Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-04

uech 10 receive large number of blue
jacket recruits assigned to his ship from
the receiving ship Independence The last
man to come over the side was his elder
brother. who had not been seen or heard of
oy MS family for six years. The ensign
recognized him Immediately, but gave no
sign other than a fleeing elevation of the
eyebrows. The elder brother in the blue
jacket uniform. thorough-looking able
seaman from the soles of his shoes to the
grommet of hi. cap, also recognized his
bro Their with the gilt his coat and cap,
but he took his place in the lire to answer
TO ms name-an assumed one-without so
much as giving the ensign a second glance.
A week later the ship left for the China
station.
The bluejacket brother had put in the six
years during which his people had not
heard from him at sea in the merchant
marine and he had mates papers when he
shipped in the navy. He was such a SPLEEN
did seaman that he was rated cox n, and
then first-class boatswain's mate before
the ship got TO China.
BrotherIy Discrimination
His brother, the ensign, was inwardly so
| mortified and exasperated over the pres
| ence of his brother up forward that he
could not bring himself to treat the boa.s-
vain mate with ordinary justice when he
happened to be officer of the deck. When
the snip finally reached the China station
nearly all hands up forward went ashore
at Nagasak Japan, to take the air" as
GA Haci Call taxing Il NDtrtN
whirl. Most of them came hack to the shin
| somewhat the worse for liquor as was of
course, expected aft. The boatswain's MAJ.
was the steadiest on his legs of the lot
ret ne vas the only man ordered into the
orig for drunkenness by his brother the
ensign. who was officer of the deck when
| the liberty party returned to the ship
Alter ne had done his ten days in double
irons, he returned to the deck and took I'D
his duties able seaman. He found that
he had been reduced from his rating as
boatswain's mate. He was a quiet man,
however, and SO he polished up his bright
work and kept his head closed.
one night about a month later when the
ship was lying in the harbor of Kobe ia
pan. about dozen of the men whose lanes
were inscribed on the fourth-class conduct
list, and who were therefore not permitted
to go ashore. resolved to Jump ship and
go ashore to have good time. They wait
ed until after ''pipe-down' had been sound
ed at . O'Clock. Then they quietly slipped
down the forward anchor chains. one by
one, into the water. and swan ashore to
the docks, about 300 yards distant. They
had invited the able seaman brother of the
ensign to go along with them, but he de-
clined, and turned into his hammock for
his nights rest.
An Unfortunate Accident.
At o'clock in the morning the ship
jumpers, drunk as most of them were,
swan quietly back from the docks to the
ship. climbed up the forward anchor chains
to the topgallant forecastle and every
thing would have been we'll with them If
there had not been a loud splash on the
starboerd side of the ship just as the last
OF them We're climbing aboard. The marine
sentry at the main gangway heard the
splash, and he was on the topgaIlant fore
castle in a Jiffy. The ship jumpers were all
huddled together. watching the struggles
OF a man in the water. The man made for
the anchor chains, and climbed I'D to the
tOpgallant fOrepa Sfle The ha
able seaman brother of the ensign He
was somnambulist. and, Just about the
time when the ship jumpers We're begin
ming to silently steal aboard he had left
his hammock while still asleep, walked up
the ladder from the main deck to the top
gallant forecastle, leaned too far over the
guard-chain and fallen into the water The
cold water of the sea awoke him. and he
clambered up the chains IN the wake of the
last OF the ship jumpers. The case against
him was clear. The marine sentry herled
tEem all down to the main deck and made
his report to the officer Of the deck who
again happened to be the ensign brother Of
the able seaman.
81 was not ashore" said the able seaman
to his brother, when it came his turn to
say something for himself. Il got out Of
board"
STOW your lies for another time" said
his brother. the ensign officer of the deck.
Sentry, you saw this man climb up the
anchor chains?'
Yes. SIR" said the sentry.
Half dozen of the ship jumpers stepped
forward.
He was not ashore sir" said they. We
asked him to go. but he wouldn't come
aicng. We heard him fall into the water as
we clumb up the anchor gear"
I'll prefer charges against the six of
you for lying, too said the ensign. Sen
try. awaken the chief masters t-arms and
send him to me-
The chief master-at-arms showed up
minute later
"Confine all of these men in double irons
in the brig" the ensign ordered.
Paying OFF Old Scores.
Come on men," said the chief master
alarms, and all of them except the able
seaman. unjustly accused, started forward
for the brig, the chief master-at-arms be-
hind them. The able seaman walked up
to his brother, the ensign, without word
and stretched him at full length upon the
quarterback with one blow. Then he join
ed the ship jumpers. The master-at-arms
grabbed him, put him in the solitary brig
in double irons, and then helped the ma
rine sentry to resuscitate the unconscious
ensign.
The able seaman who had f1attened out
his brother and SUPERIOR officer was in for
a ten-ysar term at the Boston naval pris-
on. and he knew it. He afterward MAIN
tanned that he never intended TO give away
his relationship to the ensign at the gen.
eral court-martial held on board the flag
snip TO try his case, but that his brother
gave him little show at the trial that
he found he couldn't help himself.
The ensign made it pretty hard for his
brother at the trial the flagship. In
spite of the fact that the entire twelve
men who had jumped ship on the night the
ensign was knocked down by his brother
testified that the e BILE seaman was not with
them ashore and that they had heard him
fall into the water from the topgallant
forecastle. the ensign expressed his con-
viction that 1.-The man" had been one of
the party of ship Jumpers. The eyes Of
the able seaman cleaned dangerously when
lis brother expressed this conviction.
He knew that I walked in my sleep
when 1 was boy he said afterward.
Caused a Sensation.
Then came the ensign's testimony with
regard to the able seaman's striking him
and knocking him down.
Were you crazy, my man, that you did
this thing"' asked the president of the
court of the able seaman.
Not particularly, replied the seaman
getting to mis- feet. He needed it. 1t was
not the first time 1 had cudseled the whelp
about bit when he needed it,
The sensation in the court was immense