AFFRAY BETWEEN BLUEJACKETS ENDS IN MURDER CASE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17978, 15 October 1926, Page 6

AFFRAY BETWEEN BLUEJACKETS ENDS IN MURDER CASE.

THEY QUARRELLED IN GRAVESEND DANCE HALL (Special to the “Star.”) LONDON. September IS. An affray between white and coloured American bluejackets - at a Gravesend dancing hall on August 26 led to the sudden recall of the American destroyers Sharkey and Lardner from Portuguese waters to the Thames. The men concerned in the shooting after the affray returned to their ships, and the captain of the Lardner refused to hand over the seamen who were under arrest on the vessel to the British police, claiming that his ship was American territory. From a statement issued later by the Home Secretary, it appeared that the authorities had agreed, as a matter of international courtesy, that the guilt;* person or persons should be tried by United States court-martial regulations. Meanwhile, after the departure of the flotilla, one of the wounded seame.n, a Filipino named Paredes, died in a Gravesend, hospital, and at the core ner's inquest a verdict was returned of murder against Lebon Emmanuel Smith, a gunner on board the Lardner. The coroner’s Warrant for Smith's arrest. however, was withdrawn by the Home Secretary. A radiogram from the United States Consul in London announcing that Paredes was dead was communicated by the destroyer's captain to Admiral Roger Wells, on the cruiser Memphis, at Copenhagen, who was in command of the whole flotilla. The admiral thereupon ordered the destroyers to return to Gravesend and take the evidence of English witnesses. It is probable that the entire flotilla, including the Memphis, will be ordered to a rendezvous for a court martial. The four Filipinos and three American seamen concerned in the shooting are under arrest on board the destroyers