The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-16
CREW TELL TALES OF
CAPTAINS BRUTALITY
Townsend Of the Manga Reva
Had Boy Washed With
Lye, They Say.
COURT HOLDS HIM IN BAIL
Seaman Shea Says He Was
"Beaten Up" Almost Every
Day on High Seas.

Capt. Henry c. Townsend Of the bark
Manga Reva. which sails between this
port and San Francisco. was arraigned
before United States Commissioner Shields
yesterday on n charge Of aasauiting Sea-
10. 1918. Tho stories told the Commits
soner Of Capt. Townsend's treatment Of
his crew carried ono back to the sea
days when nogging and keelhauling were
popular pastimes aboard ship and every
captain was an absolute monarch II he
could keep his crew from mutiny.
Capt. Townsend. according to some Of
the witnesses. IL known from here to San
Francisco as n master who has never
kept n crew for moro than one trip. On
his last attempt to round the Horn his
men mutlnied after leaving Philadelphia.
The mutiny was quelled by the revenue
cutter Onondaga. Three Of the mutineers
were sentenced to fortytwo months each
by a Federal Judge In Wilmington. Del.
yesterday. but their sentences may be
commuted on tho basis of the testimony
in the present case. which deals with the
preceding cruise OF the ship from San
Francisco to New York with an entirely
different crew.
Tell Of "shanghai" Methods.
According to the testimony given by
Shea, James Thomas Crawford and other
members of the crew the trouble started
before the ship had cleared San Fran
cisco harbor. Shea and seaman called
Dutch Jack didn't like the looks of the
captain and wanted to go back In the
shipping commissioners boat, but accord
ing to the evidence Dutch Jack was given
a glass Of whiskey that put him to sleep
and Shea was lured from the commits
sioner's boat by IA ruse and beaten up on
the forecastle of the Magma Reva.
From that time on. according TO Sea-
man Paul lcep. the "old man kept things
pretty not especially after he discovered
that Shea didn't know much about "a ship.
Thereafter. /, - charged. the captain gave
Shea Instructions every day when the
starboard watch was off. and usually beat
him when ne didn't know his ropes or
knots Once. Leep said, townsend broke
a club over Shea's head when one OF the
la,ter's hands was so swollen from blood
poison that he couldn't work well.
According to the testimony the cabin
boy. Harry Wallace. also bore the biunt
of the captains Ill humOr Seaman Leep
says that Wallace had Spanish cholera
and was too sick to take care OF himself
Capt. Townsend. he said, declared that
the boy was simply dirty and had him
| taken out on deck and scrubbed with sand
lye. soap and water until his body wa
raw and bleeding.
Le-p says that Wallace was often
ordered. BY the captain 10 take bread gu,
OF the garbage pail and eat II. II was
nothing unusual. said Leep. for the cap.
/ tain TO make the boy kneel on the cabin
floor with his hands clasped as though In
prayer. waiting for orders.
Tales Of the Capsain's Antics.
Seaman Crawford said that the captain
when drunk often ordered his men over
| the side To paint or caulk the ship wher
! IL was moving ut the rate OF seven OF
eight miles IN hour. Then. according e
Craw ford. he would lean over the sid,
IN Il spirit OF deviltry and threaten &
cut them loose and let them drown. TIL,
witness said h" saw the captain beat III
1 the ships carpenter a man Go years old
! The first ana second mates were DRUM
most OF tho time. hc said.
Crawford made an interesting witness
referring at times to his unofficial log
which he kept Just I, crafty a literar,
! ambition as he explained bashfully II,
I was described by the captain on the stant
as the ships lawyer. meaning that h.
was spokesman for the crew In all nego
tiations with the captain. He has a keer
sense OF humor. az illustrated by the fol
lowing passages from his diary:
| June l0--Old man and mate had q row 20
Jay over couple of pieces OF bread on tn
| deck.
June 11--Oid man peaceful all day to-day
June l6-Same old beans
June 20-Weather 50 hot n man don't wan
much TO eat and he don't git much.
Capt. Townsend was releaLed on bail 70
a future hearing.