TROUBLE ON STEAMER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 26 June 1928, Page 5

TROUBLE ON STEAMER.

JERVIS BAY INCIDENT: v “GREATLY EXAGGERATED.” Pi ee i Association-Electric Telegraph-Copyright. COLOMBO, Monday. Passengers by the Jervis Bay state that reports of trouble aboard Avere greatly exaggerated. .Shortly after the steamer left Fremantle, eight stOAvaways Avere discovered. They Avere- gh’en Avork cleaning brass and provided Avith cabins. They Avere also given the same food as the passengers, with Avhom they fed. * The stOAvaways complained of the food and declined to Avork. On Tuesday they made themselves high objectionable.

They molested ladies on the promenade deck, on Avhieh they were not allowed.

Led by a half-caste Cuban avlio acted as ringleader,. thev offered a stout resistance. The crew armed themselves Avith life preservers and after a fierce fight tho stowaAvays Avere handcuffed, but continued to struggle. EA’entually a hose Avas turned on them and they Avere AA'ashed down a gangway into the isolation Avard, Avherc there Avere several inches of Avater on the floor.

On the next night,, apparently finding a crowbar Avhieh had been overlooked, they broke out. Four stowaAvays Avere found in the passengers’, quarters. They Avere recaptured and re-confined. On Thursday morning, fire Avas seen issuing from below. It was ascertained that the stowaAvays had set bedding, pillow and clothes alight, necessitating the blazing mess being thrown out of the portholes. The passengers believe that this avjis merely intended to frighten them, and that it Avas not their intention to fire the ship. The hose Avas again used and the fi/e Avas promptly put out. It is also reported that a microphone Avas installed near the foot/ of the stairs to detect plots, and that by this means the plans to fire the ship Avere discovered, enabling them to be easily dealt Avith. —(Australian Press Association. —United Service).

PRELIMINARY ENQUIRY. COLOMBO, Monday. An inquiry of a preliminary nature Avas conducted by tho principal Collector of Customs. At its conclusion it Avas decided that the men be tried locally by the Marine Court of Inquiry. The eight accused are all stOA\ raways, and consist of four Englishmen, three Scotsmen and one American Negro. They were rcmoA'ed by the police to the Remand Gaol.

The |passengers disembarked after the inquiry.

Three hundred of the four hundred passengers on the Jervis Bay signed a memorial to Captain Daniel, expressing their appreciation of iiis tacit; ability, and leniency, with which he and his officers dealt with a difficult situation. 1 The signatories stated they did not observe any. signs of the crew’s active sympathy with the stowaways, but heard many strongly condemning their insubordinate behaviour. The memorial stated: —“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.” —Australian and N.Z. Press Assn. PASSENGERS AMAZED. AT ALARMING MESSAGES. ((Received Tuesday, 9.13 a.m.) COLOMBO, Monday. Further interviews with the Jervis Bay passengers disclosed a general opinion that nothing approaching a mutiny occurred. They were amazed at the alarming wireless messages sent out. Officers suggest that the messages must have been mutilated.

The officers say that the Cuban was the most abusive. He demanded that the passengers pay his fare. lie 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 blanks he had ever travelled' with. ’ ’

The stowaways one night broke out of prison and invaded the saloon during a concert, shouting and swearing. A mate ordered them to clear out, but they jeered Insultingly till the officer knocked down the ring-leader. Then a general melee among the passengers, officers and stowaways followed. Later in the evening the stowaways ran amok along the decks. They terrified women and children, 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 controllable. The officers are emphatic that the crew did not participate in the trouble, but someone slipped an iron bar down the ventilator to the prisoners, thus facilitating their escape. —-Australian and N.Z. Press Assn. STORM IN A TEACUP. (Received Tuesday, 11.0 a.m.) COLOMBO, Monday. The stowaways were convicted on four counts and sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment. Mr Larkin said that 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. Ho instructed the captain not to provide the Press with any more exciting messages.— Australian and N.Z. Press Assn.