The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-02
STRIKE OF
ENGINEERS
No Change In Situation in
Norfolk.
INSANE FROM cHAGR1N
Man Who Was Engaged as Watch
man for Seaboard Air Line at
Time of Recent Fire Has
Lost His Mind.
tspeclal to Tne Ttmes.pispatch.l

Especial to The Times-D1spatch.)
NORFOLK, VA, July 1.-The United
States Steamboat Inspectors Nicholson
sn6 Tapley have had two cases to con.
sider growing out of the marine engineers
strike. The first one was that OF Z. ~.
Buck, whom the steamer owners alleged
had offered to instruct the ilremen OF the
ferryboat Elizabeth how to tamper with
the machinery of the boat so that she
would not respond to the pilots orders.
Buck was acquitted. Now the Marine
Cngineers Association brings charges
against H. 8. Townsend, alleging that. he
acted as chief engineer when he had
license as assistant engineer only.
The statement Of the defendant was
heard by the inspectors to-day, and the
record Of their finding was made up to
be sent to the new Department OF Com
merce to-day. 1t will be returned here
with approval or disapproval and then
published.
Meanwhile there Is no change in the
condition Of the strike OF the marine en-
gineers. They are demanding that the
non union engineers employed IN their
places be discharged. and the steamer
owners are not consenting to that de-
mand. That Is the hitch to the settlement
OF the strike.
INSANE FROM cEAGR1N.
A commission of lunacy has adjudGed
William johnson insane. The circum-
stances attending the case are pitiable.
Mr.. johnson was employed by the Sea-
board Air Line as a Waterman at the time
OF the recent disastrous fire. and he has
been acting strangely since that time.
at the county JAIL where he was car
r!ed to await transportation to the asy-
ium, he was talking in an incoherent
manner, and would often cry out: FIRE!
Fire! Fire" It is thought the result of
the fire preyed on Mr. Johnson's MIND
until it became unbalanced.
q SPENCE THOUGHT TO BE INSANE. 1
Dan Spence, the negro who attempted
suicide Sunday on account OF love al
fair, was arrested last night and placed
in the Portsmouth jail on a warrant
sworn out by his mother, who declared
that Dan was violent and had been break-
ing windows and destroying the house.
hold furniture. 1t is thought that his
mind is affected. and when his case was
called in the Police Court this morning
1t was continued by the Mayor for ten
days in order to examine into his sanity.
CHAPLAIN SYKES RESIGNS.
Chaplain Sykes, of the United States
receiving ship Franklin. has been de-
tached, and after three months leave his
resignation will be accepted, as ne has
accepted a call to st. Paul's Episcopal
Church. at Newport News. The lands
men at the Franklin. who are much at
tached tc the sky pilot" have presented
to him handsome bronze altar cross, IN
which is set crucif1x which has been
blessed by POPE Leo. chaplain SYKES
family has gone North for the summer,
hut he will begin his new duties next
Sunday
SMALLPOX IN QUARANTINE.
Tho four men suffering from smallpox
on the schooner Henry Sutton are being
treated by the quarantine officer at Old
Point Officials report 1t not likely that
the contagion will spread among the crew.
The Sutton will remain In Hampton Roads
until the disease Is completely eradicated
from the vessel.
The cash fines collected in the Police
Court for June were s57450 OF this
amount the State gets $751;, the clerks
office gets $780, the city gets sl03.5o. This
{ Is the largest, amount ever collected in
the month of June. but the record months
are during the fall. when the amount has
gone to nearly double the above sum.
Meantime, however, the Jail is full Of
prisoners, chiefly negroes. who prefer to
pay their fines In time while they. are
boarding at the expense Of the people.