The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-14
LATE SMITHS STORY.
H Denies That He Treated His
Seamen Brutally.
ne BROWNING OF SAILOR MAu.
- Divorce Cases Up Yesterday-A
Tsn-Year-old Girl on Her Way
70 the Reform school.

"a trial Of Capt EewaIi and Mate
nsrffh Of the ship BENJAMIN Se~all for
sse1aUstIng ssaEaen or the high seas with
=, the marine Jurisdiction OF the United
ofafks. vas continued yesterday In the
Yederal court. occupying the entire day.
- most interesting testimony Der haps
11tur that Of the accused mate. who oe-
800 the witness stand during the after
noen-
Ths forenoon was taken up with tsxti-
socy for the government. the witnesses
Mig the other members of the crew,
rbose stories went 70 c0rroborate the mar
rsfIvs OF Francis. published yesterday.
About o'clock the government rested.
"a after two or three minor witnesses
:. fer the defense had been examined In or
6sr TO allow them 70 return 20 Port
fornsend. Mate William Smith ras
e1Isd He IL . stockfiy built EaaE. and
has the physique Of pueiIist. rendering
Nm tulsy capable OF insictsng thu beat
inxe that are ascribed TO him; bat his
face, though rather heavy. scarcely has
tbe brutal expression that one would ex-
pect TO End IN the case Of such q fcnd a.
hs i accused Of being
II IL hardly necessary 20 say that the
etory Of the mate contrsdicts that Of the
csemsn In many important RESPECTS. and
- advanced a theory OF his own on the
witness stand to account for the differ
ence between the txo By saying that he
believed good part OF the sailors story
lad been made up at Port Townsend ~
s biackmaiIing scheme against him.
Nr smith has an impeachment In hip
speeeh which rendered some or his re-
plIes somewhat amusing TO the crowd Of
auditors In the court room. bat there was
- sense Of humcr In his grim earnest
aess either on direct examination or when
h was passing the sevsrer test of the
c-oss-cxamination conducted by Assist
enf United States District Attorney Reb-
ertson- He testified that Capt Sewaii
had struck Francis on the occasion men
t01ed but denied that he himself had
done no. He denied that he had any feel
inT Of ENVY. malice or hatred toward
any member Of the Sewaifs crew, hut as
eerfed that on the contrary he enter
timed for them the ksndiiest feelings.
When the question was asked him IS to
Why he had beaten such and such a sailor
With HIS fists, another with a Delaying
IN. and had cursed his men 30 roundiy.
hs admitted that hs now and then got into
passion Ia the course Of which he was
rkeiy 10 lavish such little attentions
upon those under his charge; but he de-
MED many OF the specific acts OF cruelty
alleged against him. and said that while
- swors sometimes" yet he had not
besn guilty OF the Language ascribed 10
him by tho witnesses for the govern
uent- His statement that he had treated
the SewalI's crew as kindly as he had
ever treated any crew nwoke q smila on
many faces In the court room
The interest I'm Mr.. Smiths testimony
tsspaned perceptibiy when he came 10
tell of his treatment OF Mau. the poor fell
low who In alleged TO have jumped over
board TO his death In order 70 escape the
brutal treatment OF the mate. Smith sc-
knowledged that IL was cool morning
when he came on deck and found Man.
who complained of being cold: that hs
tcld Mau 10 take hold OF q bar In cap
'ohn and trot around and see if he could
not warm himself UP. When asked why
be did not send the man below, Smith said
hs knew that Mau was not cold. but was
only pretending. Asked how long Mau
Fsmained at the capstan he replied that
be supposed he was there about fifteen
minutes; that he supposed that Mau went
nom the capstan overheard.
Harry Bloomer. the cook on the sewaii.
with whom Francis had the quarrel on
the morning OF The day when he claims
70 have been so roughly handled by thu
captain and the mate. next took the stand
and gave detailed account OF the trouble
which occurred In the galley and was
caused by Francis coming that morning
ten minutes ahead Of time for hts coffee.
The defense has three other witnesses yet
10 examine. among them Capt. Sewaii.
ana the case wfli De resumed at o'clock
tomorrow afternoon