The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-11
JUMPED OVERHEARD
AS BRITISH STEAMER WAS DRAW
ING OUT OF PORT
RATHER THAN GO TO SEA.
SWAN ASHORE TO HAVE MAN AR
RESTED WHO DUPED HIM.

Richnrt Gerke Jumped From Prov
of British steamer at Foot of In
dian Street-Water Was Chilly
nnd He Had All His Clothes on.
Went AbOut in Dripping Clothes
Looking for an onicer-Claimed
John RIoom Had Gotten Him
Aboard Under instrumentation
Bloom. Arrested. Gives His Yer
sion Of AnHir.
The unusual sight of a man jumping
from the bow Of a big tramp steamer
into the savannah river. and, with
all his clothes on, franucally making
FOR the shore. met the gaze of per-
sons along the river front near Indian
street yesterday morning. Having
made the shore. the stranger. his wet
clothes clinging TO his limbs, and
shivering from the chill northwest
wind that was blowing in his face,
made off in quest of an arresting off,
Ger.
The stranger was Richard Gerke, a
German seaman. and he wanted John
Bloom placed in the clutches of the
law: for Bloom it was, he claimed,
that had induced him, under false
promises, to sign with the ship. When
he discovered that he was on his way
out to sea. and that he hadn't gotten
the money promised him, he hurried to
the prov of the vessel and plung
ing into the water. determined not
to figure in any kidnapping, shang
haing or dipping scheme, did what the
sailor in the old prayer meeting song
was told to do-pulled for the shore.
Jumped to the Bottom.
Il shumped from a blaze as high as
some houses" he said in broken Eng
lish. Il hit the water, and vent all
the way to the bottom. l vas under
meath it a minute with an unaccount-
able accent on the last syllable), and
dink I vas not again coming on top.
excited state of mind, and it was diff
cult to tell what he was saying.
When it came to an explanation of
the why ana the wherefore of his ac-
tions, the officials could not, for some
time, make heads or tails of his narra-
tive. The United States commissioner
himself admitted his inability to get
the straight of the story.
Gerke claims that he was approached
by Bloom and offered position as
fireman on the British steamer Anglo
CHILEAN. He accepted the offer, but told
Bloom that he was in need of money
10 meet. some expenses, and would need
an advance. Bloom, he says, told him
that he would get the captain of the
steamer to advance SIS, of which
amount he would give him IS, taking 50
with which to purchase necessary
clothes. and IS for his services in Sc
curing the position. OF this amount
Gerke got nothing. That is Gerke
version of the affair.
blooms Version of 1t.
Bloom doesn't tell it the same way.
He says that Capt. Scott, OF the Eng,
fish vessel, told him that he needed
two firemen. These he volunteered TO
furnish. He secured Gerke. as one.
and received an advance of SIS from
the captain on Gerke's wages. This he
gave to Gerke, taking a receipt for il.
This receipt he displays; and declares
that he never deducted a cent from 1t,
but, rather. looked to the captain of
the steamer, for whom he secured the
0IeIIlG0,
services in procuring the men.
Bloom was arrested by United States
Deputy Marshal j. Ben Wilson. He
gave a $500 bond Immediately and was
released. He was very angry at Gerke's
actions, and said that he had a mind
TO have him arrested for obtaining
money under false pretenses. Capt.
Foster, he said, would look to him to
make good the SIS.
In the meantime the British steamer
had made out TO sea, and while Bloom
and Gerke and all the rest are discuss-
ing the situation ashore, somebody in
the engine room is being worked over
time on the British steamer, whose
captain, without any premonition, lost
one of hic crew in nidstream as he was
clearing for other ports.
Grounds of the Arrest.
The statute under which Bloom was
arrested is the act of 1898, which pro-
vides that If any person shall de-
mand or receive, either directly or
indirectly, from any seaman or other
person seeking employment as a sea-
man, or any person in his behalf,
any remunera ton whatever for pro-
Viding him with employment. he shall
for every such offense be liable to a
penalty OF not more than $780,"
An interesting feature of the case
lay in the fact that Gerke. after wan
dering around in his dripping clothes
in the chill breeze, was discovered by
Henry Olsen, who took pity on him
and provided him with some dry ones.
Olsen it will be recalled. is now under
bond to answer ten charges of kid
tapping, his alleged victims being men
In quest of employment on the water
front.