The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-22
STEWARD ST. CLAIR IN JAIL.
CHARGED WITH APPROPRIATING
GOVERNMENT sILVERWARE.

Four Hundred Pieces of SiIverware
and Cutlery Alleged to BE Missing
From the ROumanian's Stock-Pre-
Iiminary Hearing Set for Next
Wednesday Afternoon Capt.
WriEIey Pleased with the Charge
That He Feeds the Crew on Less
Than the Amount Allowed.
Ey-Steward Hugh st. Clair of the
transport Roumanian, is in the county jail,
on a warrant issued by United States
Commissioner Lewis st. Clair is charged
with the larceny from the transport of
about 400 pieces of silverware and cutlery,
the property of the United States govern
ment. Being a stranger here st. Clair
will hardly be able to give bond, and will
doubtless remain in prison until the hear
ing of the case, which has been set for
next Wednesday afternoon, at 4 O'Clock.
The Roumanian is expected back in Sa-
vannah by that time, and Capt. Wrigley.
his clerk and other witnesses for the gov
eminent will be heard.
The arrest of ST. Clair was made at
the instance of Col. ]. B. Bellinger, depot
quartermaster, Capt. Wrigley having sail
ed on the Roumanian yesterday morning.
Before sailing Capt. Wngley compared
the inventory of the silverware, ETC., with
a list made up at the time st. Clair was
discharged and left the transport. The re-
suit was the apparent shortage on which
the warrant haspd Clair will he
represented by ex-Judge MacDonell II
is understood that efforts will be made
by the government in the interval between
now and the hearing to locate the missing
table effects.
st. Clair emphatically denies the charge
He claims there is $40 due him by Capt.
Wrigley, the Roumanian's quartermaster
on account of sales of liquors made on the
transport. This claim rs had put in the
hands of Attorney MacDonell for col
lection, and it was in reference to a set
tlement that Capt. Wrigley was asked to
cali at the attorneys office on Tuesday
morning. st. Clair also asserts that the
quartermaster was using his position for
| personal profit, by feeding the crew al
about half the amount allowed by the
| government.
Capt. Wrigley was asked about this be
fore the Roumanian left the city for Cuba.
Yes" said ne, lit is true that l have
been feeding the crew at less than what
the government permits me to expend, and
1 am proud that such is the fact. Under
my orders from the government I am al
| lowed to spend not exceeding rs cents a
| day per man in feeding the crew. AS a
! matter of fact my clerk tells me the ac-
| tual cost to the government has been an
| average of "A cents a day. AS there are
| eighty persons 10 be fed the saving is
| quite considerable. And at the same time
! the crew is well fed and there is no COM
| planning. The only complaints we have
| had in six months were on the last voy-
| age when the men claimed that they were
| being starved. 1 found that the food serv-
| ed to them was not fit to eat. l also found
! that the steward had drawn 300 pounds
| of meat in one day for them, or nearly
| four pounds to a man. He refused 70 eX-
| plain the matter but there was proof that
| he had made up sandwiches and given
| them to the soldiers who are not fed by
| him and that supplies were being used in
| this way. This was one reason why he
| was discharged. He is an efficient man as
| a steward, but would not obey orders"
If st. Clair had any intention of issuing
! another warrant for the quartermaster he
! failed to put it into execution yesterday.
| Nothing further was done in the matter
I
! Peace Nathans charging Capt. Wrigley
with pointing pistol at St. Glars head.
! Col. Bellinger still insists that the justice
| had no legal right to issue the warrant.
| 1t is also claimed, outside of Col. Bellin-
| gers contention about the local courts not
having jurisdiction over the acts commit
ted on a transport, that the warrant was
! Illegal inasmuch as 1t was issued within
! twenty-four hours before the sailing of the
! vessel for the purpose of annoying Capt.
! Wrigley, who was in command Of the Rou-
manian. 1t is held that the Georgia code
| provides that vexatious arrests of mari
ners within twenty-four hours of the sail
! ing of their vessels are unlawful and pun
! ishable with a fine of 800. II was partly
this that Col. Bellinger had in mind when
| he told the constable that he would be ar
resting Capt Wrigley at his own peril. He
holds that, outside of the lack of jurlsdic-
ton, the justice had no right under the
| slate code 10 arrest Capt. Wrigley on a
warrant issued on the eve of the sailing
of the vessel for an offence alleged to have
been committed four days before