The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-19
NY GROUND AXES.
20 the Snagboat Skagit's
ixew Piled Up Overtime.
aLEcAL VOTER CONVICTED.


=. tyssi Of Capt. z. A. Jefferson, Of the
- states saag boat skagit, on q
- ~ working men in his charge over
- hcurs day In violation Of the Re-
~ e.ssutes. is on trial before United
-. District Judge Hanford- The de
s-xenfss motion for peremptory instrue-
- r.. refused before sdjournmsnt last
go. and the captains aide Of the case
g u heard today.
f1sxhabls features were numerous. one
80 that the witnesses for the United
- svors very stousIy that the captain
y. nm with an AZ 70 grind" In earnest.
= nsds them turn the crank TO CON-
- days work whenever il was impos-
- 10 pull snags.
~ frt witness sworn was Charles
nsfoos. one Of the four men composing
- nse.puiiing contingent Of the crew.
"a by his own admission one Of
~ principal witnesses against the cap
i.n before the United States grand
M He told the court that he vas en-
sIcgsd b. Capt. Jefferson a. laborer last
II. and was with the Skagit several
noaths. improving the channel OF the
fnohomish, stillaguamish, Sxagit and
xoeksack rivers. During q considerable
sortion Of the time he had worked at least
eIsysn hours day. This be backed up
n ssiereues to q small memorandum book.
8 n be was cool and collected, but when
De eross-sxam nation began he got ratified.
ns stuck 70 the story OF eleven hours,
bcwestr. The attorney asked him IL IL
sss not true that great deal Of the time
vas spsns In going from place to place and
From mag TO snsg. he answered yes,
trE not in idiensss. for the
ass used I'm cutting the snags
lid 70 BE- kept sharp. and the captain or
dssed the crew ito grind them while they
rested" Some doubt being expressed that
The ares we're numerous enough to keep
four men busy, Hudson fastened 10 say
Inst Is often took a. long - three days to
6nish one ak. the grindstone being so soft
hat the steel Was hardly scratched in an
hears grinding. He thought the captain
tspt the colt stone 20 that they would not
have . chance to loaf.
Tbs attorney continued by asking point
sdiy II the memorandum book had not
hen kept for the express purpose OF max.
Ing trouble for Capt Jefferson. The reply
vas:
MI. Spcck told me to keep Il: he's one
Of the crew. He was with the boat last
rear and Was onto the game. All the boys
kept them. / thought ! would get my pay
Tor overtime. that's Why kept it.
worked i4l hours overtime"
yet you never asked for your pay o.
The captain :" was the Interrogation.
NO Speek aud me we're discharged In
sneh hurry that did not care to ask thu
esptain for IL. l Was going to try TO col
lees II, but the lawyers told me did no,
have no show on Gods earth"
Then You came and complained 20 thu
grand jury. didn't you; to get even with
the man who had given you q job; why
didn't you quit II you didn't want to work
raore than eight hours?'
The witness denied any such base mo
tive and said that be wanted to keep tn,
JOB Is long - he could. having . family
tosupporI II WAS attempted to MAKE
him confess that he was employed as I
seaman. not iaborsY. but without suc
cess. The other three men. Ernest speck
two men named Brown aud Ray wer
placed on the stand by the United States
but no additional facts Of any consequent
we're obtained. They told more about tn
axes, and one Of them was surprised int
admitting that the crew were often idl
for fifteen or twenty minutes at o tim
while the boat was tied mp. and that h
wished the work was all resting.
In the cross-examination IL was th
esfart of the defense to make tho men nd
nit that the memorandum books wer
kept TO hold over the captains head ans
not to keep overtime. and TO prove tina
they knew they shipped ~ seamen. The
admitted that ship discipline was en-
forced. but all claimed TO be as ign GRANT G
navigation as Of astronomy.