The Portland daily press., 1900-12-20
A Mutiny on the Steam.
or Turret Bell.
BOatSWain Assaulted Captain 30
Latter Says.
Then Grew Would Not
Go To Sea.
Two Seamen aud the B0atswain
Were Then Arrested.


coal steamer Turret Bell last night and
her crew refused to go TO sea in her. AS
a result the captain, A. j. Wildes, had
the poatswnin and two seamsn arrested
and looked up In the nolice station and
the sailing OF the ship win be delayed
until the matter ia settled by the British
vice consul today.
The Turret Bell Is one Of the line Of
ships which runs between Sidney, Cape
Breton and American ports with coal.
she reached here on Sunday and went
into the Grand Trunks new GOAL rockets
in East Dsering to discharge her cargo,
the first to be taken out at this new
plant from any ship. Having completed
the discharge or her cargo the captain
found 10 necessary to go into the Portland
company dock TO have some repairs made
on the hatch combings which had besn
battered by the scoops which unloaded
the coal a. the new pockets. These re-
pairs were completed at dark last night
and the captain was intending to put to
sea Immediately but found that his crew
had mutinied.
The first signs of the trouble cams at
half past i've O'Clock when Capt. Wildes
said he went out on deck and found the
boatswain there. He had recently pro-
NOTED this man from the forscastie to be
the boatswain and always considered him
to be a good man. The boatswain said
something to the captain about putting
the covers on the forward matches and the
.a.ta4c to1d htv,n te sxo ahaad and do IT
The boatswain said that he wouldn't or
something OF that kind and that he was
going into the forscastie and would stay
there until he got ready to come out un-
less the captain issued oil clothing to him
and the crew. Ths captain told the boat
swain that he would come to time when
he was needed and at hat the captain
said that thu boatswain lifted his hand
as though to strike him. Capt. Wildes
said that he saw the mans hand 80 mp
and that he grabbed him by the throat
and asked him what he meant by such
conduct. The boatswain forced the
captain TIA OK into the cabin and the cap
tain having lame leg couldn't hold
his own and fell to this deck with the
boatswain on top of him, Capt. Wildes
said that he shouted TO his mate for as
sistanee and In the meantime avoided the
blows which the boatswain tried to.tnfiict
on him.
The first officer came and pulled the
boatswain of the captain who ordered
the man looked up in q state room until
the ship got TO sea. The cap tain then
told the mate to get ready TO go to sea,
but at seven O'Clock the mate came into
the cabin and told the captain that the
crew had refused duty and were mustered
on deck waiting to see him.
Captain Wiides said that he stepped out
on deck and asked what was the matter.
The men said something about the boat
swain.
"Nsyer you MUD the boatswain," said
the captain. "What has happened be-
tween the boatswain and me will bs
settled between us. He has nothing TO do
with you. Go forward and do your
duty"
At this the captain said the men be-
gan to complain about the forecastle,
which il in the stern OF the ship, saying
that there was leak about the rudder
post and that the ship was not safe to go
| to sea In. The captain says he tried to
reason with the crew. but found that II
was OF no avail, So he DISPATCHED mes
senRer for port warden, and Captain
James Keazar was obtained. He viewed
the ship and heard the complaints OF the
crew regarding the forecastle. Then he
gave the captain a certificate showing
that he had examined the forecastle and
found 1t to be all right, There was an
Indication OF a leakage about tha ruddeI
post 60 this certificate stated, but as the
ship was light this would not make the
forecastie very uncomfortable. There
was some dirt on the floor Of the fore
castle In one place, but the captain
showed the port warden the ships articles
/ which require that the crew keep thi'
part of the ship clean under a penalty Of
| five shiuings a man. After the Dort
warden had left the ship Capt. Mildai
made another attsmpt to get the men ts
return TO duty, SO he said last night, but
they refused to go to work. he then
threate ned them with arrest and thes
told him TO go ahead and arrest them
but they would not 60 to saa with him.
Captain wildes sent to the police sta
tion for aid and the boatswain named
Hensen and two seamen named Dix ant
Seally who were the ringleaders In th'
70