The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-06

Francis D. wheat Saws He Was Iile-
rRally Taken Into Service.

Francis D. wheat Saws He Was NE
rgally Taken Into Service.
Francis ID. Wheat who disappeared so
mystcrioBsly last December, filed suit
for libel yesterday iu the United States
court against the Austrian bar0 ~ircua.
master r MarteuOIch. 100 which Ee claims
70 have been damaged in the sum of So
COO
When the bill was filed yesterday
morning, the Sirena was at once seized 10y
Deputy Marshal Hayward. and copy
Of the warrant was attached 20 her mast
and another served on the captain.
Wheat alleges that Dec. q, lNaS,
! the Sirena was in Savannah about 20 sail
| for Trieste, Austria. and that the bark
| put out 20 sail with him on board. lie
claims TO have been detained bE the mas
| ter without his own knowledge or consent
and maltreated and injured. At the time
| he was 4o years old, and was conducting
a business as a produce dealer at stall 40
in the city market.
Wheat alleges that unfortunately ne
| occasionally got on drinking sprees. and
while in this condition was unconscious
! Of what was transpiring around him.
| Under these circumstances he was got
! aboard the bark, and although unfamll-
! lar with the duties Of sailor, he was
| compelled TO work as a common seaman
and to stand watch on rainy, cold nights
| without any oilskin on, the usual apparel
worn by the sailors.
I Wheat says the master saw and fully un-
derstOOd that he was fully ignorant, but
nevertheless he refused to show by what
authority he had taken him on board and
would not let him see the vessels papers.
He further alleges that he was never paid
any wages.
When he arrived at Trieste he was dis
| charged from the vessel and through as
sistanCe from the United States consul at
that port and the consul at Genoa he was
enabled to return to Savannah He has
discovered since that the master knew
he was not a sailor. He says he was put
on short allowances, was given unwhole-
some food and was refused medical atten-
tiOn when he was in great need of it.
While away on this voyage Wheat's
wife and children in Savannah suffered
untold hardships and privatiOn his home
was broken up and the furniture sold.
| The bark Sirena is now III port and
Wheat asks that it be held liable for
damages to the amount of 5000. The
bill was filed by r. r. Richards and 7.
ID. Rockwell, attorneys for the ibellant.
The bark was consigned to Chr. G.. Dahl
! and Co, and unless bond is given to the
amount of $4,000 she will not be allowed
to leave port
Another peculiar chapter in this his
tory connects Marion Thompson with
| the case He is the negro who was ar
| rested sometime ago for sailor stealing
and is now in jail. Thompson is SAID to
have procured Wheat for the Sirena
while in an intoxicated condition and to
| have received $50 for the job. If he is
convicted of this charge too, he may have
some work to do for Uncle Sam after he
gets Through with the county authorities.
Capt. MartinOlich says that Wheat's
aFnt Nr J., Z 1.,
facts. The day before he sailed for
| Trieste, he says he hired a runner to
| get four sailors to fill out his crew of
| which he was short. The runner got the
men that day. They were signed for
! the voyage, and the next morning they
| were to be put aboard the vessel by the
! runner, the captain having paid their add
| vance. just before the vessel sailed the
| runner came aboard with the men and
their effects. The captain, of course not
| knowing the men, presumed they were
! all right. They were all under the
! influence of liquor, which is not unusual
for sailors going a board to begin voyage.
Wheat was one of the first men Capt.
! MartinOlich spoke to and he says he
! asked him if he was a sailor and Wheat
| replied yes" Afterwards he appeared
to be active in hauling in the lines as
| the bark cast Oft from the dock and doing
| other work around the deck without pro-
| test, but after tho vessel had got to sea
| he found that Wheat was anything but u
| useful man aboard the ship. He could
neither go aloft or perform other duties
but eat and sleep and was of no use to
| the vessel.
! When the vessel arrived at Trieste the
| captain says he took Wheat up to the
! American consul and there paid him off
in the presence of the consul and received
his receipt and not single protest was
made. That Wheat was no sailor, the
captain says. there was no doubt, but
when he was put aboard the vessel he
had a sailors outfit of rubber
boots, oil-skins and some clothing
One of his jackets he sold
to one of the crew on the voyage out
| Wheat was also provided with a tub of
butter, can ofsyrup and plenty of tobac-
co, and from this it was evident to the
captain that he knew that ne could not
obtain those things aboard the ship, and
provided himself for the voyage. Captain
Martmolich considers himself the victim,
and not Wheat.