Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-07-27
OFFICERSARREST
SCHOONER LOUIS
FIGHTINGSKIPPER
SMUGGLING CHARGE DENIED
BY PRISONER
TELLS OF ENCOUNTER WITH
SAILOR NELSON
Man Arrested at San Diego Exhibits
Several Bruises and Wounds Re-
ceived in Struggle with
Antagonist

Special to The Herald
SAN DIEGO, July 26.--with his eyes
blacked and hands cut as result Of
an encounter with Andrew p. Nelson,
the sailor taken to Los Angeles hos
pital several days ago from San Pedro.
Skipper Eleisen of the schooner Lou
was arrested today by immigration In
spector Engelke and Detective Smith.
Eleisen denies that he has been en-
gagged in smuggling Chinese, but adj
nits that he quarreled with Nelson, al
though he accuses this latter of being
the aggressor
The officers who arrested Eleisen
were surprised to find no. one else on
board the schooner, and they were also
surprised when the skipper gave ais
name as Elisen instead OF Iversons
The arrest was made on q warrant
from Los Angeles charging him with
assault.
The story told by Nelson upon his
arrival at a Los Angeles hospital re-
garding his encounter with Eleisen, or
Iverson, was as follows:
"Iverson began swearing at me as
soon as got on board, and when OBJ
jected to him swearing at me he started
for me. I defended myself as best I
could. We wrestled and fell all over
the deck, the other hand, Erickson, be-
ing afraid to help.
Il hollered to Erickson several times
to help me, as 1 feared l would be
killed. Iverson is a big fellow, strong
as bull, a better man physically than
l am.
Anyway, I forced hm back into his
bunk and had the upper hand. Then
said to him: We had better shake
hands and forget it The truth was
saw he was trying to get to his re-
volver, but he did not seem to. know
where he had put it. He was just
| playing for time. Still 1 thought 1t
best to shake hands and then try to
keep my advantage
"Just as he was looking around for
his revolver saw a piece of scantling.
and with it as a weapon 1 made him
stay in the bunk. After q while we
both cooled down, and then he finally
| said
cts no use. You have got me.
Let's be friends
with that I shook hands and started
pect treachery.
II was just lifting myself up with
my elbows when / felt tug at my
| legs, and the next minute he had
slashed me twice with his razor.
could feel the steel cut into my flesh.
For a minute 1 thought all was
over; that he had cut my legs of.
heard him say:
I'm Mason-they never hang a
Mason-and I'm going to make a good
job of it.
"I begged Erickson to help me, but
he seemed paralyzed. I managed to
lift my legs up, and I can't explain how
I did it, but jumped into a dory tied
to the schooner, which was at anchor.
and pushed away though the blood
was running from me. think faint
ed then. / guess Erickson rowed to me
in the other boat.
"All 1 remember is that a gasoline
launch came up soon after and picked
me up. Oh, it was relief to see help
of some kind.
81 had noticed that Iverson drank
heavily of late. He has been doing It
for two weeks or more, ever since we
left San Diego.
Capt. Iverson has mentioned to me
that certain men were making big
money smuggling Chinese, and he
mentioned two boats that make trips
from Mexico, stop at Clemente or other
islands, and watch their chance to
run to San Pedro or other places and
land Chinese. don't know whether
he knew what he was saying, but he
mentioned two boats as doing this kind.
of business"