The evening times., 1898-11-26
Sailor of the Dolphin Kid
naped in the Old Style.
DUMPED ON A TRADER
Able Seaman Wilson Caught While
Oh Spree.
Comes to His Senses, Jumps Over
beard and Is Picked Up I'm
Casing of Ice,


lations governing the. shipping of sailors
and the precautions taken as to sailors
boarding houses the custom of shipping
the men on vessels without their own So
ber consent has been practically done
away with, but yesterday an apparently
fragrant case of genuine 'shanghaiing
came to the knowledge of the shipping
officials, and it will be thoroughly inves-
tigated. The case seems TO be, an espe-
cially daring attempt to reap the reward
paid for furnishing sailors TO ships on
long voyages, for the man who was thus
captured and put on board merchant
man was one of Uncle Sans bluejackets,
who had come home to spend Thanksgiv-
ing with his relatives in Brooklyn. Like
many of the other sailors this one found
that shore leave" was a most enjoyable
thing after confinement on board ship.
and he proceeded TO enjoy ii on reaching
New York in true sailor fashion. He only
realized that his experiences were not TO
De all enjoyment when he woke up early
yesterday morning on a vessel bound for
Yokohama, and found that he had been
signed as one of the crew of that vessel
and stood a chance of being classed as q
deserter from the navy.
The story of the sailors adventures first
came out when the tug Edward Nj. TIM
minis put into Pier a, North River, ana
landed man who, il was thought, wou d
die from exposure. Capt. Roche, OF the
tug. while she was bound from Quarantine
to the city. had seen small boat hoaung
in the bay off SiXtY-hfth Street, Bay
Ridge He changed his course TO come
q.
sailor sitting in the stern. The man was
almost completely covered with a coating
of ice and snow. He was taken on board
the tug. and it was found that he was
completely stupefied by the cold. In the
cabin of the tug they gave him hot drinks,
and he was eventually restored to con-
sCiousness. He then said that he was
John Wilson. twenty y-nine years old, a
sailor on the United States ship Dolphin,
and told strange tale.
4 few days ago the sailor said, he had
obtained shore leave from the Dolphin,
which is now at Washington, and game
to New York to spend Thanksgiving with
his mother at No 25 Fayette Street,
Brooklyn He soon found some compan-
ions whom he had known ever since he
entered the service. and with them started
out to have a good time. The last he re-
membered until early Friday morning
was that he was still having a good time.
He woke up then to find himself on board
the ship Tam o Shanter. bound for Yo-
kohama. He then realized that he had
been shanghaied, and determined 10 es-
cape from the vessel.
Conferring with several members of the
crew he found another man who said
that he had been put on board against
his will. This man expressed a des r. to
n-h va. Sf in h4 y.
Two other members of the crew also ex-
pressed their willingness To desert and
four men made a break for liberty about
4 o'clock yesterday morning while the
mate was below. They lowered the ships
boat over the side, and Wilson got into
il. The second man to go down the rope.
however, upset the tiny craft and with
Wilson fell into the water What became
of the other two men neither Wilson nor
his companion could tell. AS was iearne /
afterward from the captain of the ship.
however, they got away. Wilson held on
10 the upturned boat, which driftei with
the tide away from the ship. and at last
succeeded in righting IL. His companion
whose name is John Leesey, held on TO
the anchor chain, and was later on res
curd and taken aboard the Tam O Shan
ter
lard. He came to the city yesterday af-
ternoon from Quarantine to ship four
new men in place of Wilson and Lee
sey and the other two sailors. He
brought Leesey up to the city. and al
lowed him TO go as soon as he found
out that the man had been placed on
board without knowing where he was
going. In the meantime the story told
by Wilson had been investigated by the
harbor police and found to be correct
A policeman from the station took Wit
son TO the Brooklyn navy yard. and there
found that he was a sailor from the Dol
phin. The policeman left him there. and
he was al once put on board the receiv-
ing ship Vermont He was told that if
he wanted TO return TO the Dolphin he
would have to arrange to pay his own
transportation. He said that he did not
want to be considered a deserter and
at once sent to friends for the money 70
pay his way TO Washington.
Capt. Ballard of the Tam o. Shanter
said, when seen yesterday. that he knew
nothing about the "shanghaiing'' of the
sailors; that he had obtained them
in the regular way through a boarding
house. All he knew was that four of his
men had gone, and that he had come
ashore for four more. AT the office of the
shipping commissioner, in the Cheese
brough building, Commissioner Maurice
]. Power, when asked about the case.
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