His Worship then heard the charge brought against Murphy of assaulting the second officer on the evening of the Zist.
The Master handed in his official log with an entry showing that the matter had beer reported to him.
Prisoner pleaded not guilty.
David Mackenzie said that he was the 2nd officer of the Crown of Germany. The as-saulé was committed on the 2ist June.
About dinner-time on that day he found a number of the crew armed with belaying pins chasing the steward aft. 'The mate, and the 3rd mate, and witness ined to stop the row and enquired what was the matter, The whole crowd were the worse for liquor, ani witness took away four belaying pins' from them. Murphy had one in his hand, behind his back, and witness did not know he had it, He struck witness on the forehead, knocking him down, and when he was on the ground struck him agai on the back of the head, rendering hin unconscious. Me did not remember anything more, but he be-Feved the 3rd mate carried him into the cabin, Robert Davidson, the Master, deposed that when ho came on board about 6 pam. this evening the chief officer told him the story the Court hud just heard. Witness found the second officer unconscious in his cabin, could not speak, and drops of blood were coming from his mouth. Witness looked in the medical book and according to the direotions gave him two doses of witchhazel, which stopped the bleeding. About ten the injured man fell asleep. Witness took him to seo 2 doctor next day but the doctor said that he did not think there was anything serious the matter. The mate came on duty thie following day (the 23rd). The crow were all more or less the worse for liquor when witness came on. board.
Murphy said the cause of all this trouble was that a few bits of meat and potatoes had been left over from a meal. The crew asked the cook to make them some dry hash from this and the cook tried to throw the meat overboard, One of tte men then threw the meat into his face. The cook ran into the galley and got.a big butcher's knife, The man armed himself with a belaying pin. Witness took one too. He tried to get the knife from the cook. The 2nd officer came towards him with a belaying pin behind his
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