The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-09

is it on record that any of Clark's school
ever jeopardized their lives in sticking to
orders; on the contrary the wonderful wis
dom on the subject they had absorbed in
some manner from their marine Moses
seemed to fit them logically for anything
but noble end. Whenever man came
aboard from liberty on shore twenty-five
or thirty hours overtime, it was Clark in
the roll of preliminary court, hauled the
man up under the to- gallant forecastle for
examination. This very wise Daniel-come-
to-judgment would see that the accused
pleaded mot guilty." and let him prove it
too. Then he would exonerate the fellow
completely, in fact justify him in all his
wrongdoings until the late lawbreaker
would walk out on deck in toys of spotless
white, as it were.
1t is not altogether certain that Dave
Clark was not moved sometimes bv the
grim humor that seemed to be the larger
part of his large body. There was ripple
that might be of merrimenu rolling over
his severely Judicial and ample face when
the dread summons came to the culprit
bidding him go aft where the commanding
officer stood with the symbolical sword
and scales. However, there was no trace
of anything but the deepest commiseration
on his physiognomy when he tripped
down to the brig to tell the prisoner that
letter to the admiral or Secretary of the
writer to send right away, would make mat
tiers come out all right. 1t is unneces-
sary to state that the ships writer did
nothing Of the kind, as that petty officer
was not mourning courts-martia1 by en-
ploying his facile pen in letters over the
heads of bis superior officers.
When Sake Fisher was in charge of the
alcohol chest and prevented from making
toddles from the pungent fluid by being
falsely informed from the quarterback that
the contents OF the tank had been poisoned
Clark advised him to report the affair to
the admiral. Such deception practiced by
q superior upon subordinate was not con-
ducive to good morals. No wonder sailors
sometimes grow negligent of their early
religious training when those in authority
take advantage of their ingenious DISPOSE
ton. This argument was always comfort
ing to the man under the ban of the cap
tain's displeasure and also filed him with
greater respect for the sea lawyers far
sightedness.
On one occasion a marine was threaten
ing to complain to the department for hav-
ing been forced to submit to a shave by
Neptune's court barber when the ship was
crossing the equator. Notwithstanding
Clark had played the role of the monarch
OF the seas in the sailor masquerade on the
line, he strongly advised the man with the
grievance to go ahead with his case and
down, cashiered. This Dave logically ar
gued would forever stamp out silly rude
custom that was only practiced on ship
board to make marines, whom a sailor dis
likes anyway, ridiculous. The chap, well
coached, went to "the mast" with his COM
plant, and when ordered forward "gave
lip" as insolence to superior is called in
the picturesque vernacular of the sea, and
as is customaryin such case, went down
into the "brig." Dave followed, and when
the master-at-arms had turned the KEY and
cleared out, consoled his luckless client
with the expressed intention of getting the
ships writer to write to the Secretary of
the Navy for justice.
On another occasion cook was the vic.
tim OF mock court martial held by his
messmates who charged him with "giying
lip" to one of their number who growled
for pie at the breakfast. His sentence was
ten blows with a ropesend, and afrer the
punishment he concluded to get angry at
his treatment. Clark had been the fudge
advocate of the forecastle court. but so
great was his desire to expound sea law to
the cook that he advised him to strike on
the ''pie" proposition. which the man did.
The mess Immediately convened in a gen.
cgal cQugtmartial in order to try4him for