The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-12-17
BRUTALITY ON THE ISENBERG,
How Charles Peterson Was Sent
to an Early Grave.
THE DYING MAN DENIED WATER.
Captain Beit-Left Dangling In the
Air by an Inhuman Mate-A Tale
OF Horror Reported by seamen.

A Bremen paper, dated November
18th, 1884, contains a full account OF
the manner in which Charles Peter
son, sailor, was tortured to death by
the officers of the bark Paul Isenberg.
The brutality was practiced while
Captain Biet was master of the vessel.
The first mate was convicted, the
second mate escaped justice by rum
ming away, and the captain, fearing
punishment, committed suicide on
board of his vessel on last Wednesday
night or Thursday morning.
A copy OF the paper was secured by
the ADVERTISER, and following will
be found true translation of the story
as it appeared in the German news
paper:
Herman Theo. Spree, first mate,
who was born in Syracuse, n. Y,
March 9Th, 1868, and indicted for as
sault with deadly termination, oc-
cupied the bench. He naturaliZed at
Geestemund near Bremen in 1886,
then served in the navy, and conse-
quently married, residing with his
family at Elsfleth. He lately held the
position of first mate on the bark Paul
Isenberg, of which J. G. Pfuger & Co.
are the owners. The master of this
vessel is Capt. Biet, whose home is in
Verden. Both are accused of being
accessories, and they do not occupy
the bench today for the simple reason
that they are absent from this cOun-
try. Biet is on voyage to Honolulu,
which will consume one and half
years at least and Muller has thought
it advisable to vanish. The record pic
lures extreme brutality.
After the jury had been empanneled,
head pilot Minssen, prison surgeons
Drs. With and Hotzen, and two of the
crew were sworn in, whereupon the
case was stated to the court and jury.
1t transpires that Spree, during the
first three months of this year on the
high seas, has designedly maltreated
the seaman Charley Peterson, partly
with dangerous weapon, and partly
with the assistance of Capt. Biet and
the second mate Muller, and to such
an extent that in consequence thereof
the sufferer died on the 14th of March,
1894. Spree, who is defended by DIR.
Pralle, does not deny that Peterson
was ill-used by him at different times,
states, however, that death could not
have been caused thereby. He relates
the bark Paul Isenberg left Honolulu
on the 21st of October, 1898, arrived at
San Francisco on the 18th of Novem-
ber, and proceeded on her voyage Dec.
%.
While at San Francisco, Charley
Peterson, of Arendal, Sweden, was
shipped and added to the crew. Spree
states, that Peterson proved to be
lazy, obstinate fellow, but that in the
beginning he could handle himwithout
punishment. After passing Cape Horn,
however, Peterson had shown himself
so vicious, that they had been obliged
to use force and punishment in
order to make him do his duty.
On the 14th of March, Peterson had
died at sea and on the following day
his body was delivered to the depths
in the customary manner.
The entry which the captain had
made in the ships journal, with refer
ence to the death, he could only cor
roborate. This entry read: Peterson
died in consequence of his pretended
sickness, such as demency, obstinacy
or iaziness.n
When asked by the president what
he thought of this nonsence, Spree
could not but answer that he insisted
Peterson died of sickness unknown
to them. The treatment was not of a
nature that an ordinary man, much
less a hardened seaman, could die
thereof. All witnesses testify that
Peterson behaved as an orderly and
willing man, although somewhat slow
and awkward, and that Spree, as well
as the captain, were violent and brutal
men.
Spree had cooled his fury on poor
Peterson, first treating him to kicks
and thumpings, finally increasing to
most brutal treatment, in which the
captain and second mate participated.
or the multitude of such cases the
witnesses cite the following:
One morning when Peterson,
dressed in drawers and an undershirt)
came from his berth, Spree stepped up
TO him and accosted him, without
cause, in the foulest language, hit him
then several times in the face and
kicked him with hi- heavy sea-bOots,
causing Peterson to bleei profusely.
Not enough; be tied Il rope around his
body, dragged hlm to the mainmast
and there fastened him. Then he
fetched bucket OF salt water, which
be emptied over the face and wounds
of the poor mau. This was tuen re-
peated.
The cook, Tse-ozy iowsky, noticed
one Sunday morning, how Spree hit
Peterson with the end of thick rope,
drenched him with salt water and at
the same time using the most dirty
language. When the gallant captain
appeared on the scene all he had to say
was: "Let that ---- lay, if he re-
fuses"
When washing decks Peterson was