In September of 1896 the Warrior arrived at Boston from the Philippines. When she came alongside the wharf the majority of her crew jumped ashore and scampered to the British Consulate, where they told a harrowing tale of mistreatment by the Warrior's officers. The Boston newspapers lapped it up. A grisly story of the ship's boatswain's death was sworn to; he had been struck down by fever, was thought to be dead, but when being sewed within canvas showed signs of life. Nonetheless he was dumped over the side, so said members of the crew, who told also of men being beaten by mates, a man knife-slashed by the steward, men bitten by the Captain's dog, and of poor food and overwork. The newspaper accounts stirred morbid interest among Bostonians. The papers report thousands of visitors came from New York, New Haven, etc., to see what reporters called a "Bluenose Hell Ship". Twelve of the crew swore to the truth of the allegations. The British Consul was sufficiently impressed to institute an official inquiry.The inquiry was told a different story, some of the crew recanting what they said before. Because of desertions the master had to engage what crew he could get. The result was a hodgepodge of cast-offs and deserters from other ships wanting to get to the States. A Liverpool Irishman caused so much trouble the first mate took him on, man to man, and beat him senseless as punishment for him and the others. Often because of the crew's slowness or unwillingness, the officers had to use a rope's end or boot to put life into the slackers. Fourteen of the crew corroborated the officers' evidence; only two of the complainants stuck to their original story of mistreatment. The inquiry ended with the Consul commending the officers for their handling of a difficult