The Republican journal., 1895-11-07
Ship w. HI. Conner Again.

LIBELLED IN THE SUM OF $4,000 FOR ALLEG-
ED FAILURE TO DISPLAY LIGHTS AT SEA.
The ship W II Conner must have had more
than complement Of ''sea-lawyers'' on her
recent voyage, Judging from the litigation
which mas followed her arrival at Portland
The Advertiser of that city says:
District Attorney Bradbury had lbelled
the ship William II. Conner, Capt. Frank !.
Pendleton, Tor failure to display lights at
sea. Il is alleged that between the 10Th day
Of December, 1894, and the 18th day of Jan
nary, 1895, while the ship was at sea, on the
way from New York to Yokohama, and on
the return between May 18th and June 18th,
1895, while on the way from Kobe to Port
land, there was also failure to display
lights, and it is further alleged that there
was the same failure during certain nights
of September, 1895 "A fine is imposed by
law for each days negligence and if impos-
ed i'll this case would amount to several
thousano dollars.
The libel was rerurnable to the district
court Oct 30th niamin Thompson, Esq.
appeared for CapB Pendleton and the own
ers of the ship.
Charles n. Haslund testified tLat be was
a seaman on the voyage of the ship William
H. Conner from New York to Yokohama
thence to Kobe and thence back to Portland, !,
Name. He testified that after they left the
her, ~, to the 10Th Of January, %, there was
about fortnight when the lights We're NOT
displayed on the vessel They left New
York on October first, passed the Cape Of
\ Good Hope. December first After the
I fifteenth OF January they carried lights until
they arrived at Japan They got into port
on the fourth Of March at okohAua, and
they sailed from Kobe for Portland, Maine
on the eighth Of May. 95 About the four
teentl of May the lights We're not visible
during a month and then again during the
latter part Of September, after the twentieth
Of September, they We're not displayed for
the boxes We're being repaired.
Peter L. Anderson, Peter johnson, Canute
0leson and Johu Lewis corroborated the
testimony Of the first witness.
To tie material facts the witnesses were
IN harmony in their testimony. After the
testimony was taken the court inquired OF
Attorney Thompson if any bond had been
| filed for costs and Mr.. Thompson said it
probably would be filed this afternoon. Mr..
Thompson was allowed time to prepare and
file exceptions and also to file his general
answer. He seemed anxious TO get certain
testimony IN evidence which would show
that other vessels on this course were not
accustomed to display lights and also that
there was no accident on account of the
lights not being displayed on the William
I'll. Conner, but the court ruled that the
negligence of other vessels would not Justify
negligence in this case and that the law re-
CURED the lights to be displayed on the
starboard and port sides when under way.
Mr.. Thompson thought that perhaps if the
negligence was the cause of no hardship to
any one the secretary of the treasury hight
remit the whole or some part of the penalty
on the presentation of the evidence before
him. Alter these prelimnaries the court
allowed Attorney Thompson, representing
the owners of the vessel, until the 18th of
November to prepare and lie his exceptions
lt hif.I, !,
expected to put in the evidence for the de-
fence