Genoa Tragedy for a Garstonian

In 1903, in the Italian port of Genoa, a Garston man who stood up to a fellow sailor who had a knife was stabbed and died from his wounds. 

On 6th May that year, the steamer Regnant left Garston for Swansea, where she took on a cargo of coal before sailing to Genoa. On 31st May, the crew were given shore leave, which was usual for a Sunday. Jack Davies, who was a fireman on the vessel, went to a bar with four of his colleagues and the donkeyman, a Greek who was only known by his Christian name of Antonio.

Entrance to the cemetery where Jack was buried

When a quarrel broke out between Antonio and one of the firemen, the Greek pulled out a knife. Jack attempted to calm things down, but the barman took a revolver from under the bar and threatened to shoot Antonio. This quelled the disturbance, and they all returned to the ship.

As the firemen were taking tea together, Antonio came out of his cabin and could be seen to be still in an excited state. All except Jack ran away, but when one of them shouted to him, "Jack, he has a knife", he replied, "Never mind; stand up like a man and face him." Initially, it looked like Antonio would walk past, but without warning, he gave Jack a backward lunge in the chest. Jack fell down, and Antonio then thrust the knife, which was hidden up his sleeve, into his heart and calmly walked off the ship.

The wound was bleeding profusely and within fifteen minutes, Jack had passed away. An Italian police officer, seeing blood on Antonio's hands and clothes, acted quickly and took him into custody. 

On 2nd June, Jack was buried in the English portion of the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno, where a service was conducted by the chaplain of the English Mission. The second officer, Mr R.Jones, attended on behalf of the crew. 

When the Regnant arrived back in Garston on 24th June, there was a huge shock at the news of Jack's death. He was around 40 years old and well known locally, having spent much of his life at sea and also worked in the graving dock and shipbuilder's yard. He was a member of the Royal Naval Reserve, and a friend described him as "a quiet harmless little fellow and the best man who ever took up a shovel."