VERDICT OF MURDER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10559, 9 April 1920, Page 5

VERDICT OF MURDER

TRAGEDY OH A SCHOONER BOW THE SKIPPER. WAS KNIFED AND DIED. How Fred West, the skipper of the American schooner John A. Campbell, met his death recently, was told at an inquest conducted by a Sydney coroner (Mr Jamieson). One morning Fred West was taken to hospital with several knife wounds in his body, and he died the same day. Alexander. Thomson, the seaman who was remanded from the Central Police Court on a charge of having murdered the captain, was present in custody. He is a well-built man, 2U years old. Inspector Devlin watched tho case for the police,' and Mr E. R. Abigail appeared for Thomson. Evidence given by Dr Stratford Sheldon was that oho of the wounds, between the fourth and fifth ribs on the right side, penetrated the lung, while another punctured the. back of the right lung. In his Opinion death was due to haemorrhage from the wounds, and from shock, and tho wounds could havo-been caused by the ordinary-sized sheath knife produced. “I’M DONE.” Norman Edward Smith, superintendent of the Federal wharf, Darling Harbour, gave evidence of , having seen Captain "West lying on the wharf alongside the vessel bleeding from a large wound on the back. All he could say was, ‘Tm do he.” There was a crowd round the cap--1 tain, and someone said that he had been stabbed, and that- the man who stabbed him was in the water. The coroner: Did you see in the water?—Yes, I saw a man swimming over, towards the Taviuni at the Union Company’s wharf. Tho mate of the John A Campbell, Ernest Johnson, spoke of a dispute between the captain and some of the crew in regard to wages. . On March 16th the captain came aboard about half-past eight in the morning, and asked how things were going. “T told him everything was going lovely,” witness continued, "except that two men—one of them was Alee Thomson—were not working. ‘All right,’ the captain said, -‘we’ll go for’a-rd and see them.’ So we both went for’ard.

- “But while I was picking up a piece of bolt, the skipper went round under the fo’c’sle head out of, my sight. The next thing I saw was Alec Thomson on the rail on the starboard side. I ran , along the. deck calling out, ‘What is wrong with the man ?—is he crazy ?’ but he jumped overboard. “Then I heard someone sing out, ‘Hie captain, is killed!’ When I got to the skipper’s side he was too bad to speak/’ In reply to tbe coroner, witness said that Thomson had a hit of a quarrel with Captain West one day at sea, but as ‘far as he knew there was no ill-feeling between them. “The skipper was pretty hot-temp-ered/’ he added, “but I never saw anything to suggest, that Thomson would attack him.” “IXI/ PLUG YOU QUICK;/’

Evidence was given by Able Seaman Gunderson, of the John A Camj)bell, of a dispute one day at sea with the captain in regard to the shifting of a lifeboat. Thomson wanted more assistance, but the captain said “Shut your mouth, or I’ll plug you up quick/’ There was then a reference to the fact of a doctor having told Thomson not to do any hard work. Shortly after that conversation, witness continued, he turned round and saw Captain West fall over a hatch. He immediately picked himself up and rah round tho port, side of the fo’o’sle, with Thomson after him. The coroner: Was Thomson angry ? —I can’t say; it all happened too quickly. Witness said that both men ran aft, and were soon out of liis sight. He nest saw Thomson in the water and the captain on the wharf. The,coroner: Did you see a knife in Thomson’s hand?—No. “I’vo been sailing 13 or 14 years,” witness added, “and I’ve seen many a captain, but none as bad ns West. Ho was bad tempered, and lost his head very quickly.” Further evidence was given by Allan Platt, a wharf labourer, Francis John Summers, foreman stevedore; and Arthur Edward Potter, their testimony dealing with the actual; attack on the skipper by Thomson, who had been seen in a stooping position over the captain with 'a knife in his hand, having chased the captain aft. “He gave" the master two thumps with his right hand,” said one witness. “but T could not see, what was in it. Anyhow, I called him a cownrdlv clog! In a minute ho was over tho side of the ship.” .After another member of the crow in his evidence had described Captain iVc«.fc as a man who could not speak civilly, the coroner returned a verdict of murder against Thomson, and committed him for trial.