputy sheriffs, who huddled the mana
boxes such as are. used for loading
cattle.
The idea is abhorrent of passengers who
had paid their fare being deprived oi
their liberty by being put under lock
and key, and more especially by man
of Captain Halls stamp, who is not fit
to command steamer. The so-called
gentlemen who stood by and saw such
an outrage perpetrated before their oyef
should never again speak of being Amer
lean citizens. There are neither rights
nor'justice for the poor, and millions car
testify to that fact. I wish that some
interested in this affair would thoroughly
sift this matter through, and they viii
see that have not said enough. de
sire to call the attention of the public tt
it. and will prove every assertion mad,
in this article, if 80 demanded"
n