Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-28
FULL EXTENT OF LAW
Sentence of Captain of the Gen.
t@ as ~ . - s-aGsr
Slocum,
TEN YEARS IN THE PEN
First Conviction in Prosecutions for
Disaster.
BAIL WAS FIXED AT $4,000
Forced to Go to Tombs Because of
Absence Of Friends-Van
Schaick's Statement.
BAIL WAS FIXED AT $4,000

NEW YORK. January 2T.-Capt. William
II. Van Schafck was today found guilty of
criminal negligence in falling to have fire
drills on the steamer Gen. Slocum. which
he commanded in June. 1904. when that
steamer burned, with the loss of over 900
lives
He was immediately sentenced to ten
years Imprisonment by Judge Thomas of
the United States district court.
The jury disagreed as to two other counts.
In which he was charged with criminal
negligence by the employment of life pre-
servers of poor quality on. the steamer
The ten-year sentence is the full extent
of the term of imprisonment provided by
the federal statutes as the punishment for
the offense with which Capt Van Schaick
was charged. Immediately after sentence
was passed Capt. Van Schacks counsel
was granted thirty days in which to pre-
pare papers necessary to appeal the case
and ball for the prisoner was fixed at
10000.
Judges Charge to the Jury.
In his charge to the jury Judge Thomas
said that the. vessel, should have had a
disciplined crew on board as provided by
law. If the accused man evaded these du-
ties, he was. the court instructed. plainly
-
responsible under the law
In regard to- the life 'preservers upon
which two of the counts In the charge were
based, Judge Thomas said that the captain
should know that they were in a reasonably
fair condition. He charged the jury that
even though the governments through the
inspectors, had been derelict in its duties
that fact in way excused the captain.
The conviction of Capt. Van Schaick was
the first resulting from prosecution of per-
sons indicted on account of the Slocum dis
aster. w. fg.z.H
The Gen. Slocum was owned by the
Knickerbocker Steamship Company.
LOGO Victims of Disaster.
In June, 1904. she took a Sunday school
excursion from st. Marks Lutheran Church
up Long Island sound The boat caught
fire near Hell Gate, and about 1000 lives
were lost.
Late today United States Marshal Hen
KEEL took Capt. Van Schaick to the Tombs
where he was locked up. the friends on
whom the captain had depended to give
bail, having left the city temporarily.
The captain, who is an sold man. was
quite cheerful up to the time the news was
borken to,hin. that the bail could not be
arranged for today.
When he was told that he would have to
go to the Tombs his whole demeanor
changed, and he showed plainly, that his
commitment was a most disheartening
blow. sh,sESs
Escorted to the Tombs.
Marshal Henkef- escorted him to the
Tombs nffperson and tried 10 cheer the old
man up. just as they were leaving Can't.
Van Schaick turned to the newspaper men
and said: $50
Boys, l was the victim of circumstances
l tried to do my duty as 1 saw it. 1 think
my sentence was pretty harsh for an old
man. but l have no fault or criticism to
make
He also expressed the belief that great
hope lay for him in 4 hes q ppeal eand that il
would ultimately result in an acquittal for
him. 49, - ssSsHs,
Capt. Van Schaick had seen over forty
years of service in steamboat work on the