The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-12
SHIP CARPENTER GlRRfTY.
HE MAKES J1sIyGs INTERESTING
ron vALESCIA,s OFFICERS.


The steamship Valencia. which arrived
here yesterday from saa Francisco. is In
trouble. So are her captain. W. O. Hum
phreys. ard chief mate. James Lane. John
Garrety, the ships carpenter on her last
voyage, yesterday entered in the United
States court OF admiralty libel against
the vessel and the two officers named FOR
tso15 for assault and battery and forcible
election from the Valencia, and another
personal possessions held on board the
vessel w. J. Briscoe. the ships baker. en-
tered at the same time suit for $42 wages
due. Judge Hanford issued a warrant for
the arrest Of Humphreys and Lane. The
story Of the assault and battery was de-
yeloped in a criminal suit brought by
Garrety against Chief Mate Lane through
the prosecuting attorney. This suit was
originally brought in West Seattle. but by
change Of venue was tried in Justice In
gerscifs court yesterday afternoon.
Justice Ingersoli found the defendant
guilty and ordered him to pay q fine Of
so and the costs OF prosecution.
The first witness called In the trial was
Garrety. He Is rather a small man with
white hair, and evidently about 90 years
old Mate Lane IL big. broad-shouldered.
deep-chested man. apparently not more
than IS. Garrety was placed on the stand.
He swore to the following statement Of the
assault:
On May the Valencia was lying In port
at West Seattle. leading with grain Cor
San Francisco. Garrety came on board be-
tween and O'Clock In the morning. The
chief mate was beneath the for ard hatch
way on the tween deck trying to repair
the grain chute. which has become brok-
en-. Garrety heard him sing out that the
nails he was using were too short 10 hold.
Garrety called back that he would get
some longer ones. He did 80, carried them
aft and offered them to Lane. who replied:
Get Z -- out o. here. / don't want any
OF your - impertinence" Garrety
stopped. The mate then sprang over the
pile OF grain sacks, struck the carpenter
q blow in the face which felled him like
an OK. then knelt on the fallen mans
chest and beat him in the face until the
blood flowed. Getting up. he kicked him
and then put his foot on his neck. asking
him IL he had had enough" Garrety
staggered to his feet, his face covered
with blood, and reeled for'ard. saying he
would nave the mate in states prison
for this.
Garrety was severely cross-examined by
httoiHcy 1oIAdin IoE TIC uSIeHSc, ana py
Lane himself. who took lively hand in
the proceedings In an attempt to middle
the witness.
George b. NichoI. the superintendent Of
the grain elevator at which the Valencia
loaded. and c. w. Cropt. the bookkeeper
at the same place, were called and both
substantiated Garrety's testimony. They
had been standing on the vessels upper
deck and through the open hatchway had
seen the whole occurrence. They both de-
scribed 1t as the most cold-blooded and
unprovoked assault they had over wit
messed. This closed the case for the prose-
cution.
Mate Lane was first called by the de-
tense to testify In his own behalf. Lane
admitted having knocked Garrety down,
but said the man was drunk and insolent
and he had acted in self-defense. The
Valencia's purser, F. l.. McCoudray, gave
some testimony.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Hart made
a short plea to the court. The defense
submitted without plea. Justice Ingersoll
said: II find the defendant guilty and
order him to pay a fine Ut $50 and the
costs OF the prosecution"
Counsel for Lane gave notice OF appeal
and furnished bonds of security in the
sum Of $500. on which the prisoner was
released.
In Garrety's $500 suit filed in the court
of admiralty he accuses Capt. Humphreys
OF approving Mate Lanes assault and also
OF ordering aim (Garrety) to be thrown
from the deck OF the vessel onto the wharf
alongside, an order which Garrety alleges
was carried out by Chief Mate Lane.