The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-30
TROUBLE ON THE FLINT.
Warrants Out for the Arrest
of the Captain and
First Mate.
WILL BE ARRESTED TO-DAY.
Sailors Claim That They We're Bru-
tally Treated on the Trip From
Baltimore.

The American ship May Flint arrived
from Baltimore on the 26th inst. and the
men had a tale of cruelty to tell as soon as
they were paid off by the United States
Shipping Commissioner.
Kicking and beating the sailors began
before the ship was fairly out of the river
and continued up to within few days of
the arrival in San Francisco. According
to the story told to the United States Dis
trict Attorney, they were kicked and cuffed
on the slightest provocation. They were
compelled to steal barrel of bread from
the store locker.
AS result of their testimony warrants
are now in the hands of United States Mar
shall Baldwin for the arrest of Captain E.
D. P. Nickels and Chief Officer knight.
The latter is out of town and the skipper
could not be found, but Captain James F.
Chapman promised that both shall ap-
pear to answer the charges tomorrow.
The complaining witnesses are Ernest
Stack, Edward Williams, Adolph Lassen,
James O'Brien and Charlie Svensen.
1--WE sailed from Baltimore on March %
last. and going down the river the trouble
began" said Seaman Williams. "O'Brien
was kicked and abused horribly in the port
alleyway, and the clothes he then wore are
still saturated with his blood. He is rup-
tured for life. Charlie Svensen had his
head cut and his eyes BACKED, and was
then knocked down with a Delaying pin
because he could not see to go aloft. 1
went forward and asked the old man (the
captain) to anchor the ship and hoist the
police flag in order to stop the brutality.
He did bring the vessel to an anchor, but
when / attempted to hoist the flag he
stopped me. That evening he brought a
gang of shipping-masters and runners
aboard with guns and clubs, and we all got
a most awful beating.
'At P. NJ. we askedfor something to eat,
but the old man told us to wait until the
steward was ready to help us. When our
turn finally came all we got was one biscuit
and a cup of coffee each. We were allowed
no molasses with our coffee. When we
complained and said we would report the
matter in San Francisco we were laughed
at and told our troubles had only just
begun, and that they didn't care snap
about San Francisco, as there was no law
for sailors in that port.
I'VE got out on the high seas and the
ship being new steered very badly. In
consequence many one of the men got a
punching from the captain and mate be-
cause they could not keep the May Flint
on her course. One day Charlie Svensen
was holystoning the deck near the wheel
house. He accidentally knocked off a bit
OF paint with the stone and Captain
Nickels saw him. He called Svensen to
him and said: Let me have the holy
stone and I'll show you the proper way to
do it,. Svensen gave him the stone and
he grabbed the poor fellow by the throat
and rubbed his face until the skin was
rubbed off in several places.
''Ernest Stack was the next man in
trouble. He incurred the anger of the
mate and that man seized him by the
throat and threw him on the deck. He
then kicked and cuffed him and laying
him across a spar almost .choked him to
death.
"Lassen was tarriDg the main back
stays, and Captain Nickels was walking on
the weather side of the ship. Lassen was
chewing tobacco, and in attempting to
spit overheard few drops of saliva fell on
the captains hat. When Lassen came
from aloft Captain Nickels rushed at him
and knocked him down and kicked him
repeatedly in the stomach, Lassen was
laid up for eight days.
There were plenty of stores aboard, but
we were fed SO poorly that some OF the boys
were driven to steal barrel of bread.
Anything is good enough for those
hounds was what the captain would say.
When we were within a few days sail
there was a sudden change and nothing
was too good for us, because the old man
said, Well feed them up now and they'll
be in a good humor when We reach
Frisco"
Peter Miller kept daily journal of the
practices on board. He is well versed in
English, but wrote the horrible accounts
in Danish for fear the captain or mates
would see the book. a few extracts will
give some idea of the contents of the jour-
nal:
Stack one day split little salt water on
deck, and was kicked and beaten while mop
ping 1t up.
Bolton was choked until he was almost stran-
gled.
mates often swore they would strew the YES
sells wake with dead sailors. The second mate
had no other name for any OF the crew but one
too vile for publication.
N. G. Lundgren at the wheel failed to hear
the captains order from the forward part of
the bridge, and was beaten by the captain as
he stood grasping the wheel-spokes. He was
of her course while Nickels was kicking and
pounding the PROSTATE helmsman. First Mate
Knight told second Mate Clark that thereswas
plenty of law in Frisco for an officer, but none
for - sailor, and he need not be afraid of
trouble.
The captain went ashore in Baltimore after
the police at the request of the crew, after they
saw what was in store for them In the way OF
treatment He returned with a crowd OF
Boarding-master Goodhue's runners, who put
in day and half beating the crew into sub
mission with their revolvers.
Mrs. May Flint, the wife of the Junior
member of the firm, for whom the horrible
ship is named is a prominent member of
the Seamen's Friend Society of New York.
She is noted for her good works among the
seafaring men of her city, and the sailors
aboard of the ship that bears her name
are beaten and bruised and starved for
pastime.