The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-12
DRIVEN To
THEIR Toll
Sailors Tell Why
They We're In
Terror.
CAPT. BAKER AND
MATES DENY ALL
Emily Reed Case is Now in the
Hands Of Court Commits
sioner Robinson.


day yesterday hearing the case of the
People VS.. Captain Baker ct al. The
skipper of the Emily Reed is charged
with having cruelty maltreated several
of his sailors while on the voyage up
from Newcastle, and the men whom 1t
is said he abused, are trying to get
even with him.
In the morning, John Kemp, the man
who is alleged to have been struck by
the captain, was put on the stand.
When he shipped from Sydney. he was
too drunk to take his watch, and was
sent below to sober up. AS he lay IN
his bunk, he claims, the captain came
up to him, and for no reason whatever.
struck him a blow in the face that
severely wounded him. So badly was
he hurt-so he says-that blood flowed
from his face in a stream.
The next witness that was called to
the stand was an able-bodied seaman
who answered to the name of Holmes.
He was a Swede of the Yon Yonson
order Holmes said the captain struck
the man while it was broad daylight.
Kemp said it was night when he was
injured He was positive as to this.
because the captain carried lighted
lantern with him when he came into
the forecastle.
At o'clock in the afternoon the
hearing was resumed. The first wit
ness was a man who talked as though
he were afraid of the English Ian
guage Had the examination been car
ried on in Russian he would have been
a great success. Stronn, for such was
his name, said that as he lay in his
bunk, he saw the captain come into
the forecastle, march up to the bunk
in which the intoxicated Holmes lay,
and hit him in the face. Blood and
profanity followed.
In the evening Commissioner Robin
son ran opposition to the Opera House.
The taking of testimony against the
second mate consumed the first part
of the evening.
Samuel Lelang was the first member
of the uch-abused crew to testify.
He said Holmes was the man Who had
felt the official wrath. The abused
sailor, at the time, was very much I'M
der the influence of liquor.
Second Mate Kearns, VINO was also
charged with maltreating Holmes, tes-
tilted in his own behalf. He denied
having kicked Holmes. The man was
drunk and he showed him back into the
forecastle, in order that he might sober
up. Holmes was brought to the Emily
Reed by his boarding house master
and was noisy and intoxicated. The
first words he said when he came on
board We're, Let us go for them! BY
this he meant, Il will run this ship to
suit myself, and 1 want you other men
to stand in with me-"
Captain Baker was called. He gave
orders, he said, to have Holmes put
in the forecastle that he might sober
up The second mate put Holmes In
the forecastle, and did not put him in
very politely.
ATTORNEY Dunno called Holmes. He
was as innocent as a lamb, and free
of any intention to be rude or bolster
| Gus. so he declared with much vehe-
mence The witness denied having said
Let us go for them" or having ex-
pressed desire to run things to suit
himself.
| The captain was recalled, and sale
the scar on Holmes face was there
two weeks before the ship left Sydney
When the taking of testimony ha6
been concluded, lengthy argument:
| We're made on both sides. Thoma:
Fitch represented the captain and tbs
| two officers. He began by stating tina
| the commissioner should try the case
| by the Territorial practice, and not b.
! the Federal. From this he entered
upon the case itself, and began by crit
! icisine the nature of the testimony
offered by different sailors who haC
! been called. Their stories did not agre
in the essential points, he said. On
| witness said the alleged assault hat
been made in broad daylight; anothe
said the captain had entered the fore
castle with a lantern. Another wit
ness had said that he was about ST
fathoms forward when the assaul
took place. Again he had testified tina
he was the same distance aft. Whel
asked to reconcile his conflicting state
ments, he attempted to do so, sayin
that he was passing from one end o
| the vessel to the other.
The attorney for the defense sal
that the officers were the victims or
conspiracy. The sailors had formed
syndicate for the purpose of prosecut
ing victims of their displeasure, an
were being backed by the labor organl
cation.
Mr. Fitch was followed by Attorne
Dunno, who, in turn, tried to max
the court believe that Captain Baker
First Mate Mcdonald and Second Mat
Kerns were monsters in human shape
He drew the attention of the bench t
the fact that an assault on the higi
seas was just as much of an assault
as an assault on dry land. The credi
bility of a witness. he said. was a
easy thing to pass upon, as Fitch ha
done. but proved nothing.
When the concluding argument ha'
been made, Commissioner Robinson
said that he would not hand down a.
opinion, as the hour was quite late
He therefore instructed all those VIII
| were interested in the case to be pres
ent at noon today.
A Hit, Sure!-Penner-"What are yol
doing now?" SlSribbs-''Writing songs.
Penner-"Any of them become popula