Charge against a Captain.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 285, 11 April 1889, Page 2

Charge against a Captain.

Niwoash-x, March 26, The case against Captain Jonas, of thl British barque Glen Coyne, for cruelly assaulting a sailor named Otto Hermann on thl high seas, was concluded at the police court yesterday. Great interest was taken in thl case, the court being crowded. Captain Jenkin Jones, the defendant, being recalled, stated that he put complainant in irons to ensure the safety of the vessel. He had fastened complainant’s hands behind his back because be had broken the irons when they were in front and threatened to kill him. Witness said he only discovered that the biscults were full of maggots when the ship was at Townsville. Otto Hermans;, the complainant, recalled, swore that he never threatened the captain. The latter had said to witness that if hs had any powder on board he would make him (witness) turn to. Witness asked the captain in the presence of the Customs officer at Townsville to be allowed to go ashore and see a magistrate, but was refused. Witness* reaeon for not turning to when asked by the captain was owing to the latter not allowing him to go ashore at Townsville and ses a magistrate.

Mr Julian Windeyer, who appeared for ths defence, spoke of the unlimited power captains had of compelling subordination on board vessels. He read various text books on the subject, and said Captain Jones was anything but of a tyrannical disposition. He urged that a case of thia kind was always onesided. He hoped that in order to ensure discipline the Bench would dismiss the case,

Mr Gorriok for the prosecution alluded to the cruelty perpetrated by the captain. The evidence, he said, showed this to be a most atrocious case. As soon as he heard the man's story and learned of his penniless condition he undertook the prosecution without hope of fee or reward.

The Bench held that the captain should have invoked the civil power at Townsville and not waited until he got to sea to punish a seaman. They adjudged the captain to pay a fine of £lO, with £4 4s professional costs, £1 for witnesses' expenses and 6s 6d costs of court, or in default, four months' imprison* meat. The fine was paid.