SERIOUS VIEW TAKEN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21086, 12 July 1938, Page 6

SERIOUS VIEW TAKEN

ASSAULT ON HIGH SEAS By Telegraph—Press Association BLENHEIM, July ’. A dispute that occurred in the stokehold of the overseas steamer Horornva while she was anchored in the Wanganui roadstead on July 6 resulted in the appearance at Picton this mon-lng of Francis Joseph Ferns, a seaman, charged with assaulting the second engineer, James Davidson, on the high seas. The proceedings were instituted on the information of the master di the vessel, Captain T. L. Maltby, who in evidence said he regarded the incident too seriously to be dealt with aboard and placed the matter in the hands of the police on the arrival of the vessel at Picton on Saturday. Ferns pleaded not guilty. The evidence showed that the efendant, in the course of a dispute with the second engineer in the stokehold regarding work and overtime, knocked the latter down. Ferns also knocked down the seventh engineer who intervened and was only restrained the chief engineer arrived, picked up a monkey wrench and warned him to desist. The Bench convicted Ferns, ntzneed him to 21 days’ imprisonment, ordered him to be returned to/Enjl"id in the first available New Zealand Shipping Company vessel.