"HUNG BY THE HEELS."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 955, 24 October 1910, Page 8

"HUNG BY THE HEELS."

4A WESTPORT DESERTER. INVALID SAILOR'S TERRIBLE STORY OF CRUELTY. QAOL PREFERRED TO SHIP. ■ A story of well-night incredible cruelty, said to have been perpetrated on board a foreign ship while lying in a New Zealand harbour, was told in the Supreme Court on Saturday morning- The Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) was on the bench. A young man named Olaf Aanensen was placed in the dock for sentence on a charge of escaping from custody at Westport, where be had been detained on a charge of deserting from the ship Martha Bockhahn. On being asked the usual question whether he had anything to say, the prisoner intimated that he did not understand English very well. The question was put again by Mr. Millington, the gaoler, in the simple form, "Why did you go away?" Hung Up by the Heels. . The prisoner, speaking in broken English, said he was walking about in the police yard, and the gate was not fastened, and there : was no policeman there, so he went out. He had not been properly treated on the ship, and did not want to go back. The captain had said he did not want him. He had been. beaten on the ship until he was black and blue, and had been put in the pigstye, and hung up ■ by his feet. It was a Gorman ship, and he was the only Norwegian on board. That was why they had no use for, him. He knew what sort of treatment he would get, if.he went on board again. Tbey would get hold of belaying pins, or anything they could find, and beat him. Suffering from Tuberculosis. Mr. T. Neave (who appeared for the Crown) said, there was a difficulty, because tho prisoner was suffering from tuberculosis, and was therefore a prohibited immigrant. The master of the' vessel had, therefore, been notified that if the prisoner landed, a bond of £100 would be required. Tho prisoner bad evidently fled from the'ship under fear of'personal violence. The Chief Justice: I don't think I ought to allow him to be put aboard again, if his statement is true. Wo can't allow him to be brutally treated like that. . 5 Mr. Neave said he would not ask that the _ prisoner should be put on board again, but rather that he should be put in gaol until after the ship had left. Asks to bo Sent to Gaol. The prisoner was then asked whether he would like to stop in gaol until the ship had sailed. He replied, without a moment's hesitation, that. ho would - rather go W gaol for six mouths than' go back to the ship. . .'Mr. Neave said the Collector of Customs at Westport had reported that the prisoner had apparently been subjected to : great'ill-treatment. It'was a German ship, and ho was the only Norwegian on board. His Honour: I think iVis your duty to communicate with tlie German Consul, and ho will no doubt write to. his home authorities.' The German Government, I am'sure, does not want that sort of thing to occur on German ships. If the German nation were informed that a sailor had been treated so improperly, they would be very indignant. Statement by Collector of Customs. Mr. Neave said the Collector of Customs reported that he was informed that Aanensen had been kept in a pigstye on board the ship for three days and nights; that he had been put in irons /Several-times; that he had been strung up by .the heels and left hanging until he was black in tho face, with a piece of soap thrust in his mouth to prevent him calling out. The Collector added: "I am of opinion that the feelingtowards him on board would moke it dangerous for him to-be sent home in. her ,especially as he is more or less an invalid." ' His Honour: Where were these tilings done? Was the ship at Westport, or was she at sea? . Ask him.• On the prisoner being asked where the ship was when he was hung up by. the heels, he answered: "At the quay at Westport. They hung mo up by the heels and put soap in my mouth, so that I oould not shout." Ought to be Investigated. His Honour'said-it. might be in the power of the New Zealand Courts; to deal with tho master of tho ship for his conduct in New Zealand waters. He could not say at present. He would send the prisoner to gaol for five weeks, as the ship' was expected to sail in three or four weeks, and as he was ill he would not be sentenced to hard labour. "I think this is a matter than ought to be investigated," added his Honour,' "because it is a monstrous thing if, in these days of civilisation and humanity, sailors aro to be treated in the way that has been stated. I think we should take more care for the protection of sailors than any other class, because they are so much in the power of their captains." . Mr. Neave: Perhaps I ought to report this matter to the Norwegian Consul. His Honour: You certainly ought to communicate with the German Consul.

After the routine business had been dealt with at the last meeting of the Napier branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Workers, a good deal of discussion took place with referenco to_ the requests recently put before the Minister receiving no consideration, and it was considered the time was very ripe when a different plan of attack would have to be adopted to combat adverse replies from the Minister of Railways. Tlie. "Railway Review" states: "We aro now getting, casehardened to receiving replies stating 'That after careful consideration, I regret that this request cannot be granted.' _ The Minister is continually informing the press of the increase of revenue, etc., of the railways under his control, yet when a small redress or modest request is put before bim by the society.'it is always replied to in usual negative tone."

A suggestion has been made by Professor Macmillan Brown (states a southern contemporary) that the Union Steam Ship Company should send one of its steamers on an excursion trip to Easter: Island, the Marquesas, the Tahiti group, and other islands in the Pacific. Easter Island has a very romantic history of its own, on account of the wonderful gigantic carved figures that have, been found there. Professor Brown says that he has been ■ informed that if fifty porsons willing to pay £100 each could probably bo induced to take part in the excursion, it could bo arranged, the time to extend over threo mouths. He believes that if it wero well advertised in New Zealand, ■ Australia, and the United Kingdom thero would be no difficulty in obtaining the required number. He has been informed that the best time of tho year would be from September to December, when the rainy season would be^y«iiedt