SEAMAN SENT TO GAOL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 18, 15 July 1911, Page 6

SEAMAN SENT TO GAOL.

WILFUL DAMAGE ON BOARD SHIP. "I WANT TO GET BACK TO LIVERPOOL.' J At the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning a shaggy seaman, bearing the rather formidable cognomen of Arvo 'John Wuorisala, one of the crew on the Margit, was charged with liaving, on July 0, at Moturoa, wilfully damaged and destroyed a on the poop of the Margit, and gl:> <s in the skylight by striking ithem with a belaying pin, causing damage to property to the value of £4. Mr. Quilliam appeared for the informant (the master- of the vessel). After spelling the accused's name he saggested that it would be better to call him *the defendant," remarking that the pronunciation of Arno John Wuorisala was rather beyond him. The accused was then formally charged, the clerk of tne court being content to indicate to the interpreter the man's name on the charge-sheet, saying, "That's his name. I can't pronounce it."

The interpreter, who appeared quite new to court work, and to have acquired very little more English than the accused himself, conveyed the charge in few words, very different to the lengthy harangue into which an interpreter usually launches when translating from the English language into Chinese or the 'Maori language. Once or twice during the hearing the interpreter, a man named Michelli, who is a member of the crew, used "pidgin English" in informing the accused of what was taking place. The accused, an ill-kempt young fellow, who occupied himself with chewing and the usual accompaniment most of the time, admitted the offence, but as a justification said he wanted to know why he was locked up instead of being allowed to work as the other men were.

The Magistrate agreed with Mr. Quil Ham that it was better to hear the evidence of the offence.

' Mr. Quilliam, in outlining the facts, said the accused man was a ruffian of a most <iangerous character. When the ' barque had been a month out from Liverpool his conduct was so bad that the crow asked the officers of the vessel to ( have him kept under restraints It apJ pea Ted that he was making some awful threats of what he would do. Amongst other things he threatened that he would kill somebody. So the accused was locked up, being allowed on deck in the day time for fresh air and exeroisc, but at night it was necessary, in the interests of the safety of the crew, that he should be locked up. On the day after the ship's arrival at New Plymouth the captain made arrangements to liberate the prisoner, first going to him and asking him to "be kind," as the captain himself put it, to behave himself and resume duty. The man was surly, and would make no promises of this nature. On Sunday morning last the prisoner was let out on deck. The captain then went to the mess-room to breakfast with the mates. There came a crash of glass, and the deadlight was shattered, a piece of the broken glass striking the captain on the head and making an ugly wound. The accused was seen with a belaying pin in his hand, battering away at the glass. Then he turned hiß attention to a skylight, and with the belaying pin broke every piece of glass in it. Then he went forward. Captain Petterson and the mate 3 followed him, and the man held up the belaying-pin threateningly. Later, the man was again loeked up. Mr. Quillkm submitted that this was pre-eminently a case for exemplary punishment. The Magistrate remarked that the maximum penalty was a month's im- / prisonment.

'Mr. Quilliam, however, pointed out that two months' imprisonment could be inflicted. He continued to urge the Bench to inflict the fullest penalty within its power. It was nacessary for magistrates here asid elsewhere to let these foreign seamen know—and British seamen as well—that when they came to the ports of the Dominion such offences as this would DC severely punished. This port, he said, gave promise of being a very busy shipping centre before long, and it was very necessary that sailors should know that severe penalties are inflicted for conduct of this kind. It might be, as the captain would suggest, that the accused man was anxious to get to gaol. In that case it would bo as well for the .Magistrate to humor his whim. Mr. Quilliam then called his evidence. Olnf Petterson, master of the barque Margit, said the vessel left Liverpool on March 8. About a month out they had trouble with the accused, who refused to work. A little later the crew complained that it wasn't safe for them to be with the accused in the fo'c'stle. He called the crew aft, and enquired into the circumstances, and, the crew being afniia that he would do them some injury while they were asleep, he had the man locked up. Very often in hot weather Hie accused was let out on deck, but a watch was kept on him then. He wasn't allowed out at night, because the captain was afraid he would hurt the other fellows. On two or three occasions he spoke kindly to the accused, and asked him to resume work, but he always (refused to work. On the day after the ship's arrival he went forward and asked the crew if they would have the man back in the fo'c'stle, but they wouldn't have him. He spoke to the accused, and asked him if he would behave himself and return to work, but Wuorisala refused, and demanded to be paid his wages from Liverpool to New /iealand, and from New Zealand to Liverpool. On Sunday morning the accused was allowed on deck. Witness and the mates were at breakfast in the messroom when he heard the deadlight crash, and a piece of glass struck him on the head, cutting him. He brushed the piece of glass away. Accused then went up and smashed eight lights in the skylight, causing damage to the extent of about £4. He and one of the mates went on deck, and the accused shook the belaying pin at him threateningly. When the belaying pin had been put down he ordered accused ashore, and he went. Witness returned to breakfast, and whilst there the steward complained that the accused was in the galley. He and the master locked the man up'. The man had been kindly treated, but was lazy and insolent, and when spoken to had given abusive language. Captain Petterson stepped up to the Bench to allow an inspection of his injuries.

Accused had no questions to ask. Alfred Anderson, first mate on the barque, corroborated the captain's story. To the Magiastrate: The man vis locked up in a cabin, and was not put in irons.

The accused elected to give, evidence in his ow» behalf, and slouched, barefooted, a-cross the floor from the dockto the witness-box. He merely said that hj« would have worked all right if he had been treated aright, and twice remarked that he wanted to get back to Liverpool.

In answer to the Magistrate, Captain Petterson said he hoped to get away from Xow Plymouth in about a' fortnight.

Mr. Quilliam intimated that the master had no intention of taking tie accused back to th« vessel .

The Bench: Just so, Mr. Quilliam. I should like the ship to be away when he comes out.

The Magistrate, through the interpreter, spoke to the accused about the seriousness of his offence, and sent him to gaol for a. month, with hard labor. As the prisoner was led away, the Magistrate remarked, ''He'll find it very different to the Russian prisons."