Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-07-25
FOUND WOUNDED
AND ADRIFT Off
SAN CLEMENTE
SAILOR ON SCHOONER LOU IN
AWFUL PLIGHT
TELLS WEIRD STORY OF FIGHT
WITH CAPTAIN
Rescued by Launch Juanita, Which
Discovers Him Bleeding Profusely
from Gashes inflicted
with Razor
sContinusd from Page one'

{Ennttnued from Rage One1
capture of the men who have run the
gantlet of immigration inspectors for
years past, and smuggled Chinese into
Uncle SANS domain. Thel traffic is
said to be worth $1,000 for every Celes-
tial landed to the skipper toolhardy
enough to take the risks.
Only a few days ago several men
were shot down by United States oft1-
GERS while trying to cross the TeXaS
border with Chinese.
Nelson says he quarreled with Cap
tain Iverson over an order about water.
San Clemente island is waterless much
of the year, though $4,000 sheep are said
to be pastured there. 1t is thtrty-tWo
miles from Avalon.
Back in the canyons wells are sunk
and water is pumped up by means of
windmills. Only sheep herders live be-
yond the shore line, and few persons
except fishermen stay on the bleak
coast, and then only a few hours at
time.
Nelson says Iverson insisted on his
going up into the nearest canyon and
bringing back buckets of water for the
schooner When he came back without
water the captain few into rage.
These are Nelson's words, interrupts
ed by occasional means wrung from
him by pain:
"Iverson began swearing at me as
soon as got on board, and when l OBJ
jected to him swearing at me he start
ed for me- I def, lded myself as best
1 could. We wrestled and fell all over
the deck, the other hand, Erickson, be-
ing afraid to help.
II hollered to Erickson several times
to help me. as I feared 1 would be
killed. Iverson is a big fellow, strong
as q bull, better man physically than
1 am.
Anyway, 1 forced him back into his
bunk and had the upper hand. Then l
said to him: We had better shake
hands and forget It, The truth was,
saw he was trying to get to his re-
velver, but he did not seem to know
where he had put it. He was JUST
playing for time. Still l thought 1t
best to shake hands and then try TO
keep my advantage.
aIust as he was looking around for
his revolver l saw a piece of scantlng,
and with 1t as a weapon l made him
stay In the bunk. After while we
both cooled down, and then he finally
said:
IT'S no use. You have got me.
Let's be friends
with that I shook hands and started
for the companionway. I did not sus-
pect treachery.
sIashed from Behind
II was just lifting myself up with
my elbows when I felt a 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 I thought all was
over; that he had cut my legs or. 1
heard him say:
"Tm a Mason-they never hang a
Mason-and I'm going to make a good
job of it,
Il begged Erickson to help me, but
he seemed paralyzed. I managed to
ov,fF Ia in
I did 1t, but jumped into dory tied
to the schooner, which was at anchor,
and pushed away. though the blood
was running from me. 1 think faint
ed then. guess Erickson rowed to me
in the other boat.
"All / remember is that a gasoline
launch came up soon after and picked
me up. Oh, it was a relief to see help
of some kind.
1T had noticed that Iverson drank
heavily of late. He has been doing 1t
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 9TH
err 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"
Asked whether he had any reason to
believe that Capt. Iverson had guilty
knowledge of the report that the ship
Helen had Chinese stowaways aboard,
Nelson said he knew the captain had
information that the Helen was ex-
pected at San Clemente, but nothing
more.
Is Knight Of PythIas
Nelson has been in, or near, the
United States since boyhood. His home
is in San Francisco, where he is iden-
titled with the knights of Pythias
lodge. Last night he asked that the
Pythians be informed of his plight.
Iverson is said to be a Norwegian.
with no family.
There is mystery as to where the
schooner Lou is now. She had her an
Choir down, and Nelson does not think
Iverson could raise it alone. If he got
away he probably headed for San
Diego, where he has friends.
The charges against Iverson are
based solely on what Nelson says, but
the authorities will give the captain a
chance to relate his version of the ru-
more current before any decided action
is taken.
The wounded man says he has never
been in trouble before. On the other
hand, he says Iverson Is frequently In
volved in quarrels with his crew, due
mainly to drink.
DR., d. Gochenauer, general manager
of the Angelus hospital, said last night
that he did not consider Nelson In dam
ger The hospital staff will not open
the bandages applied by the surgeons
at Catalina until some time today.
---s->o- ~-
MIII HAMS START RI0T: