SATURDAY NIGHT ON BOAT IN PORT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1684, 26 February 1913, Page 3

SATURDAY NIGHT ON BOAT IN PORT.

. ? ENGINEER & BRAWL. SERIOUS CHARGE BV A FIREMAN. WAS IT TRUMPED UP? An extraordinary case was heard in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when William Vallis, a fireman on the steamer Star of England, brought a charge of assault against Andrew Buchan, the second engineer of tho vessel.. Mr. W. G. .Biddell, S.M., was on the Bench. Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for Vallis, and' Mr. T. Young .defended Buchan; Mr. Jackson outlined tho case for the informant, Vallis. Between 11 and 12 o'clock on Saturday rtight a disturbance took place in the firemen's room onthe Star of England, and Vallis went to the second engineer (Buchan) and complained. By way of answer Buchan struck VaHis a blow on the face, which knocked him down, and then kicked him. Vallis next found himself in the harbour, but he could not say how he got there. Buchan, too, was in" the water.. If Alio charge was borne out by the evidence, counsel would , ask that Buchan should receive the same penalty as a fireman was liable to for assaulting an officer—6ix months' imprisonment. Vallis, the . informant, was then called. He said that on Saturday night, between 11 and 12 o'clock, thero was a "bit ■of a disturbance" among the sailors in the firemen's room. He then described his visit .to the second . engineer very much as indicated by counsel. "You Jumped Overboard and Mr. Buchan Saved Your Life." Mr; Young: It was a maa you call the Russian Finn who caused trouble? —"Yes." There was a good deal of fighting in tho forecastle ?—"Yes." Someone hit someone else with a bucket?—"Yo9, that was the German." Sojneone got'jhit with a bottle, I believe ? Did you get hit with one?—"No; 1 did not." Didn't you and others pursue a man along the deck?—" No." Wasn't Mr. Buclmn trying to keep you off some other man?—"No; I was not attacking anyone." Didn't you jump overboard to try and commit suicide?—" No." Didn't you say you had tried to commit suicide once before?—" No." ; Do you know that you jumped overboard, and that Mr. Buchan saved your life?—" Yes; I didn't know what I was doing, and ho saved nie." ■^ r ; Jackson: They say you were under' the influence of liquor. What was tho condition of Buchan?—He was in drink. Otherwise he would not have done it.' I "The Second Engineer "Has\ Got to Go Overboard!" : Arthur Griffin deposed that he went with Vallis to get the .second engineer, and that the second engineer knocked Vallis down, and then started kicking him. The second engineer told witness to go away, or he would give him the same. Vallis ■ groaned so much that witness was about to return, when tho, fo'urth engineer advised him not to. "Witness drew the fourth engineer's attention to tho fact that tho second engineer was kicking Vallis. "That's nothing," tho fourth engineer said, "it's only a bit of fun." \V;tness went away, and, when half-way up the companion ladder,' heard a splash. Then lio heard a voice from the crowd call out: "The Second• engineer has got to go overboard for him!"Air. Young (after - other , questions): There were a lot of men'tight?—"What do you mefin by tight?" *ou know what tight is.—"Thero are a lot of kinds of tight." Well, wero. there a lot drunk?—"No; there were not." The police were sent for that night?— "Yes."- • ■ Was'tfiat to stop the row?—" No." What, then?—"To look for >£5 notes supposed to have been lost by the llussiau.'.' ' ■ ' ' ■ Did anyone hit you?—'' Yes; the second engineer did." . . Where did he hit you?—"Th<»o" (pointing to his forehead)., ' Whero did you get the other marks on your face?—"l can't account for them."

"He Talks of Smashing Everybody.". Joseph Allen, fireman, described the alleged assault, by the second engineer. Vallis was calling out: -Don't do it!" Mr. Young: Jiow did Vallis go overboard?— Witness: "I don't know, but my opinion is that tho second engineej threw him over." - • The "second engineer would not do anything like that!—"He is a man who can't hold his temper, and he isn't fit- to bo on .officer." •' You say Mr. Buchan is not fit to be second ebgiueerF—'"l don't say that; I suppose he has his papers. But when ho is in drink he talks about smashing everybody." v Mr. Jackson: lie's a bully?— Witness: "He says he will make us suffer for this." Did you hear anyone call out that the second' engineer would have to go overboard for Vallis?—"Yes; I heard someone call out: 'The second engineer throw him over; let the second engineer go over for him.'" William Gibbs,' another fireman, gave .evidence in support, of Vallis's information. Frank Norman, fireman, deposed that he had seen the second engineer knocking Vallis about, and had been on his way ashore to bring a policeman when ha heard a splash and tliea saw Vallis in tho water. The Russian and his Weapon. The nest witness was William Henry Thurlow, fireman, who said that when lie entered the forecastle he had seen the Russian sailor quarrelling with a mate of his. Thurlow went to his mate's assistance, and the Russian hit him (Thurlow) with a bottle, splitting his head open. This witness, also, was unable to account for Vallis's' getting into the harbour. Henry Ferry, a fireman, also gave evidence for Vallis. Defencc—"They Trumped up this Story." Mr. Young, in opening the' case for Buchan, said that Buchan's story was entirely different to that of Vallis and tho other firemen. The firemen seemed very ansiouj to get something against Buchan; they had trumped up this story. Tho firemen in the forecastle were all drunk on Saturday night, and it was in the forecastle that Vallis received his injuries. Mr. Young then called Frank Focus, who had been referred to as the "Russian Finn." It was very difficult to understand him, but it seemed that he alleged that.a JCS note had been taken out of his pocket, .and that in tho forecastle he made some accusations which resulted in a. number of tho English firemen attacking liim. He r at oncc looked about- for anything'which was handy to defend him-self-with; . Among other things lie wielded a bucket and a beer bottle to some purpose. Andrew Buchan denied absolutely having struck or kicked any man. The Russian, being chased by .Vallis and a number of others, went to complain to tho chief officer.. While witness and tho chief officcr were keeping the men buck, tho Russian slipped ashore and fetched the police. Vallis then had blood on his face, and his head was cut. "Vallis Deliberately Jumped Over." Mr. Jackson: You are' known as; tho bully of tho ship?—"l don't think eo, If they gave an unbiased opfnion, they would say they wero well treated." Tho seamen in the back of tho Court sneered. The Court orderly:. Silence! Mr. Young: How did you come to know that Vallis was in tho water f Buchan: I was talking to tho chief engineer when Allen came along crying, and saying that Vallis had jumped overboard to commit suicide. 'Other ovidonce for tho defence wasgiven by' the chief officer of tho vessel, John Ferris, Albert Victor Wood, and F. Cntt, the chief steward. ' Constable AngUmd, gavo evidence as to being colled to tho steamer, that night. His Worship tniil that the evidenco in the case was extremely contradictory. He was not fatisfied, although the ease was suspicious, that Buchan had caused the injuries to Vallis. The evidence wa* misatisfactory, and the information must be dismissed. Costs would not be allowed.