SEA CAPTAIN'S SENTENCE.

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3234, 7 May 1917, Page 3

SEA CAPTAIN'S SENTENCE.

FIVE YEARS FOR MAN PUT IN IRONS BY HIS CREW.

The story of a sea captain ordering a gunner in his vessel to iiro at a British hospital ship, and afterwards attempting to murder the gunner, John L. Gilford, R/sN.R., was told at Devon Assizes at Exeter , recently, when Thomas J. Stayinan, of North Shields, captain of a large merchant vessel, came up for trial.

The case for the Crown was that in the Mediterranean tho captain twice ordered Gifford to fire upon a large hospital ship, and when the latter refused the captain said he and his gun .and the Admiralty ought to go to together. "When two days off Plymouth, Stayman, realising that Gifford intended to report him, tried to throw 'him overboard, Gifford being saved by a roll of the ship. Two hours later the first officer, Jackson, and some of the crew overpowered the captain and handcuffed him. Besides Gifford and Jackson six members of the crew spoke to hearing the captain's threats, and Gifford gave his opinion that the captain was either drank or mad. Stavman flatly donied either attacking Gifford or ordering him to fire on the hospital ship. He was found guilty of attempted murder, and pleaded guilty to a charge of disobeying the senior officer at GiSbraltar to come home by tho Admiralty route. The chargo in respect to the hospital ship was withdrawn. Tli© Judge sentenced him to five years' penal servitude, to run concurrently, for attempted murder and disobeying orders.