The sun., 1919-06-04
BOY TELLS TALE OF
BRUTALITY AT SEA
First of Bark's Crew Testifies
in Trial Of Capt. Petersen
and Son for Murder.
SAW sHIPMATE DROWN
Witness Declares Accused
Skipper Forced Men to Sign
False Statements.

John w. Campbell, a youth who felt
the call Of the sea from the high school
and the small town life Of Maauoketa.
Ia, and made for the Pacific coast.
where he loitered on the wharves
of Spokane and Seattle until chance
came to ship as a cabin boy, told in the
United States District Court yesterday
story Of the voyage of the barkentine
Puaka around the Horn to Cape Town
last summer Campbelrs testimony was
the first to be given by a group of sea-
men upon whom the Government relies
to convict Capt. Adolph Cornelius Ped
ersen, and his son, Eric, IS. Of murder
on the high seas.
1t was a story Of hardship and brutal
ity aboard an American ship in a day
when It. was supposed that strict regula-
lions and alert Consuls in every port
had ended the bad old times of slave
driving on deck and starvation in the
fo'c's1e. Its climax was the drowning
Of Axel Hansen in the South Atlantic
Ocean August 6. Hansen Ia said to nave
jumped overheard while fleeing from
pursuit and to have been left cling
ing to the log line until his strength
gave out.
Campbell told his story without trace
of feeling. He did not charge. that he
was beaten. His language. his coher-
ence of expression when testifying UNI
der long REORGANIZATION by Dudley
Field Malone, chief counsel for the de-
PENDANTS showed the intelligence that
is usual in the American youth who gets
into the third year in high school. He
said he left home because he had al
ways had longing to go to sea. At
Seattle he wds put in touch with Capt.
Petersen by an employment agency. He
said the captain promised him a chance
TO see the world and receive good treat
ment.
Tells of Acts of Cruelty.
There were sixteen persons aboard
the Puaka when she sailed from Vic
toria, August 81. carrying lumber for
Cape Town. The elder Petersen had his
two sons. Leonard and Eric, as first and
second mate respectively. The barken-
tine was two days out, Campbell said.
when Capt. Petersen showed An inclina-
ton to cruelty that continued during
the remainder OF the voyage. Frank
Grielen was the first seamen. to be
beaten, he said.
The Captain called Grielen aft to
the cabin to put him through what he
called the third degree" said Campbell.
81 do not know what the Captain did
When / was called into the cabin Grielen
was there with his face covered with
blood and with his hands tied with
handouts and chains. / washed the
blood from his face"
According to Campbell he was called
number Of times to the cabin to aid
seamen forward after they had been
beaten. Grielen was beaten n second
time in July. he said The Captain and
the two mates used their fists, a razor
strap and a piece OF table board on
Grieien. according to Campbell, who
statement dictated by Capt. Petersen
and written by Eric. This statement Is
alleged to have been one OF number
submitted by Capt. Petersen in his de-
fence at an inquiry in Cape Town
Campbell said that Axel Hansen
boarded the ship at Victoria He de-
scribed him as a little man, quick. ac-
attracted the enmity OF the Pedersens
early in the voyage. according to Camp
bell who said he thought the Pedersens
did not like Hansen because he was a
member OF the Sailors Union.
Most OF Crew in Irons.
'One day in June" the witness said
"the two mates went forward to get
Hansen. They told him to bring his
union book with him to the cabin
Hansen obeyed orders, but he came
aft unwilllngly. This is our coun-
try out here one OF the mates said to
that union book The second mate
kicked Hansen down the aft companion
way"
Beginning July 80 Hansen was kept in
irons except for his periods on watch
the witness said. During the latter part
OF the voyage most Of the crew were In
irons and chained to the pump in a pump
hole. There was not room enough In
the hole for all the prisoners, SO one
was put in a paint locker Campbell tes-
tilted.
Describing the death of Hansen Au-
gust 6 Campbell said
Il went on deck at I A. NJ TO stand
watch. Jack Joe, Edward Reilly and
Hansen were on watch with me. Eric
second mate, was watch officer. Joe
was at the wheel.
THE second mate sent Hansen aloft
to reef the royal. The wind was from
the northwest. Hansen went aloft,
When he came down l saw him talking
with the mate near the foremost. l was
sharpening some scrapper forward near
noise. l turned and saw the mate slap
Hansen in the face. Hansen ran aft with
the mate after him. / followed. Near
the stern Hansen slipped under the life
rail and went overheard. The mate ran
TO the wheel and ordered Joe Jack to
turn II over. The ship made a turn and
came about until the sails tapped.
saw Hansen In the water. He had hold
OF the log line.
Heard Shrek for Help.
This was at $50 in tho morning
When the ship was brought into the
wind)the second mate ran into the char,
house. He came out In a second with
his father.
THE captain looked over the stern
He turned TO Joe Jack and said, who
ordered you to swing your wheel
around? Jack said. There is a man
overheard.
ITO hell with the man overheard /!
the captain said. He then told Jack &c
put the ship back in its course. He saw
me and Reilly standing at the port rail
near the stern. He grabbed a tilIeI
pin and ordered US to 20 forward.
looked back for Hansen. heard him
shrek for help.
The ship turned into its course and
Hansen was left to drown. An hou,
and half later the captain ordered me
TO go aloft and see II could see him"
Judge Hough would not permit As
siStant United States Attorney Mile,
10 question the witness about John
Henry Stewart the cook. who wa,
drowned early in the voyage. CamnheI
said that Hansen and Stewart were m,
ohly members OF the Sailors Union ir