The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-08-04
led Is YEARS AGO; RETURNS TO TACOMA
Searches For Wife
and Children Here;
Asks Police to Aid

bring proof from someone that
he was really shanghaied.
Cant Recall Details.
And he can't remember any OF
the details of the shanghai-ing,
except that it occurred at Port
Townsend.
Our home was in San Jose,
and Ry family was as happy as
anyone could WISH" explained
the weary husband and father, as
he took a chair in Capt. Strick-
lands office.
Il came north to get employ
ment, and worked in the Carbo-
nado mines for a month or more.
My family was coming up as soon
as l had landed good job. But
my wife wrote that she didn't like
the idea of living in a mining
town.
Awakes on Ship.
$50 l started looking around
the Sound for another job. With
a friend ! went to Port Townsend.
All l remember is that | took a
drink of ginger ale in a water
front boarding house one night,
and when / awoke l was in the
forecastle of a ship, out of sight
of land.
ut was the square rugged ship
Invincible, bound for South Africa.
The trip lasted five months and
81 days. We landed at Cape
Town, and l began at once to try
to get in touch with my wife.
Il wrote letters, and had the
American consul write. But my
wife had evidently thought l de-
serted her, and she either had left
San Jose or refused to believe my
letters, for she never answered.
Il couldn't get a ship back
right away, but was offered posi-
tion with the secret police in Cape
Town, so | remained there until ]
had enough money to return as a
passenger.
Returns; No News
But when / reached San Jose
no one could remember what had
happened to my family. Discour-
aged, ! sailed again to South
Africa, and remained there five
years. But the thought of my
wife and four babies, helpless and
deserted, kept preying
on my mind. ] came back to Amer
lea and have been hunting ever
since.
Hasler was employed by the
Pacific recently, but suf-
fered an accident, and only left
the hospital a few days ago. He
has been to Port Townsend. but
the sailors boarding house in
which he was drugged, has disap-
peared, and he can find no one
who remembers him.
81 believe l can find my wife IL
| keep hunting, but what good will
it do If l can't prove that | was
really shanghaied and that / didn't
desert them" Hasler asked Capt. |
Wouldn't Know Them
Hasler's children are Anita, IS;
johnny, ~, ESpeTanZa, Il, ana
Joe, 23. The father would never
recognize them, he believes, and
he has no hope that any of the
would know him.
Il want to support my family"
he said. IF may wife is married,
| will be glad to take two of the
children and support them. At
any rate, I'd give everything in the
world just to see my babies once
more"
Police officers gave Hasler the
names of several shipping men in
Tacoma and other Sound cities,
who might remember the man who
operated the Port Townsend
boarding house.
Il don't want to hurt the man,
because shanghaieing was a bust
ness those days, and he didn't
mean any harm, suppose. But |
do want to get a statement from
him proving that | was drugged
and shipped to sea without my
knowledge. Then maybe II I find
Mrs. Hasler she'll take me back"
Hasler is living at 400 so 18th