The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-09
herring CLAIMS COMMISSION.
Testimony N 60 Catches Made ny
setxed eehssners.

VICTORIA r. c.. Dec. s.-f5ef0re the
Bersng sea claims commission this morn
Ing william r. Bragg was examined as
60 the probable catch. He said ne was
mate OF the schooner Mary Ellen IN lsess
and produced book containing q memo
randum o. the catch On june p fney
began the hunt 81 Boring sea lie told "
the various catches made by several aunt
ers and the number Of days occupied dur
ing each month I'm me hunt.
William Thomas was the next 70 hastily.
He said he was the pilot or he caroline
In February. 1856. when they went 70
EuehantslIets To get an Indian crew for
fhs schooner. They landed supplies for
the Indians. but, not being able 10 get
crew. took the supplies aboard again ana
came 70 Victoria. where Thomas lsft her
William T. Bragg was then recalled tie
testified that the total catch u fhe Mary
Ellen In Boring sea IL fsss wAs 2.3ss seals
To Mr. Warren he said ne 6id not speak
the Caroline, the Favorsts or Thornton
The catch Of the Mary Ellen. with the
exception Of that Of the Triumph In lasa,
was the greatest catch yet made In Boring
sea-
Peters put In the evidence 81 Andrew
Lang. who. on account Of sickness was
unable to attend. Peters stated that he
was mate or the schooner SaywaTd during
the cruise in Bering sea IN 1855 He sub
United diary OF the catch kept by Lang,
which placed the total catch al 2. 10 seals.
Mr.. Warren then submitted that the evil
Aence Of Andrew Lang tn the affidavit
made by him az 20 the number OF seals
captured previous 70 the seizure Of the
schooner was not true.
question as 70 the credfoility Of the
witness WAS then raised by the United
statea consul. Mr. Dickinson then quoted
from the American case which was tried
before tina Paris tribunal TO show the DIFF
s&.<f IL Ea&
we're shot. Two. he said. were lost out
of every three shot.
Victor Jacobsen. master mariner. said
he was not In the Reriax sea during 1855.
m he was then hunting on the Mountain
Chisf. on the coast. In 1887. he said. he
went In the Mountain chief TO Bering sea.
leaving on the return trip about August
Is or IL. as hs was frightened by hearing
OF the many seizures. The Mountain
Chief caught something over 100 seals. -
Of which were secured on the FIRST day of
ths hunt.
An adjournment was then taken for
lunch. after which Victor Jacobsen again
testified. He said that the extract read
by Lansing from the fisheries report was
''guesswork." He said that he never kept
any record OF bis catch sn the log book
To Mr.. Peters he said that the state
ment In tho fisheries report 10 the effect
that thu Mountain Chief was owned by
Measrs. outtman & Frank was an error,
80 he was the owner. having bought the
schooner from the Indians az Mas river
who had built her He ultimately sold
the schooner back to the Indians
Capt. Warren, when recalled, testified
under examination by Sir Charles Hib-
bert Tupper. that the eaten OF the
schooner Dolphin In isss was 2.o35 seals.
and produced a diary kept by him during
the cruise. showing thu daily catch. on
August he saw a revenue cutter with
three schooneFs In tow. lie then immedi-
stely started southwark. He stated that
he was Ia the sea again ia 1851, and that
on August u the Dolphin was seized by
the American revenue cutter Rush