The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-11

=
! oners and Ten Witnesses-The Al
| legations in the Case-The Authori-
ties Refuse TO Talk of the Affair.
! BALTIMORE. Jan. 1.-THE police
steamer Lannan, which quietly slipped
out of the harbor Tuesday evening on
mysterious mission down the bay. and
about whose movements information has
| been withheld. quietly reappeared in the
harbor last night, all surrounded by mys-
terry
The Lannan brought as prisoners
Charles Middleton captain. and Richard
". Clayton, first mate, of the oyster
schooner James A Whiting, and ten sea
men, to be used as witnesses against
them. The men we're locked up at the
! Central PoIica station. SO greatly i'm
pressed were the police under instruc-
lions of Marshal Hamilton, with the ne
| cessity of closely guarding the mystery
| in their hands that no entries were made
/ on the stationhouse docket and no one
was allowed to see either prisoners or
witnesses. Just why so much trouble was
taken about the case cannot well be i'm
agined
Middleton and Clayton, who are about
80 years old each were arrested on war
rants accusing them as officers Of an
| American vessel plying in the waters of
! an American bay, within the State of
Maryland, of cruelty and brutality infiict
| ing punishment on men shipped as ma
!riners and OF withholding from them neces-
sary food and nourishment The warrants
were issued a few days ago by United
States Commissioner Rogers. The
! schooner Whiting halls from Crisdeld, Nd.
The witnesses are robust and healthy
| looking men. wearing common clothing.
! They gave their names and ages as fol-
lows:
John Kenny, 81 years; Jacob Erickson,
q years; Matthew Erickson, 20 years;
John McElhove, Sc years; Jefferson Glib
son, a years; Joseph Bottalinsky. %
years; John Wood. 36 years; Philip Nc
DonOugh. Y years; John Yasiijoic. II
years; COrnneaIish Karls, 81 years
/ They said they belong in various parts
of the country. One said he was once a
school teacher in Germany. Several
cannot speak English.
The men shipped as oyster dredgers
early last fall and seemed glad 10 get
back here. Tired and worn out, they
soon fell asleep In the hard and cherries
cells at the stationhouse. Their bag
gage consisted of several old gripsacks
and bundles Of soiIed clothing
/ The case first developed through let
ter received by Marshal Hamilton few
days ago. United States District Attor-
ney John c. Rose had a conference with
/ the police board last Tuesday morning
and as a result the Lannan was secret
" sent out on a scouting trip Six blan-
kets and four pillows were sent TO the
boat that afternoon while she was lying
| a Patterson's wharf, and soon the start
/ vas made Aboard the vessel were the
/ day crew, in command of Lieutenant
League and Deputy United States Marshal
Jacob Amendt, armed with the warrants.
The exact point in the bay where the
capture was made is not known, except
TO the officials connected with the case
The Lanuan pulled in al the foot OF
! South Street last night The prisoners
and witnesses were first taken 10 Mar
shall HamiltDn's Office and then to the
Central police station. The singular order
for mystery and 10 withhold information
had already been issued
Marshal Hamilton grew communicative
enough 10 say that he understood the sail
ors had been kept down the bay since
I early last fall and that repeated promises
Of the off1ers of the schooner to let them
90 had been broken. though they com
/ Dlaiusd OF suffering and pleaded hard. The
/ last promise made, he said was 10 bet
| them 60 in March. Deputy United States
! Marshal Amendt said he had orders from
Marshal Airey not to talk and almost ran
! out Of the police Station 10 get away from
reporters.
United States Marshal Airey said last
/ night that he knew nothing about the case
except that warrants had been sworn out
| at his Office on information received by
| Marshal Hamilton IN a letter. He had
not, he said, received any report from his
deputy and did not know that any prison
ers had been brought 10 the city. He did
/ not know ne said when the Lannan had
gone. and had not read the warrGfts-
When they we're sworn out. he saiG, .e
names OF the parties were not Known
When il was suggested 10 Marshal Air y
that there seemed 70 be q disposition TO
withhold information about the case. he
protested that there was none on his part.
but al the sa me time declined 70 say what
was the nature Of the information upon
l which the warrants were issued. He said
I that the refusal of his deputy to talk Was
perhaps due TO the fact that there were
other culDrits TO be secured.
United States District Attorney John c.
[ Rose was seen last night and asked for
some explanation regarding the trip OF the
Lannan but positively refused TO say any
! thing and professed ignorance of the fact
that she had returned to the city. The
prisoners and witnesses will be taken be-
| fore United States Commissioner Rogers
; for a hearing to-day.