The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-09
TOUGH TALE
Of The SEA
Sailors of Schooner A.
e. Srnaie Make
Complaint.

Through Agent Larson of the Sailors
Union, members of the crew of the
American schooner A E. smale, in
port from Karatsu, Japan. yesterday
laid a bulky chapter of alleged
wrongs and iH-usage sustained on the
voyage hither before U. S. District At
torney Breckons.
1t is doubtful, however, if a case in
court will come out of it. The evil
dence was presented to the United
States attorney in the morning, but in
the afternoon one of the chief COM
plainants told him he did not wish TO
prosecute the captain
Captain Wirschuleit of the A. E.
Sna1el is accused by some of the crew,
on the testimony of private logs keptl
among thems of knocking the senses
out of Mattison, the steam winch driw
er, by breaking a policeman's club
over his head while the vessel was at
Kfratsu. Agent Larson is now looking
after Mattison, who is receiving treat
-
Service.
The cabin boy kept tab in small
notebook of many acts of ilI-usage re-
ceived by himself. such as humping
on the head, whipping with q rope and
consigning TO deck for the night" for.
various delinquencies such as leaving
the butter knife in the pIate'-"not
closing the captains window"-"not
having the bell polished" etc.
Captain Wirschuleit's official log puts
a different complexion on the case OF
Mattison from that of the complaint.
The winch driver is there represented
as acting like mailman, refusing duty
and destroying ships property. For
his actions Mattison was disrated to
SIS month--the Specifications being
Incompetence, disobedience, Iaziness
and loafing when at work" The rec
ord states that Mattison, for refusing
duty at Karatsu. was ordered put in
irons but escaped aloft and refused to
come down. He came down after an
hour and, while the mate was getting
the irons, called the captain a vile
name. said he was going to throw the
captain overheard and struck the cap
tain in the face. Some japanese labor
ers interfered, when Madison again
ran aloft. Then the captain called the
police and had him arrested.
Mattison the captains record states,
escaped from the police and was re-
captured and put on board. AS he had
previously made threats and an at
tempt to kill or drown the captain, and
as the police had refused to assist the
captain on account of Mattison's be-
ing native of Russia-one of the COM
plants is that the captain told the
Japanese that Madison was a Russian
spy-Captain Wirschu1eit notes that he
deemed it his duty to put the man in
irons, and called upon the crew to as
sist the first officer in doing so, which
they did. "Mattison was screaming
kicking and biting like a wild savage"
After being put in irons he attempted
to jump overheard and acted like an
insane person, so that the captain was
compelled to put him in a, strait jacket
for the night.
The log entry from which the fore
going is distracted was signed by
Captain Wirschuleit and the whole
crew excepting Mattison, who, hearing
it read. said it was all a lie
District Attorney Breckons, after
stating to an Advertiser reporter that
one of the sailors had told him he did
not wish the captain prosecuted, re-
marked:
81 see the sailors have begun trying
the case in the newspapers"