DEATH OF NEGRO SEAMAN

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 61, 7 December 1943, Page 6

DEATH OF NEGRO SEAMAN

Hearing Of Murder Charge SHIPMATES GIVE EVIDENCE

FOR CROWN

The hearing of the charge of murdering Robert Lane, a negro seaman, on a United States ship at Wellington in the early hours of Friday last, was continued against Reginald Delone Surles. aged 25. seaman, in the Magistrates’ Court, NN Belington, yesterday.

The case was heard by Mr. Stout, S.M. The Crown Prosecutor, Mr. NS . H. Cunningham, conducted the prosecution, and Mr. G. C. Keu-t appeared for accused. John Mandanci. messman on the ship, said that on Thursday last he weut ashore about 1.30 p.m. with Calvin Jones. Robert Laue and accused, and they went to an hotel. At an hotel in Cuba Street Jones had a room, and they visited this room during the afternoon. They drank some beer and whisky during the day. There were live or six bottles of whisky in Jones's room. Accused became drunk, and a fight started between him -and Lane. Before this fight, accused bit a marine in an hotel. The fight between accused and Lane started because Surles wus pulling Lane’s coat about, to which Lane objected. Accused hit Lane in the eye. and Lane rushed accused, knocked him down, and stabbed accused s face with his heel. A crowd collected, and accused, who had a cut over au eye, was taken to NVellingtoii Hospital in a cab. Witness and Laue accompanied accused to the hospital. The hospital staff washed accused eye, and then sent for a marine ambulance, which took accused to a naval hospital in the country. Lane, who was semi-drunk, went to the NVellingtoii Hospital -because he had a bump on an eye. Witness accompanied accused to the naval hospital, where they remained for about half an hour. Accused was still drunk. On returning to the ship, witness helped accused up the gang-plank. Witness entered the mess. hall, leaving accused Ibv the gangway. After'taking a walk around the deck for about half an hour, witness went to the stewards’ sleeping quarters. This would be at. about 11 p.m. While witness was in his bunk, Lane came into the cabin, and got into his -bunk, and apparently went to sleep. A little later accused entered the cabin, went to Jones’s < bunk, and took a knife from underneath a pillow. He then walked up to Lane’s bunk and stabbed Lane more than once with the knife. When stabbed Lane got into a half-sitting position, when he was stabbed again, and fell backward. Accused said, “I’ve got you now.” Lane was gasping. NVitness thought accused stabbed Lane about four or five times. The whole, stabbing incident onlj' occupied about 20 seconds. Accused then walked out of the cabin with the knife, which witness identified as that of Jones. - Cross-examined by Mr. Kent, witness said this was the first trip he had made with accused. He found him to.be a quiet type of man, and he was friendly with him. He was argumentative once ima while, but witness got on well with, him. He was not of a -bullying nature. He had also known Lane only on this voyage. Lane was more of an argumentative type, and had been involved in,- trouble with other members of the crew. Calvin Ray Jones, second pantryman on the ship, a negro, said this was his first trip with the ship. He had a room at an hotel in Wellington, and accused, Lane, Mandanc and he went ashore from the.ship on Thursday last. They visited his room at the hotel for a few moments,' where they had some liquor. They drauk almost every kind of liquor and consumed about six _ bottles of whisky. Others besides those in the party helped to drink the liquor. NVheu witness left late’ in the afternoon -both accused and Lane were drunk. NVitness got back to the s-hip about midnight. On his way -back to the stewards’ cabin witness heard accused say to Rosquist, one of the crew, “You will not sleep well tonight.” NVitness then induced accused to go below. As a result of what Rosquist later told witness, he went to another ship and got a doctor. He later saw the -body of Lane, who had been stabbed. When witness went ashore on Thursday he left bis sheath-knife under the pillow in his -bunk, and the next he saw of it was when a police officer showed it to him. Harry John Sykes, stewards’ mate, said he occupied the opposite bunk to Jones in the: stewards' quarters on the ship and accused had the bunk tinder the one witness occupied. NVitness saw accused on 'the Thursday night take a bayonet and knife out of his locker and go out of the cabin with them. Accused was then bleary-eyed and staring, but did not appear to be drunk, NVitness turned in and fell asleep about midnight. .When he awakened he saw Lane sitting up in his bunk, and accused knock him over. Blood was gushing out of Lane’s body. He could not see whether accused had a knife in his hand at the time.

An Armoury of Weapons.

Vern Rees Rosquist, wiper on the ship, said that on returning to the ship on Thursday night last he found accused in his bunk. Accused , had a Japanese bayonet and sheath-knife and a pistol with him, and was asleep. NVitness took the Japanese bayonet and pistol away, aud was removing the sheath-knife when witness woke up, and asked him what he was doing. Witness told him he would give him his weapons back in the. morning. The Nveapong belonged to accused, and he was irritated at witness removing them. Accused was in an excited state, and got hold of the sheath-knife for a time, but witness got possession of it after some difficulty, and the weapons were locked up for .the night. Accused later asked witness to get his pistol aud knife back, and witness told him he did not have them. Accused then told witness not to go to sleep that night, as he was coming back to “get” him. Aecuswl actually threatened witness’s life because be would not return his weapons. The next time witness saw accused was in the mate’s office. He had a knife-ease with him. Accused said he wanted to see the first mate, as he wanted to tell him what had happened. The mate was ashore, and accused then said he had stabbed a guy. and he hoped that he would die. Witness later went to the stewards’ quarters, where he found Laue dead.

John Mike Powell, first-class seaman, United States Navy, attached at present to the ship on which the affray took place, said that when accused came on board about 9.30 o'clock on Thursday night last, he told witness that he had had a fight, and that Laue had got him down, and kicked him in the face. Accused said he wanted to go below and get a couple of knives. NVitness took him below, and accused got two knives. He put the knives down the front of his trousers, and had a short knife in his pocket. _ NVhen he went off watch at 10 p.m., witness told the man who relieved him to take it easy with accused, as he bad two knives on him. Cross-examined by Mr. Kent, witness said accused was well under the influence of liquor when be came aboard on Thursday night, and he wanted to go beloiv to find the coloured bo.v who had kicked him in the face. He was making wild threats, and hie behaviour was not normal

To Mr. Cunningham, witness said accused had stated that he was going to get Laue and kill him, if that was the last thing he did. Joseph A. Hund, first-class seaman. United States Navy, attached to the ship on which the affray occurred, said be was on watch on the gangway of the ship on Thursday night from 10 o’clock till 12 o’clock. When witness came on duty, accused was standing by the gangway. and told witness not to get into tiny trouble, but to go for a walk. Accused said Laue had hit him and kicked him up town, and that he wits going to “gel” him. Accused had two knives and a gun upon him at that time.

Edward Joseph Burke, able seaman in the United States Merchant Marine, saiil he had the 12 to 8 watch on the ship on Friday morning last. When Lane came into the navy messroom, witness warned him to watch his step. Witness later was told that a man had been stabbed, and went, to get one of the medical orderlies. Cross-examined by Mr. Kent, witness said that when he warned Lane to watch his step, Lane said he would do so. It would be about 12.50 a.m. when Lane came aboard.

Carl Henry Stoltenberg, chief steward of the ship, said Lane was a native of Texas, and was about 21 or 22 years of age. Further hearing of the. case was adjourned till December 15, accused beinj remanded till that date.