The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-23 00:00:00

THE ALLEGED CRUELTY ON BOARD H.M.S.
AMOEBA.

PORTSMOUTH, Aram 72.
Tho charge preferred against Captain Jaunts
Simpson, the commanding officer of the Mefora, screw
troop ship, of having, on the 10th inst., assaulted and
beaten Charles Wallis, a boy about 14 years of age, was
heard before the Portsmouth magistrates to-day.
The case for the complainant was conducted by Mr. T.
Cousins, solicitor, of Porten; and for the defendant by Mr.
Joyce, barrister, of the common law bar, instructed by
Mr. Swainson, solicitor, of Portsmouth. The case excited
unusual interst, and, as on the previous occasion, a num-
ber of naval and military officers were present.
Charles Wallis said he was thirteen or fourteen
years of age, but he believed be was fourteen. He lived
with his father at Plymouth, and his mother was dead.
His father was a peeler. On Wednesday, the 10th of
April, he wenton board the Meows to take some things off
to the ship ;he went with a waterman. When aa board
the ship the cook's mate asked him to pare some potatoes,
and he did so, being occupied in that employment about
half en hour. The wok.* mate gave him
some " grub " for his labour. While he was
pareing the potatoes in the galley the ship
got under weigh. One of the men told aim, and he (wit-
nem) went and told the ship's corporal that the ship had
got under weigh while so employed. The corporal went to
the captain, and he (witness) was placed under the ladder
on the upper deck. This was soon after the ship sailed. He
was kept in that position he believed until twelve o'clock
at night, and was then taken down on the second deck,
where he was kept from twelve till four o'clock, all the
time having been under the charge of a sentry. At four
o'clock he was sent on the upper deck again,
under the ladder, and remained there until the
ship got into Portsmouth. She arrived there
about ten o'clock. From the time he was first sent on
the upper deck until 12 he did not lie down' because the
water came into the ship ; but he lay on a sail when sent
between decks at twelve o'clock. All the food he had
after the cook's mate gave him something was a bit of
biscuit which the sentry gave him, and told him not to
let anybody see it., On arriving at Portsmouth
the captain went away in his gig and on his
return he called witness to him, and asked him how
he came there, and said, "If yon don't tell me the truth
you shall be flogged." Witness then explained to the
captain how it was that he had been brought away from
Plymouth, giving the mime explanation as he had given to
the court. That was the truth. He did not stow himself
away, and did not want to oome to Portsmouth. He had
no friends or relatives at Portsmouth, and he wished be
bad never gone into the boat. The captain called to the
corporal and told him to flog witness, and the corporal
did so. The corporal turned up his jacket, and then
flogged him. The captain saw that the corporal could not
hold him by the left arm, so he (the captain) called the mas-
ter of arms, and he held witness by the other arm while the
I corporal flogged them with the right arm. The captain
was standing by while the blows were being struck, and
be mid to the men, "Go on, go on." He could not tell
exactly how long they were flogging him, but he believed
he had fourteen strokes, although be did not count them.
After the flogging was over, the corporal told the water-
man to take him ashore, and be believed the captain was
present. Hewes taken ashore at Portsea. He had then
no money and no food. The Waterman sent a little boy
to show him where the relieving officer lived, and he had
been in the union minor'. He had done nothing wrong
while on board the ship.
117 Mr. Garrington—He told Davey, the porter at the
union, what bad occurred.

The witness was cross-examined at considerable length,
the object being to prove that he intentionally remained
on board the ship, but he distinctly denied that he had
hidden himself with that intention. He said, however,
he thought the ship was outside Plymouth breakwater
when the captain first saw him. Re thought the captain
said to him " I have been staking inquiries of the men and
I find you have smuggled yourself to Portsmouth."
Mr. Joyce—Did the captain not say, "If you tell the
truth you shall not be punished, but shall go on shore,—
Yee.

_
Mr. Joyce—Did you not then refuse to answer him !
I cannot tell. The captain said if I did not tell the truth
I should be flogged.
Mr. IL Blown, surgeon, of Portsmouth, said—On the
13th inst. I examined the complainant in this case. There
was • slight bruise on the left forefinger, the left wrist
slightly swollen and tender, the back pert of the right
thigh black and blue, extending from an inch or two above
the bend of the knee up shove the seat, and above that there
were six or eight detached black marks. The black mark on
the thigh was about six inches broad and 10j inches long
—sixty square inches being one mass of discoloration. On the
left thigh there was • bruise extending 5 inches by 54,
but not so black as on the right. This bruise was the re-
sult of several stripes. Both the thighs were swollen and
tender. These bruises were such as would be produced
by flogging with a rope. On the 17th he examined com-
plainant again ; the bruises were disappearing, but they
were still very evident. To have produced these results
the flogging must have been very considerable. Nor so
delicate • child as the complainant is I should consider it
• very severe punishment, especially considering the
scrofulous disease from which he is suffering. I should
oonaider the age of the complainant to be between 12 and
13, but that is merely a matter of opinion.
Mr. Joyce admitted, in his speech for the defence, that
he could not dispute the fact that • common assault had
been committed, but contended that the offence did not
exceed that. The lad bad stowed himself on board for the
purpoee of obtaining • passage to Portsmouth, and when
the captain found it out he merely ordered him to be
flogged, which was showing the boy more mercy than if he
had landed him over to the magistrates to be punished on
his arrival at Portsmouth.

Several witnesses, including the Bret lieutenant and cor-
porals on board the Diemen, were called, who swore that
the smolt was not an aggravated one, though in cross-
examination they said they had never seen a boy Hogged
in such a manner before.

The magistrates, after en absence of 40 minutes from
the court intimated that it was a case which they did not
feel justified in disposing of summarily, and they there-
fore committed the defendant for trial at the sessions, ad-
mitting him to bail, himself in 1001. and two sureties of
501. each

SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSZOlL—Visitors during
the week smiling April 30:—On Monday, Tuesday,
and Saturday, free, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.,
9,043 ; on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (admia-
lion 6d.), from 10 cm. till 6 p.m., 1,090; total, 10,133.
Averap of corresponding week in former years, 11,33 L
Total hew the erasing of the Uusesuo, 6,644136.