The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-05
SKIPPER Is CENTRE
OF MURDER INQUIRY
"Hell Fire" Petersen Accused
Of Flogging Crew Of Bark
entine Puaka.
TWO SONS ALSO INVOLVED
Held in $4,000 Bail, Captain
Makes Piracy Charge
Against the Men.


no has bred to follow him in the hard
life OF wooden sailing ships, vagrant car
goes and the ports of all the seas. were
arrsigned before United States Commits
sioner Samuel NJ. Hitchcock yesterday.
charged with fiogging seamen. At the
same time seven seamen and ships
carpenter were held by Judge Learned
Hand in the United States District Court
AZ material witnesses In an inquiry
which will determine whether Petersen,
the father, is to be charged with muir
der on the high seas.
Six Of the seamen charge that Peder-
tsn. master Of the Puaka, a barkentine.
by his cruelty on voyage which began
at Vancouver. B. c., April IS. 1913.
drove two of the crew to kill themselves
by leaping into the water. They allese
that one of these, a seaman named Axtel
Hansen, tried to save himself A rope
was thrown to him but when he tried TO
grasp II 1t was pulled from his reach by
Psdersen. the sailors say.
Held in $4,000 Bail.
Petersen Is under medium size. but
strongly built. His eyes have the gray
glitter common to men whose faces are
tanned by wind and sea spray. The
lines of his clean shaver face are clear
cut. He speaks English with slight
Scandinavian accent.
EThe boys, Leonard, 10, and Adolph.
Jf, IL, are not particularly big or mus
cular. They stood beside their father
before the Commissioner and smiled
when he was held in S25.o00 ball. They
were held in $4,000 ball each on the
fiogging charge.
When bail was fixed the elder Peder-
sen asked II any charges had been
made against hiS crew. When answered
in the negative, he said, II will make
n charge OF piracy against them"
The Puaka sailed from Vancouver
April Is, 1918, with a cargo of lumber
for Cape Town. Petersen had signed a
crew assembled from the human ma
terial that was available on the water
fronts of Vancouver and Victoria and
its heterogeneous makeup may be seen
from the roster: James Campbell. John
w Campbell. Jack Joe, William Jones,
Frank Drielman. Edward ]. Reilly. Les
ter Jensen. Bjarne Olsen and Axtel
Hansen. Leonard Petersen was frst
mate. Adolph. second mate; William
Matson was the ships carpenter and
John Henry Stewart, the cook.
Most of Crew in Irons.
The Puaka sailed into the harbor at
Cape Town August n manned by the
Pedersens and Matson. Father and
sons had ruled the ship from the poop
deck with guns in their hands for most
Of the four months voyage around Cape
Horn. Near the end they had put most
Of the crew in irons.
Accounts disagree as to the cause of
the trouble. Members OF the crew say
II was pure cussedness on the part of
the captain. who. they alleSe, acquired
his nickname of Hell Fire" through his
high handed management of ships. They
declare that he worried about the lum-
Der. which was piled fifteen feet high on
the deck. and that as the barkentine
beat its way southwark through DESC
late seas his cruelty became more
marked.
1t is alleged by the men that they
were kept forward by the guns of the
Pedersens. The ship was divided into
two camps; the larger party without
weapons and cowed. Communications
were maintained and orders transmitted
by one OF the crew being summoned to
the captains cabin. There. they say
after being beaten by fists and straps
he was told what was necessary to be
done.
Two of Crew Drowned.
The passage around the Horn in
springtime with the barkentine east
ward bound was relatively easy. The
men say, however. that the vessel with
If topheavy cargo rolled heavily and
fney we're always wet. Some of them
were landsmen. and the quick change
Of climate In the movement In and out
of the tropics caused illness.
Stewart, the cook. went overheard IN
May. The crew alleges that he was
made Respondent by Pedersen's cruelty
and killed himself. Hansen was drowned
3n August.
Petersen denies every charge. liz
asserts that he acquired several mem,
bers OF the /. W. w. and that as soor
as the voyage began they spread propa
ganda. In a short time. he says, the
men made threats and refused to work.
He admits that voyage was one oil
strife. but denies responsibility. witt
big cargo and a mutinous crew. HI
said he had a hard time OF II, but with
the help of good weather and his two
Ays he brought his ship into the por
q which her cargo was destined ant
maintained his record for skillful sea
nanship that has been his pride fol
thirty years.
Not Worried Over Charges.
Peterson showed no embarrassment
amid the strange surroundings OF tn,
Commissioner Court. When told tina
charge of murder based on the al
legations OF members OF the crew migh
be made, he said :~"I deny the charges
Commissioner Hitchcock asked Peder
sen If he were a stranger In New
York.
II was here In 1885" he said.
The captain said he knew nobod,
mere, and Edward w. Mcdonald wa
assigned to him as counsel.
Petersen and his sons with the crew
left the Puaka at Capetown, where tbs
United States Consul began an investi
Yation of charges made by the crew
The party was sent to Brest and brouyh
here by the cruiser Rochester, which ar
rived yesterday. Ben A. Matthews anC
e. L. Miller, Assistant United States At
torneys. boarded the vessel in the Nortl
5tlyer with half dozen deputy sheriff,
lnd took the party off.
When the crew was arraigned befor,
Judge Hand he held the men In 81. OOt
bail each The court ordered that the,
fhould not be detained unduly. The,
were committed to the Ludlow stree
5all.
Commissioner Hitchcock set the hear
ing of the Pedersens for to-day. TIL.
Testimony probably will determin,
whether a murder charge will be lodged
Matson and one of the Campbells will
be witnesses for the Pedersens.
Petersen Goes to Tombs.
Cant Pedersen gave San Francisro g