The San Francisco call., 1898-02-14
Officers of the Vessel PowePlesS to Protect Lives in Their
 Keeping.
ONE NIGHT OF TERROR.
Foreigners Leave Their Stateroorns and Huddle Together on the
 Saloon Bridge.
Correspondence of The Call.

HONGKONG, Jan. 7.-The China Mail of to-day contains an account or occurrences on board the Hakata-maru while at Moji on New Years day that will reawaken all the distrust, many times expressed, as to the safety of Japanese steamships for European passengers. It is but fair, however, to give prominence to a statement made by Captain Nivison, R. N. R., who is in command of the Hakata-m -maru on this trip to Europe, to a representative or the Daily Press. He denied that any thing serious had transpired on board. The only British passengers were the crew of a ship returning to England. On New Years day the crew went into the Japanese firemen's quarters, and after a time a quarrel sprang up be- tween the Englishmen and the firemen. They fought on deck, but no one, ac- cording to the captains account, was injured, and the only upshot of the dis pute was that two Japanese firemen were ordered to go ashore.
 We (Daily Press) understand, how ever, that the passengers give very different account, and that they assert the Japanese used knives against them and also against some of the engineers. They also affirm that although Jap anese Warship was lying alongside the Hakata-maru she refused to render any assistance in suppressing the disturb ance."
 The China Mails account is very cir eumstantial, and is made up of per sonal statements by Thomas Hall, who i,-I of ho To in maru, and by the carpenter and a fire man of the same steamship. On the strength of their narratives the Hong kong journal declares that "a more cowardIy attack could scarcely be inn agined," and all three of them still bore marks of rough treatment. While in Hongkong steps were taken to obtain redress.
 The following is taken from Halls account:
 We went on board the Hakata-maru at Kobe. All went will until we got to Moji About a quarter past l o'clock on the morning of New Years day, was walking along the deck after wish ing the officers "a Happy New Year, and was opposite my own berth when was struck on the head with what l be- HeVe must have been a marlinSpike Blood commenced to flow freely, and be. fore 1 realized what was up I was set upOH Dy several Japanese. On6 or my friends was walking behind me. He sung out for assistance, tackled two of my assailants and rescued me.
 l had just got clear when I was sci upon again, and believing 1t was now matter of life or death, and that The Japanese were attempting to murder the whole of us, l struck out as well as could. was knocked down. hit while and bruised about the head and body l rushed into the third engineers quar. ters, where l was patched up by the na- tive doctor. l then went to my berth where l was told the Japs had been try ing to get in during my absence. They were armed with knives.
 Everything went all right till about o'clock, when another attack was made upon the Europeans on board. The Jap. were armed with knives, iron crowbars belay1ng pins; some were naked, other: half-dressed, and all were mad with sake They burst in the doors of the engineers berths. seized the engineers dragged them out on the deck and dashed then about There were so many Japs tha the Europeans were completely helpless We watched them through the DOT holes of our cabins, and wondered wher our turn would come. The chief anC third engineers were badly mauled. The Japs then went forward to their owr quarters.
 After tiffin I was standing speaking t, the second and fifth or sixth engineerl when was set upon by one Jap. I tried lD Sc lo my DeIlH W0lI6 the engineer. held him. He broke away and | faced around upon him. Another Jap cam, rushing up, and then it became a genera melee. All the Europeans on board, in cluding the officers, engineers, first. sec ond and third class passengers, got upor the saloon bridge. Captain Nivison wa too i'll in his cabin to render any assist ance. There were about forty European all told and about a hundred Japs w, passengers asked for something to defen, ourselves with, but the officers thougl they did what they could, were afraid |, give us firearms. as we were lying In : close port, and they were afraid of com plications with the Japanese authorities We all had sticks. We remained on tn, bridge the remainder of the day anC all night. The Japs broke all the gear il the cabins and on the deck, and threat ened to carry the bridge and kill all tn, Europeans. Intimation was given us or the previous day that there was likel, to be trouble on board, but we never an ticipated anything so serious I heart rumors in general way that there wa: i'll feeling toward some of the European. on board-that they were stricter witt the natives than native oIicers and en gineers.
 Halls statement was fully confirmed Yla