The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-04
GUARDED By PISTOLS.
Reported Shanghaing OF Five
Union Sailors Tuesday.
ONE ESCAPES BY SWIMMING.
Triangular Fight Between Sailors
Union. Boarding House Runners ana
ship Owners Association.

The Sailors Union OF this city is very
much incensed over what IL CLAIMS Is
case OF shanghaing I'VE sailors on the
British ship John \. Briggs, Which
cleared last Tuesday morning for Liver
pool England with lumber from Fort
BlakeIey. Patrick Giynn. secretary OF the
union. claims that he went over TO Port
Blakeiey late Monday night, and when ne
tried 10 go aboard the ship ne was con-
frontei by a couple OF revolvers, ana was
compelled TO back out. ~ simpson,
young sailor who was signed as one OF
the crew. jumped overheard at noon on
Monday and swan ashore, distance or
about a quarter of a mile. simpson says
that five men were shanghaied and ne
was TO make the sixth. The story meets
with a general denial from l.. NJ Garri-
son. agent OF the Shipowners' Associa-
ton In this city.
Simpson, the man who jumped over
board and escaped, was the youngest man
in the crew. and is a hardy. powerful
looking young chap. He says he went TO
Agent Garrison a short time ago and
asked for a job. and that Garrison sent
him to Wright & Newman, VINO run a
sailors boarding house on Commercial
street, south of the coal bunkers. lie
stayed there for one day, when he was
told he could sign with the ship John A.
Briggs for a voyage to Liverpool. at
aboard the ship on Saturday morning,
and found fifteen men aboard and two
guards employed to watch them with re-
voiyers. He gives the names of the
guards as George Reel and Sam Curtis.
He says everything went all right until
Monday. when the boarding house mas
tiers, Wright & Newman, came aboard
and asked the men TO sign for their adj
vance money. $50 each, which is the
amount they receive for feeding the men
and getting them their places on the ship.
Simpson says he and five others refused
TO sign until their clothes were delivered
aboard the ship. This was refused. and
the men were compelled TO give UP the
$50 and ship without their clothes. The
men were all locked UP IN the forecastle
and guarded, and about noon on Monday.
while the men were at lunch. Simpson
slipped away uuobserved, and tying his
clothes 10 plank. slipped overheard and
swan ashore, distance of about quar-
ter of a mile. lie Wa then helped 10
this city by a number of the Sailors
Union.
Secretary Glynn. of the union, told
Post-Intelligence reporter yesterday that
a great deal Of this kind of work was go
Ing on and he intended, IL possible. to
put an end to 1t. He says the boarding
house masters are continually robbing
the poor seamen and shipping thtm
against their Will He says he is salts
fed that the men that were shipped on
the John A. Briggs are without clothes.
save what they now have on, and VIII
certainly suffer before they get around
the Horn.
L. NJ Garrison. agent for the Ship
Owners Association. had the following
TO say In regard 10 the matter 10
Post-Intelligencer reporter:
This report that these men were rob
bed out of their money Is all bosh. They
were all thoroughly sober when they
signed for the cruise, a. fact which VIII
be attested by Shipping Commissioners
Burns, and their only grievance was that
they were refused permission TO go
ashore after signing. This is an old
trick of deep water sailors. When they
once get ashore 1t as almost impossible TO
get them back. know positively that
the entire crew was furnished with proper
clothing and other needs for the trip. Is
/ helped purchase the outnt myself.
Some of these men are thu most migrate
full lot in the world. When they are out
of work they come to me as agent Of the
Ship Owners Association, and the best
can do for them is 10 send them down -
the sailor boarding house. where they
are taken care of until they secure work,
when they are expected TO pay In ad-
vance"
II was learned yesterday that Capt.
Balch. master OF the vessel. acted very
ir,partially in the matter and only in
sisted on keeping the men aboard when
once signed The sympathy OF nearly all
the shipping men is with the owners IN
the fight on account OF the domineering
demesnor OF the union and the conces-
sions asked for BY the men.