STOWAWAYS’ THREATS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 June 1928, Page 5

STOWAWAYS’ THREATS

JERVIS BAY TROUBLE ARRESTS AT COLOMBO (Australian Press Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.) COLOMBO, June 25. The liner Jervis Bay has been sighted, and she is due in port before nine o clock. . ... preliminary official enquiry will be held aboard’the liner before anyone is allowed to come ashore. LATER.

The enquiry of the Board was of a preliminary nature, and was conducted by the principal Collector of Customs. At the conclusion, it was decided that the men be tried locally by a Marine Court of Inquiry. The eight accused, all stowaways, consist of four Englishmen, three Scotsmen, and one American negro. They were removed by the police to the rem.ir-.d jail. The passengers disembarked after the enquiry. PASSENGERS’ NARRATIVE. (United Service.) COLOMBO, June I's. The passengers by the Jervis Bay state that the reports o? the affairs were greatly exaggerated. Shortly after the steamer left Fremantle, eight stowaways were discovered. They were given work at cleaning brass, and were provided with cabins. They also were given the same food as the passengers, with whom they fed. The stowaways complained of the food, and they declined tb work. On Tuesday last they made themselves highly objectionable. They molested the ladies on the promenade deck, on which they were not allowed. The captain then ordered them to be confined.

Led by a half-caste Cuban, who acted as their ringleader, they offered a stout resistance. The crew armed themselves with life preservers, and, after a fierce fight ,the stowaways were handcuffed, but they continued to struggle. Eventually the hose was turned on them, and they were washed down the gangway into the isolation ward, where there was several inches of water on the floor. The next night, apparently finding a crowbar which had eeen overlooked, they broke out. Four of the stowaways were found in the passengers’ quarters. They were recapture I,'and were again confined. On Thursday morning a fire was seen issuing from below. It was ascertained that they had set the bedding, pillows and clothes alight, thus necessitating the blazing mass being thrown out of the poitho-.es. The passengers believe that this was merely intended to frighten them, and that it was not the intention of the stowaways to fire the ship. The hose was again used, and the fire was promptly put out. It is also report?.! that a microphone was installed near Hie foot of the stairs, attached to the wood, so as to detect plots, and that by this means plans of the stowaways to fire the ship were discovered, enab Jag them to be easily dealt with. Three to four hundred passengers signed a memorial to Captain Daniel, expressing appreciation of the tact, ability, and leniency wherew'th he iind his officers dealt with the difficult situation. The signatories stated that they observed no signs of the crew’s active sympathy with the stowaways, but 'haa.rcl many strongly condemning the insubordinate behaviour. The memorial concluded: “We are gravely concerned by the untrue rumours concerning the alleged attitude of the crew. We saw nothing but the crew’s active loyalty in assisting the Commander and Officers.”

MARINES'AS “BOY SCOUTS.”

(Received June 26, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, June 25. A British United Press . message gives the passengers’ narratives. Three nights out from Fremantle, the stowaways ■were discovered and immediately became insubordinate. They burned their beds, broke a stairway and threatened to set fire to the ship. The alarm of the women and children probably decided the Captain to send out the S.O.S. ‘‘The trouble lasted only a few hours. We were surprised that the storv of a mutiny got abroad. There was" nothing like it,” said one passenger. Another version states that after the stowaways declined to work they were imprisoned in a cabin. They set fire to the bedding, and thrust the blazing mattresses out of the portholes. There •was no disturbance among the crew. The stowaways gave no trouble after being brought under control, and placed in a room by themselves. The Slavol’s marines had nothing to do. The leader of the stowaways, a Cuban, boasts that he has done only three weeks’ work in six years.

fl'he passengers add that the stowaways were desperate at night time frightening the women and children. They also attempted to cut off the fresh water supply. They caused uneasiness for five nights. When the Slavol’s party boarded, the Cuban remarked. “What a fine set of Boy Scouts! ” The passengers agree that there was little cause for fright, though for a few hours the situation seemed desperate, owing to the stowaways’ ugly threats of what they intended to do. FIGHT IN CONCERT ROOM(Received June 26, 10.30 a.m.) COLOMBO, June 25. Further interviews with the Jervis Bay passengers disclosed the general opinion that, nothing approaching a mutiny occurred. fl’liey were amazed at the alarming wireless messages sent. out. The officers suggest that the messages must, have been mutilated.

The latter say that the Cuban was most abusive, and demanded that the passengers pay his fare. He boasted that he had travelled as a stowaway eleven times, and the passengers always paid his fare. He told the passengers that, they were “the measliest lot of be had ever travelled with.”

The stowaways, one night, broke out of their prison and invaded the saloon during a concert, shouting, The mate ordered them to clear out. They jeered insultingly, till the officer knocked down the ringleader. Then v. general melee of passengers, officers and stowaways followed.

Later in the evening, the stowaways ran amok along the decks, and tetri-

fled the women and children, by opening cabin doors, and shouting insults. A second struggle followed in which four naval ratings gave valuable assistance. Eventually the disturbers were battened down. While awaiting the Slavol, the officers adopted new tactics and began starving the stowaways, with the result that when the Marines boarded, they found them subdued and easily controlled. The officers are emphatic that the crew did not participate in the trouble, but someone slipped an iron bar down a ventilator to the prisoners, facilitating their escape. A LENIENT SENTENCE. • 4 (Recd. June 26, 11.50 a.m.) COLOMBO, June 25. The. stowaways were convictecT on four counts and sentenced to five and a-half months’ imprisonment. Mr Larkin said the Jervis Bay incident was merely a storm in a teacup, and that he would not comment on the captain’s action till he obtained a personal explanation. He has instructed the captain not to provide the Press with any more exciting messages.