Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-06-04
DAYS Of THE SEA
WOLVES NOT OVER
SAYS SAILOR BOY
Youth Testifying in Murder
Case Says Captain Refused
to Rescue Sailor Who Had
Been Chased Overheard,

TaS MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEAsGp NIRHl
New York, June 3.-Seafaring Of
the sort that flourished in the early
eighteenth century when fore mast
hand was virtually a slave and his
brawny skipper, armed with a Delay
ing pin, his undiSputed master, was
described in federal court here today
by John w. Campbell, a 22-year- old
high school boy of Maquoketa, Ia,
who answered the call Of the sea and
ran away from home to ship with
Skipper Adolph C. Petersen as cabin
boy on the Anticipated barkentine
Puako.
Campbell was the first witness for
the government, which has charged
Petersen and his son. Adolph, MAZE
of the Puako, in an old fashioned in
dictment with the murder on the high
seas of Axel Hansen, a seaman. They
are alleged TO have driven Hansen
overheard by cruelty and to have left
him to perish in the sea.
An old English style prisoners
dock had been constructed in the
court room to match the antiduated
form of the indictment which used to
carry the penalty upon conviction, of
hanging on a public gallows.
Campbell was asked to recite what
happened on board the Puako on the
morning of August s, 1918, as the
little vessel clipped through the
waves with all sails set for Cape
Town, South Africa.
II came on deck at a. m. to stand
watch" Campbell began. Jack Joe,
Henry Riley and Axel Hansen were
in the same watch and were already
on deck.
THE captains son, who was in
charge. told Hansen to go aloft and
loose the royals'l. Hansen went ana
loosened the sail He then came
down and l saw him talking to the
mate.
Suddenly heard a sharp sound as
of one man Shaping anothers face.
Then I saw the mate strike and kick
Hansen and Hansen came racing
down the deck with the mate close
behind him. When he got to the
starboard side. near the stern, he
slipped under the rail and went over
board
The mate, Campbell continued,
ran to the wheel and ordered Jack
Joe to bring the ship about, but
moment later Skipper Petersen an
peared. looked over the stern OF the
a logline and then turned to the
helsman, demanding TO know who
ordered him to swing the ship
around.
There is a man overheard and the
second mate told me to swing the
wheel amout" Campbell said Jack
Joe answered.
"To hell with the man overheard"
Camnbell declared the skipper yelled.
Then" the witness continued, "he
ordered Jack Joe to turn the boat
back into its course and picking up
n tiller pin, ordered both Riley ana
myself to go below. As 7 started for
ward I looked back in the sea ana
saw Hansen struggling at the end Of
the log Fine and I heard him shrek
for help three times. The vessel con-
tnued on its course and Hansen was
left TO nerish in the sea"
The Puako left Campbell Mt Cape
Town while he was i'll in a hospital,
he explained. and he went to the
American consul and made stat
ment similar in detail to his testi-
mony TODAY.
During the trip to Cape Town, he
declared, every man on board with
the execution Of himself and the
Sims carpenter, were taken below
and after being placed In irons were
beataen until their bodies were COW
cred with wells. A heavy piece of
wire and a razor strop, he testified,
were employed by the skipper and
his son to administer the punish
ment. They also kicked the prison
crs with their heavy boots, he de-
clared skipper Petersen, he said,
to punishment as the third
degree"