STEALING SAILORS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 185, 6 August 1900, Page 8

STEALING SAILORS.

A SAN FRANCISCO EPISODE

The San Francisco "Call" of a recent date says:—"There was trouble on the Hawaiian ship Balclutha and the British ship JBlackbraes a couple of days ago. One vessel loaned some men to the other to bend sails and while they were at work they were stolen by the boarding masters. The mate of the vessel that lost. the men made the round of the boarding houses and took his men aboard in spite of all resistance. Then the boarding masters tried to rescue the sailors and there was a free fight in which many a skull was cracked and the runners got the worst of it. 'The Blaekbraes arrived here on May 24 after a passage that lasted nearly a year. Not a. man aboard has less than HOO dollars coming to him, and in consequence there were no deser-

tions. n The Balclutha will go to the Sound to load lumber for Australia, and was short of men. Captain Hatfield wanted his sails bent, and being shorthanded asked for the loan of a few men from the Blackbraes. As soon as the men were at work on the Bnlclntha the runners appeared on board with several bottles of water front rye. As soon as the whisky got to work the men were ready for anything and willingly deserted when a run ashore was proposed. AVhen the mate of the Blackbvnes heard that his men had been stolen he at once went ashore armed with a pistol. He made the rounds of the boarding- houses and inside of an hour had all his sailors aboard the ship again. The next morning the boarding masters made a combined raid on the Blaekbraes, but the jnate and second mate, aided by the boatswain and carpenter, met them with belaying pins, and inside of three minutes the whole of the invading force was driven over the side, some of them much the

worse for wear."