The Portland daily press., 1892-12-09
The Tale Of the Wandering Jew Of
the State of Maine.
SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST THE
CAPTAIN OF A CAMDEN SHIP.
Sailors Say They Were Cruelty Punished
The Captain Denies that the Punish
ment Was Excessive, But an United
States Commissioner Decides that the
officers Under Heavy Bonds.

Officers Under Heavy Bonds.
| BosToN, Mass, December S.-The
hearing in the case of Captain Daniel @.
Nichols, and Mates Robert Crosby and
Daniel McCorkell of the ship Wandering
Jew, who were arrested yesterday
charged with inflioting cruel and
unusual treatment upon their crew
while at sea, was heard before United
States Commissioner Fisk at his court
this afternoon in the Federal building.
The room was filed with sea captains,
seamen and frieds of the people who are
charged with the crime.
1 sThe first witness called was the COM
plainant in the case, Fred Lingburg,
Swede, who testified. IT shipped on
board the Wandering jew at Hong
Kong, and the second port we reached
was Manila, in the Philippine Islands. It
was an American ship and
Halls from Camden, Me.
We were anchored at Manila, about
three miles from shore. On July 1S,
while at that place, the crew heard that
there was some trouble with one of the
men who had been strung up by the
wrist. and we saidwe would not stand such
treatment ON board the vessel. and told
the captain so, and then told him he
wanted to see the United States consul.
We would not go out to sea until we saw
him. The captain then went ashore
and got the consul who came on board
either that day or the next, don't re-
member.
1T was probably the next morning
and he asked us what the trouble was,
| and we told him about the man who was
strung up. He said he could not do any
thing and to wait until they got to tie
first American port. We refused to go
to work and he sent some policemen on
| board. We all went aft with the mate
| and 12 of us were put in irons. While
the consul was on board we were tied to
the rails on the side of the ship and
| facing the water. We remained in that
| position for about an hour, and then the
consul left the ship before we Were re-
| leased. After that the mate
Strung six of Us Up.
I was the third one. The irons was on
| our wrist and rope was drawn through
the centre Of it, and then thrown over a
tight wire, and then drawn up, SO that
our toes just touched the deck. suf-
| fered terrible pain and asked for water,
but the captain refused to give me any.
had been in that position about an
hour when he took me down. Then
tainted and he gave me some water. I
was taken to my bunk, and the captain
| followed me. / was there about an
hour, but did not work until the next
day. I was treated well afterward and
was given another job. saw five men
strung up. have been very sick since
that day, and was never Ill before that
| time"
Other members of the crew were called
and testified substantially the same as
Tingburg.
| The captain was called, and testified;
s'I have been following the sea for 80
years; strung the men up bee use they
refused to go to work; it is nothing un-
! usual to punish sailors in that way when
| they refuse to work. The consul was
called in when the men wanted him.
| have always treated the men well, and
always gave them plenty to eat and
drink when they worked"
| After the evidence was all in, Commits
sioner Fisk thought there was sufficient
evidence to hold the three men for the
| United States District Court.
The captain was held in $4,000. and the
mates in $1,000 each. They will appear
before the grand jury, which meets to-
morrow in the district court.