Japanese Tragedy.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 82, 6 December 1913, Page 5

Japanese Tragedy.

MURDER ON HIGH SEAS.

STORY OF A SAILOR'S DEATH.

[Per Press Association.] Auckland, December o

When the Japanese steamer Kwanto Mara arrived in the stream this afternoon the police were advised that a murder had been committed on the ship on Tuesday last, when the vessel was lour days out from Newcastle. Some difficulty has been experienced in getting a true account of the affair, as tie crew is composed entirely ol .Japanese, the only white man on board being Captain Hans Carl Holm, a native of Denmark, whose knowledge of the Japanese language is very limited. The members of the crew are similarly situated in regard to the English tongue, the only man possessing a smattering of English being the first officer, Matsu Aloto. The captain's version of the tragedy, from facts he has been able to ascertiiij is as toilows:—"The trouble started when Boatswain Higashibara, at the the day's work was serving out whisky. He appears to have refused to give a sailor, Yenowe, his portion, as he had feigned to be sick for four days. Thereupon the sailor drew a knife and attempted to stab the boatswain, but the second engineer, who was present, intervened, and the onlv injury that the boatswain sustained was a slight cut on the arm. The sailor then ran away, but later on he fired a revolver shot at the boatswain from the galley. The boatswain grappled with him, and obtained possession of the revolver after the struggle, and then fired two shots at his antagonist, one hitting him on the chest and one in the groin. On being advised of the trouble I hurried to .t'Ae cook-house, and found the sailor lying in a huddling position. Warm blood was still coming from his nose and mouth, but the shots had apparently taken instant effect, for the man was dead. The body was washed and placed under protection. The boatswain was arrested forthwith, the revolver, containing two unusuel cartridges and three empty shells, being found in his possession. The officers also obtained possession of the knife which was supposed to have been used by the sailor when he attempted to stab the boatswain at the beginning of the affray. .'* *

Captain Holm stated further that the boatswain -admits that be killed the man on the ground of self-defence. He was one of the best men. on the ship, be added.

The captain's story .was borne out almost in toto by the chief officer, the only apparent discrepancy being as to the shooting. From a disconnected story of the latter, it would appear that- the revolver went off ■accidentally during the struggle between the two men. The chief officer's knowledge of English is so meagre however that it is possible, that his meaning was not fully understood.

As the alleged murder was connriitted on tht> high seas, outside the three mile limit and under the Japanese flag, the police have no power to arrest the boatswain, who was, however brought ashore by the police, so that a statement inight be obtained from him, in order to facilitate the coroner's enquiry, which is to be held to-morrow morning. In the meantime, it remains with the captain to. take wnat step's he deems fit in regard to keeping the man in custody until the boat returns to a Japanese port. The man is now under lock and key on the vessel. The body of the sailor having been brought ashore, an enquiry by the coroner is rendered necessary. In the meanwhile a communication has been wired to the Japanese Consul in Wellington, as to the subsequent procedure to be adopted. When the boatswain was brought back to the vessel, and it became known to the crew that he would pro'bably have to remain on board until she calls at a Japanese port, considerable dissatisfaction was apparent and the captain was given to understand that the crew would refuse to sail so long as the man was on board. In discussing the question, the captain gave his point of view in very definite terms. "These Japanese firement," he said, "are little better ' than savages, and. not understanding anything about the niceties of the law here, they will blame me for keeping the man on board, and they | may deal with him in the usual Japanese direct sort of way. Tt may bo years before we touch at a Japanese port."