Schooner Captain Charged After Attacking His Mate
Captain Ingerson of the Clara Light was arrested in Port Townsend and held on $1,000 bond after his crew testified that he kicked his mate, William Cook, in the head and face.
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A special to the DISPATCH from Port Townsend is as follows: Captain Ingerson of the Schooner Clara Light, which left Seattle on the evening of the 15th, kicked his mate most unmercifully. The Captain called the mate, named Wm. Cook, from below and met him at the top of the companion way and kicked him on the head and face with the heel of his boot, almost scalping him. The Captain was arrested here and, after his examination, placed under $1,000 bonds for his appearance next September at the term of Court. The crew's testimony was against the Captain.
“The Captain called the mate... from below and met him at the top of the companion way and kicked him on the head and face with the heel of his boot, almost scalping him.”
While maritime labor laws eventually evolved to protect workers from such violence, the struggle for basic safety in high-stress, low-oversight industries remains a resonant issue today. The stark brutality of this 1876 incident serves as a grim reminder of the power imbalances that have defined Washington's labor history for over a century.
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