The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-30
OREGON'S GUNNER
WITH TOGO'S FLEET
Was Under Captain Clark al
Santiago'S Naval Battle
WORKED HERE AT TERWARD
Japanese Agents Hired Him While In
Hardie.Tynes shops-Left for
Toxic Months Before
War Began.
WORKED HERE AT TERWARD

THE man behind the Japanese gun"
has in many cases been recruited. not in
the Mikado's empire, but in the united
kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
in the United States and in every other
nation where skilled gunners can be
found.
Admiral Roiestvensky's fleet has been
sunk and put to flight not by Japanese
sailors exclusively. but by seamen and
gunners drawn from the Anglo-Saxon ma
lions.
Three years ago Japan began to recruit
gunners, marine engineers and skilled
sailors of every kind in all portions of the
earth. Agents of the Mikado were at
work in every capital and in every sea-
port on the slate. They got admittance
to the admiralty offices and navy depart
ments of all nations, ascertained the adj
dresses of sailors at work in navy yards
and of those off duty and made contracts
whenever possible whereby these gunners,
engineers, etc. could be recruited for SER
vice in the Japanese navy the moment
war with Russia was declared.
One of these recruits-and he is said
to be the most skilled gunner that ever
served in the United States navy-was en-
listed by Japanese agents here in Bir-
mingham while he was working as
machinist in the machine shops of the
Hardie-Tynes company, at Eighth avenue
and Twenty eighth street.
story Of the Case.
An officer of that company in comment
ing on the subject yesterday, said:
"A few months after the close of the
Spanish-American war man applied for
the position of mechanic in our shops.
His letters proved that he had been a
gunner on the battleship oregon under
Captain Clark in the naval battle at
Santiago. They proved also that he was
regarded as one of the most skilled gun
ners in the naval service of the United
States. At the battle of Santiago he
handled the Pinch gun that stopped the
flight of the Viscaya and sent that ship
aground He was a stocky Scotchman
from the Clyde, and he had a nervous
manner that excited our interest. His
head was restless and his hands was
somewhat shaky. This, he explained, was
due to the concessions in the coming
room of the Oregon after the shots were
fred from those enormous guns. He was
an excellent mechanic, and temperate and
regular in his habits.
"a little while after he was here ne
told us that he was a professional gun
ner; that, he was a mechanic by. trade,
and in time of peace he worked in ma
chine shops and ashore; but In times of
war he enlisted in the navy of one of
the warning nations and stuck to his work
as gunner until the fighting was over.
Leaves for Japan.
zone day he came to us and told us
trouble was brewing between Russia and
Japan. He said that a Japanese agent
had been to see him and he had signed
a contract to go to Toxic in case of war.
All the while thereafter he drew regu-
lar monthly salary from the Japanese
government.
six months before the war actually
broke out, he told us he was going to
quit, as he had received orders to report
at Toxic. And he left Birmingham the
next morning.
Soon after he left l went to England,
and thence to Scotland. While there l
learned that Japanese agents had hired
all the marine engineers on the Clyde
for service in the Japanese navy That
navy is the flower of the worlds best
sailors No wonder 1t is invincibIen