The herald., 1895-04-27
A Sailor Prefers Death on a
Desert to the Ship
DESERTIONS AT SAN DIEGO
Executive Officer Sturdy Blamed fol
the Matter
The Warship ~. cad Of Continuing Her Cruise
South Heads Back for Hare Island.
Many Desertions

SAN DIEGO. Apr ] 26.-The crusier
Olmypla sailed this evening for San
tranti- co. The funeral of Coxswain john
son yesterday afternoon was attended by
about seventy men in charge of one
officer from the ship. On the way out to
the cemetery seven sailors suddenly broke
ranks and fled. One of them was seen on
the streets about IL o'clock this morn.
ing. He has been in hiding all night and
until that hour and was under the i'm
preston that the ship had just sailed.
VIII en- informed that he was wrong and
that the sailing hour had been changed
to this evening, he at once prepared to-
get out OF sight again, saying: ST would
rather go to the desert and starve tn an
go aboard that ship again."
He was not asked for his name. but
stated that he was an American and had
entered the navy at Detroit. He bad
beeen ON four or five different cruisers but
never had met an experience like that on
the Olympia.
The situation was little short of mu-
tiny. He charges all the trouble to the
first lieutenant and executive officer, K,
W. sturdy, and says that Captain Reed is
chiefly at fault because he does not inter-
fere with Sturdy in behalf of the men.
All the officers out one, iG is said, dis
like Sturdy more or less but of cours
they have not been oppressed like the
men and their dislike is therefore less
active.
The mans further statement fully in
dicated the gravity of the situation. He
said the understanding among the crew,
as obtained variously from the officers,
that when the Olympia left Santa Barbara
she was to come to this port and after
remaining few days was to lelsurely
proceed down the coast after the Mon
terey. her mission being similar to that
of the Monterey. in the event of needed
demonstration in southern waters. But
by the time the Olympia reached here the
turmoil and dissatisfaction was so great
that the captain saw at once it would not !
only be UNSAFE to proceed further on the
voyage. but that it would not even be /
safe to enter the harbor, as he knew the
men would desert at the first opportuni-
ty. That was the real reason he did not
bring the cruiser into port, and why he
did not proceed as originally intended.
From here, the sailor said, it is beiev-
ed by the crew, the captain sent to WASH
jngton statement of the condition of
affairs and asked for orders to return to
Mare island for the express purpose OF
holding an investigation and courtmaf-
tial. it being understood that he preferred
that course rather than to take the res
possibility of removing Sturdy on his
own authority.
The officers Of the cruiser Olympia to-
day denied the ports of the sailors that
there was an insuticiency of food on
board the ship.
They say the complaints regarding the
quantity or quality of food were entirely
unwarranted and that they personally in
spect the food given to the men. The
officers as well as the men regretted that
the ship could not enter the harbor.
They explained that Captain Reed was
under orders from the secretary of the
navy to anchor off Coronado. and that
the commander had no discretion in the
matter.