Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1899-11-30
A Hot Time on the Barkentine
Benicia Sunday Morning.
CHARLES LARSEN BADLY SHOT
An Attempt to F"rcibly Drive on the
Nor Union Crew Of the BemicIa esults
In a Pitched BattIe-Capt. BOwes
Comes Out Victorious.

The i'll feeling existing for some time
between the union and non-unon sailors
coming to the port OF Aberdeen culmi-
mated in Il shooting scrapc OH board the
barkentine Benicia about one o'clock
Sunday morning. The Benicia, loaded
and ready to sail, was manned by non.
union crew, that is they did not belong
to the union, but were receiving the
union scale OF wages. Since the shipping
Of the non.un.on crew OH the Benicia the
union sailors in port have appeared to
have hard feeling towards them, and
on Friday night one Of the crew Of the
Benicia was waylaid OH his way to the
vessel by two men, whom he said were
union men, and quite severely beaten.
In view of this trouble, and being ready
to sail on the early morning tide. Capt
Bowes Of the Benicia feared that drastic
measures might be resorted to that night
to prevent him sailing with his non-union
crew, and requested Marshal Graham to
give him Il deputy marshal to guard tn.
ship that night. The marshal depntized
Chas. Y. Fenwick who went on board in
the evening. Every. hing passed off
quietly until shortly after Midnight.
when the captain called Fenwck down
into the cabin to have lunch that had
been prepared for him by the steward.
After eating lunch Fcnwick md the
captain, who was only partially dressed
heard noise on deck and ran for the
complimentary, Fenwick being ahead.
AS lie started up the steps Fenwick was
dazrd 10y the fash and report Of dis
charging pistol almost in his face, and
heard the command to 60 back delivered
with an oath. Feeling a sharp wing in
the eye as the pistol was discharged, lie
thought his eye was shot out. Later Il
piece Of lead was extracted from the eye
, and it was found to be II spat from the
! bullet as 1t hit an iron rod near him. As
| they were standing in the lighted cabin,
making excellent targets for the shooter
at the head Of the stairs, the captain
taking his pistol from Fenwick fired a
shot up the companionway and both
men rushed up onto the deck, where
Fenwick had left the captains shotgun
when he had gone below to lunch AS
they came up to the deck two shots were
fired at them, passing owe. their heads.
Reaching the deck they found it swarm
ing with men, as well as was the wharf,
which, at that stage of tide, was about
on level With the deck. They also
found that, while they had been held at
bay below, the marauders had rushed
into the forecastle and forced the crew
out at the point Of pistols, and there they
were on deck partially clothed and with
what few OF their effects they could grab
as they ran. The captain shouted to
them to 60 back below, that he would
settle with the mob-whch they did.
Then the mob began to scatter from the
ship, and commenced shooting from the
dock. Fenwick and the captain secured
the shotgun and returned the fire, using
the gun alternately One man was seen
to fall as if shot, and his comrades picked
him up and scattered, and the battle Of
the Wishkah was over.
The wounded man was taken TO the
Sailors Union headquarters on street,
where he was discovered TO be Charles
Larsen, one OF the crew OF the schooner
A. J. West, which lay alongside the
| Benicia. Medical all was summoned,
and it was found that ne had two gun
shot Mounds in the abdomen. The in
iured man as taken to st. Joscph's
hospital. where one buckshot was re-
moved and where he now lies with a
possible prospect of recovery.
The Benicia sailed Sunday morning
with the original crew, but has not yet
gone to sea, she being detained in the
lower harbor by tn" storm.
John Gionow. the Aberdeen agent of
the Coast Seamen's Union, who was
called from his home to the bedside Of
the wounded man at | 30 a. M, disclaims
all knowledge OF the affair, on behalf Of
the union, and is inclined to regard it as
personal quarrel between the crews OF
the balkentine Benicia and the schooner
A. j. West. This is hardly supported by
the heavy gun fight made upon the cap
tain and the deputy marshal, WHO hap
pencd to be the agent of the Shipowners'
Association at this port, and the attempt
to forcibly drive ths crew from the vessel
just as she was ready to sail.
As rule, the sympathy Of the eople
Of Aberdeen is with organized labor in
the endeavor to secure {. labor an equit.
able share OF the wealth II produces, but
when any body Of men, organized or un.
organized, ignorant or educated, drunk
or sober, undertakes in the city OF Abei'
deem to deprive q free American citizen
of the right guaranteed him by the funda.