The morning call., 1893-04-13
THE SAILORS HOME
Testimony as to How 1t
Was Conducted.
Declarations Under Oath as to Blood
Money, Bonus and Shipment
of the Men.

The $4,000 damage suit for slander brought
by Mary L. Sykes, the president of the
Ladies' Seaman's Friend Society of San
Francisco, against Rev. James Campbell,
a former chaplain of the home, again occu-
pied the time Of the Superior Court yester-
day.
When the case was resumed in )udge
Garber's court yesterday morning, Daniel
Swannsck. former superintendent of the
home, was a witness. He served in 1888,
when Mrs. Sykes was vice-president of the
society.
At Attorney Hutton's suggestion he told
what he knew about blood-money, bonus,
advances and runners fees. he said that
sailors were paid $40 advance money when
they were about to ship; of this S. was paid
to the shpping-mastor, or go-between, who
secured him work from the captain of a
vessel, and 81 30 TO the captain. The rest
was credited to the sailor on the books and
what he owed the home taken out
When Isailors were scarce, according to
SwaHnack, the bonus was paid TO the
boarding-master, and when plentiful it was
divided among the captain, boarding house
master ana go-between.
he said this practice was all in vogue in
the Sailors Home and enforced Just as
much as in any sailor boarding house
Sailors were always charged at least So
for chance to ship, but the with ess could
not tell how much of the bloOd-money the
sailors ever received.
he admitted that he knew that sailors
who came to the home from English ships
were deserters and left their wages behind
them. Runners were paid so much head
for the men they induced to 20 to the home.
They consequently found it to their interest
to induce men to desert. and the cantans of
the vessels assisted them, because when
the men deserted they abandon their
wages.
Swannack on cross-examination said that
as superintendent of the home he had pnr-
sued the same method as boarding house
masters, adding that the home had to be
run as an ordinary boardng-house for its
own protection.
Mr. Campbell, the defendant and ex
chaplain of the home, was the next witness.
The clerical gentleman denied that he had
ever charged Mrs. Sykes with having re-
ceiyed commissions on purchases or with
having paid $50 for a piece of work which
cost 81 go. He went before the Supervisors
10 show the real nature of the Sailors
Home, as the real state Of things there had
never been brought ont at any of the So
called investigations. He desired to remove
the stigma on Christianity caused by the
religious pretensiOns of the Ladies' Sea-
mans Friend Society. He was employed as
chaplain OF the home September Z, 1859, and
remained there until February 6. 1890 He
stated upon entering the home that he would
not tolerate any crooked work In the bust
ness Of the home.
Mr. CamDueil said that in interviewing
Sailors to get them to attend service the
sailors told him that they did not feel like
going to church in one end OF the home and
being kicked and fleeced at the other. He
investigated the accommodations and found
that they were poor for the money charged
He could get better accommodations outside
Of the home for 81 week than were given
in II for S5.
The witness said that none of the ladies'
ever displayed real Christianity, and he had
never seen one Of them talk kindly to a
sailor.
Campbell spent the afternoon telling what