The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-08-31
CRUELTY ON
THE HIGH SEAS
The Cyrus Wakefield a
Hell Ship"
OFFICERS TO BE PROSECUTED
SECOND MATE LEONARD HAS
LEFT THE VESSEL.
Sailors Say They Were Beaten,
Wounded and Ill-Treated From
the Time the Ship Left
Baltimore.

Another "helI ship" reached port yes
terday According to the crew of the
Cyrus Wakefield a tougher set of officers
never commanded a vessel, and If there
is any law in the land the sailors intend
to make Captain Henry, First Mate VIII
Hanson and Second Mate Leonard an
swer for their brutality. The record OF
the voyage from Baltimore TO San Fran
cisco is to be laid before the United
States District Attorney to-day and war
rants sworn out for their arrest United
States Marshal Shine will have some
trouble in locating Second Mate Leonard,
as he disappeared yesterday as soon as
the ship dropped anchor.
months ago. and during the entire pas
sage, according to the sailors, there was
hardly a day passed but one of them was
beaten and i'll used. j. A. Jansen came
ashore yesterday afternoon with MS nose
swollen and his face marked with ploou
from a blow he received from the mate
while the ship was entering port HIS Oh
fense was letting a drop of varnish fall
on the deck. and for that he was knocked
down and kicked.
..I have travelled in some pretty hard
ships, but the Cyrus Wakefield takes the
cake" said the boatswain yesterday.
The first day out Paul Peterson was
knocked down with a knuckle custer anu
brutally beaten by the captain, mate ana
second mate l really believe they Woulu
have killed him If the unfortunate 1eiloW
had not escaped aloft. Cnarlle Matlson
was on the main crosstrees DONG soAle
work and was not getting along last
enough to suit the second mate LeoHaru
went aloft and struck him a blow with
scraper, almost knocking MIN 0Verooa[tu.
Had ii not been for 2. Webb, VINO caugnI
him when he stumbled, Mattson W0ulu
surely have gone to Davy Jones locker;
"A few days later Second Mate Leonard
had a row with Webb and struck the
latter on the face with an iron punch,
almost putting his eye out. Whlle ne was
down First Mate Williamson caiIeo out,
Kick the life out of the lazy sailor, ana
the second mate answered, d Kill MIN
If we were only going TO Hongkong.
started in and threw our clothes over,
board and when the men said they WouIu
have the law on them Second Mate Leon
ard laughed and said, We're gong 10
Frisco; there's no law in that hole Part
of the evidence we have against them is
the Delaying pin which did most 81 OF b bn9
damage There is hardly one or US put
has felt it's weight. and nearly all OF US
have marks on some portion or our pody
left by it. Herman Lensky secured II pc
fore he left the ship. The second mate
hit him over the arm with it on one oc-
casion and laid him up for week. Leon
ard has been on other snips ana W Vas vent ion
ashore first thing with the captain yes
terday morning, but we Will eaten MN II
we have to hunt MIN from one emu VI
California to the other. We tried to have
the harbor police arrest the three OFF,
GERS, but they would not do it, saving we
would have to get the United states Mar
shall to do that Well. we are going TO do
that and we will soon find out whether
there is any law in California or not.
the worst lot of kickerS that ever sailed
on a ship. Many of them had never been
to sea before and only two or t tbe st OF
RES of brutality in toto. and says that
while one or two of them may have got
an occasional cuff they did not get nan
the whole matter will be aired be1ore
United States Commissioners Heacock to-
morrow. . 80
GoodaIi. Perkins & Co. is about to sever
his connection with that firm after twenty
years Of faithful service. e re tb mas P osfn
transfer Company and will begin his new
duties tomorrow. All the vast shipping
Evans had at his fingers end and his loss
will be very much felt by the firm. Their
loss. however, is the gain OF the PACING
Transfer Company, as Mr.. Evans is a
first-ciass business man and a great ia
vorite with the travelling pubic AL the
meeting at which Mr.. Evans was elected
All was elected vice president and William
Babcock a director of the transfer COM
pany so that that concern mas been
strengthened all around.
The cannery steamer Equator, owned by
7 D. Hume had a narrow escape in koo-
gak Bay recently. An Indian pilot ran
her high and dry on the beach at low
water one night. When the tide came in
she slid down into deep water and at
next low tide nothing but the top OF her
smokestack could be seen. To the Italian
fishermen employed at the Hume Can
merry the loss of the steamer meant the
loss of an entire seasons work, so they
went to work and by dint of bull strength
and perseverance they got the vessel up
and beached She was then patched up
and put in commission again.
CAPTAIN Cove. formerly of the bark Co
lumbia. is going out as master of the bark
General Fairchild. Captain Slater. who
was with the Fairchild for few days, is
going into the island trade.
Fire" Ault a teamster for Farnsworth.
and Levi Gibson, his friend, were booked
at the Harbor Police Station on charge
of petty larceny by officer L. Shaw yes
terday Haas Bros. at 10 California
street, have been missing groceries for
some time and yesterday morning they
put o. Schrieber to watch from an up
stairs window. He saw Gibson take a
case of condensed milk and put 1t into
Ault's wagon and then Ault covered IL
with a blanket and drove away. officer
Shaw followed them to grocery and
LIQUOR store at AZ Minna street and there
located the milk and a bag of sugar. which
also belonged to Haas Bros. The sugar
and milk were only left at the grocery
for safe keeping.