The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-02-28
WITH CONTEMPT.
A Captain of a Whaler Violates
the Law.
The Sealing Schooner Mathew Turner
Arrives and Departs without
Leave.
From Daily, Feb. 80

| LHSI nlSnI ABOUT III O'CLOCK The
town was alarmed by frequent blast:
from the tug whistle. Many people
sprang to their telephones to ask
Central about the strange commo'
ton, but this time the operators
could give no information. At frs
it was thought that the crew of the
whaler William Tell, which is an.
chored outside, had mutineered and
that story was believed until the re.
turn of the tug to her wharf, which
was about midnight. Port Surveyor
Sanders came in on the tug and the
following information about her
errand was furnished by him to an
ADVERTISER reporter:
Yesterday afternoon about 2
o'clock strange schooner came to
anchor in the roadstead. 1t was
afterwards learned that she was
a sealer, the Mathew Turner,
and was from San Francisco. She
left that city on the End inst. en-
route to the Japan sealing waters
with a mixed crew composed of
twenty-five hands.
AS soon as the vessel came to an
anchorage, the Port Surveyor detail
ed men in shore boat to watch her
to prevent the landing of contrsband
goods. About four o'clock the Captain
came ashore for the purpose of pur-
chasing some stores for the vessel.
After he completed his purchases, he
left the Mail wharf about $3.50 o'clock
and was rowed TO the schooner. As
the skipper did not go near the Gus
tom House to make an entry, the
officials became suspicious and dur
ing the afternoon Mr.. Sanders re-
ceived orders not to allow her to go
to sea. 1t was discovered about nine
O'Clock that the sealer was to
heave anchor, so the Port Surveyor
decided to call the tug into requisi-
ton. She was to go out to tow the
strange craft inside of the harbor,
but when the captain was notified of
the programme he would not listen
to it for a moment and said nothing
but a superior force could detain
him. Mr.. Sanders had but a hand
full of unarmed men, and as the Tur-
ner had a crew all of whom had
revolvers strapped around their
waists, it was decided not to fight.
The captain was notified that he was
breaking the laws of this country by
not entering properly at the Custom
House, but he retorted by saying
that he had perfect right to anchor
inside of the three league limit for a
period of twenty-four hours.
The captain was determined to
leave these shores anyway, and said
as soon as two of his men, who were
ashore, came on board he would hoist
his anchor and leave for Japan. He
carried out his word, as he left about
IL 80 o'clock with the protest of the
Port Surveyor ringing in his ears.
Mr.. Sanders says that when he
read the ships manifest he was al
most frightened at the amount of
arms and ammunition which was re-
corded thereon. On the deck of the
Fessel there was a cannon and in
,ther respects she looked more like a
var vessel than a sealer. When the |
Custom House officers got on board of |
he schooner they were surprised to
Zee men moving about in all direc
ions. each of whom had a cartridge |
,elt around his waist and armed with |
i big revolver.
The captains name could not be
Iseertained, but he is described as
,eing Swede and about 38 years of
Ige.
It is not known what the outcome
# the captains violation of the law
will be, but in ali probability this
will commence suit for
Ismsges against the owners, who are
u San Francisco.