Fracas Among Tea-Boys in s. Prominent A fight which grew to such proportions that it became necessary 10 bring a ship back to port a fow hours after sailing, was revealed when four injured Chinese were brought upriver from Woosung and. loaded into an ambulance at the Customs Jetty on February 5. The Prominent. a Norwegian vessel, sailed from Shanghai for Swatow on Feb. 4, Trouble developed between rival factions in the compradore's staff of tea-boys and spread until a large group of the ship's complement were feeling the effects. The master of the vessel eventually found it necessary to turn her around and ut back to Woosung, where the River Police were called on to tend a hand.
A party left Shanghai at 0 am, for Woomng in a munch under" the direction of Mr. W. C. Woodfield, Superintendent of the River Police, They included one of the Norwegian Vice-Consuls and a foreign doctor.
On their arrival, the master of the Prominent requested the police to remove about 35. of the more pugnacious members-of the crew but preferred no charges against them. The four members of the crew who wore most severely injured were Brought back to Shanghai in the launch and sent to the Lester Chinese Hospital ina Fire Brigade At the hospital, shortly after 2 p. two were treated for contusions of the chest, one for lacerations of the face, and' the fourth for a bruise of the hip. They were then told to get up and walk which they did—right out of the hospital.
The fracas on the ship was between union and non-union parties, under the Ieadership of rival compradores. The services of the old compradore and his men had been dispensed with previously, but they came to Shanghat and boarded the vessel shortly before she sailed. The difficulties Between the old compradore and the new compradore wore hastily patched up and the vessel sailed out of the arbour in a peaceful fashion, When well beyond Woosung that night, @ heated argument between the two factions over accommodation developed into a violent fight. The injuries were such that the master of the vessel thought it best to get back to Shanghai as soon as possible to gain police help and medical attention The #8, Prominent is chartered by Jardine, Matheson & Company, Ltd
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