Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-08-20 00:00:00

THE AMERIC AN MERCHANT SERVICE.

Oa Friday evening last considerable exelasatent was occasioned in
the fish market at Hastinge in consequence of a sailor being landed
by a Ramsgate lish;ng lugger, which ha 1 picked him up about nine
miles at sea, just after he sprang from a packet-ship steering up the
Channel. The account he gave orthe c Case of thus desertine the
packet is a most extran•dinaey one, r.lll requires the strictest investi-
g.tion. He said his name.was James Freeland, and that he was a
native of Lond.nderry, Ireland. When taken bef }re the Mayor of
Hastings at the Town-hall, o a the following merdng, he male the
following s'atemente.---He geld he fled lately been at New york, and
on the 23rd of. July last he was staying at a botteding-house in that
city, which was established for the =mem )(Wien of seamen. On
the evening of that day the master or the boarding-hoale;whose
name was John White, asked him to take a glass of grog. He
accep'e I the offer,. and received a glass of Heller. • Shortly
after he had drank it he fell asleep, and continued in
that state until the next morning, w'sen, on. awaking, .he found
himself on board a ship that was steering under ,full sail. Out
of the hareonr. He afterwards found that it was a packet-ship, laden
with oiicake, and bound from New York to Loud3n. When he aw,ke
he received order] to begin work, when he sail h 3 bed not shipped on
board the vessel, and therefore I,e wi ,hed to return to the shore. The
reply that he receiced.was that the master of tiet lodging-house had
broug .t h'm:ou h)sr..l, and hid received 17 cio:lars in advance npoh
him. He was then ordered to loOSe the "main rays'," 'which, ater
same hesitation he proceeded to do as fast 83 he cou'd. He did not,
however, perform this 'ask quick enough fer the mate, who struck
him on the aide of the face and told him to do it quicker. Ile then
went on to perform ocher work with the men, who- wore all entire
strangers to each otl.er, but the captain an I mats wee constantly
beating and ill-using him. There was nit a dty sin ehe left New
York that he hadeiot been beaten and ill-nee I either by t e caeca" n
or the third mare. Oa the previeus day (Friday) the ship was in the
Channel, about nine miles oT Hastings, and because he could not do
his work quickeaotigh fur the third mita ha came a ed began to kick
him ant ahrue h'm. He got that wwk doae, and began to
coil the ropes up, when the third mate kie'te I him again,
and struca him On the bead, saying -that he wonid have
satisfaction from him now, for, he sprained his finger by
hitting him the day before' , After contasuing his ill treatment
for some time the third mete s-dd, as they were stindlrg
at. the cede o' t',e ship, "Jump you sin of a
your life bef re you get to London." Up en this he immediately
jempad into the water in o:de: to eAcap3 further ill-treatment. He
wag. a good swimmer, raad,as he swam by the ship's " quarter," some
onethrew out the lifehuoy, and the captain said, " If you care anything
for pewit& you can pale up the busy ;" bat de replied. that he would
rather be drowned than return to the ship and be iLtreated . The
captain then said, "Drown, thea, you son cf a ," and they
were the last words he heard from the it. A ter being In thq water
about ten minutes he was picked up by the .crew of a fiihing smack
named the Mary and Ann, of Ramsgata, and brought into Hastings.
Another of the crew had j amps ! overboard since they left New York,
but was picked tip again. He also sew a man kicked overboard from
the forechains, and after lie hal been in the water about ten minutes
a boat was 'put out, buy. it w s they tea late, and he was drowned.
The man that was picked up was severely beaten when taken on
boerd. At the recta° Aof the Mayor the poor fellow then described
the food he had taken since he left New York. lie said it had been
very deficient in quantity. They had been supplied withmolasses and
water, and at dinner they had beaus boiled up, with a small pieco or
beer, that was ahont enoueh for th'ee men. Biscuits and bread were
also allowed them. Of the late r they hal qeite enough, and that was
the only artiele of which they received a sufficiency. He had no
money in his possession, and had not received any from the captain
of the ship: He only owed the master of the boarding house nine
dollars for a fortnight's bo ad, so that if he had received 17 dollars
from the captain he took eight too many. In concluding his state.
meet .be a !del it was his intention to lay a .complaint before the
proper aathorites in London, but he thought they would not
believe his story if he did not bring the matter 1 efore this court
wh nhe landed. When he *was taken into the Mary and Ann he
begged aid prayed that they would not take him back to the shie, and
said he would rather be drowned than go on board the ship, for he
had recaved such ill-treatment. He complained of his back, and
said be had been knocked about with a handspike. The crew took
him into the cabin of their boat, when he could slimly move. One
of them examinel his back, and it appeared very much discoloured,
as if he hal received a severe blow. tie had also a mar:c near his
left eye. They then landed him at Hastings. The .Mayor, after
making soma further inquiries, ordered Inspector Glenister to pro-
vide the uneertunate man with what refreshments he required, and
forward him t ) London, that he might have an opportunity of lodging
his complaint at the City Police-court on Mon lay morning, his
Worship kindly undertaking to pay whatever expeires were in erred
in doing the same.