The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-30 00:00:00

DREADFUL CRUELTY TO A SAILOR
BOY ON THE _HIGH SEAS.

Vlliam L'oblott, a Welshraan, the second mate
of the schooner Come On, from Portland Bay,
Australia, was brought before Mr. Selfe, on Satur-
day afternoon, at the Thames Police-court, on a
warrant, charged with committing a series of vio-
lent assaults on an orphan boy named William
Evans, the son of an English soldier, who died on
his way to the East Indies.
Mr. Charles Young, solicitor, defended the
prisoner.

The boy's appearance excited great commiseration
in court. There were sores on his wrists, contusions
do his face and neck and scars on his person, caused
by the savage treatment he received at the hands
of the accused. The boy is 13 years of age, but
looked younger. He is remarkably intelligent, can
read and write well, and can converse in four dif-
ferent languages. He had neither shoes nor stock-
ings on his feet, and an old pair of canvas trousers,
a flannel shirt, and an old cotton shirt of many
colours constituted the apparel in which he ap-
peared before the magistrate.
The boy, whose sobs and tears often interrupted
his evidence, said that he joined the Come On,

in the Isle of France, and it was agreed that
he was to have 10s. per month. He was servant
to a French gentleman in the island before he
joined the ship, and he wished to escape from
the tyranny of his step-mother. The second mate
had almost continually ill-used him since he
joined the ship. The prisoner made him file his
(the boy's) teeth with a rough file, because he
bit his nails. The prisoner was in the practice of
thumping him on the head almost every night, and
had kicked and beaten him at the wheel when
steering, and while he was on the look out. The
prisoner oftten clutched him by the neck, and nearly
choked him, and beat his head against the wheel
house and the bulwarks of the ship. On Friday he
was knocked about for the last time, and was deter-
mined to appeal to the laws of his country, under
whose flag he had been sailing, for redress.
In reply to the Magistrate, the boy said the
second mate beat him with a stick coming up the
English Channel. He raised his hands to save his
head, and his wrists were cut and injured. Ho
never gave the prisoner any sauce. Ile was on
several occasions quite black in the face and nearly
strangled by the prisoner grasping his throat.
In cross-examination by Mr. Young, the boy said
that he had been kept at the wheel steering six
hours in the day and four hours at night, until he
was nearly exhausted. He lived with a French
gentleman in the Mauritius. He did not go on
board the Come On at Port Louis, and say he had
no bread. He thought he could do better on board
an English ship, and that was the reason he joined
the Come On. He was continually beaten, and often

covered with blood. The prisoner had given him a
shirt, the captain gave him a `pair of trousers, and
a man lent him a pair shoes in cold weather. He
suffered much coming round Cape Horn in bad
weather, owing to the want of proper clothing. The
captain and first mate never laid hands upon him,
and were kind to him. The boy then exhibited his
bruises and sores to the magistrate, and in answer
to further questions said the prisoner was in the
habit of hitting him across the jaws, sometimes with
his fist and sometimes with his open hand. The
captain and mate complained he did not keep him-
self clean, and the master combed his head down and
brushed it. He was one day standing against the
wheel, and the prisoner came, behind him, struck
him, and he fell against the wheel. The skin was
rubbed off his nose. He ran away from the ship at
Portland.

Mr. Selfe—Why did you do that ?
The boy sobbed loudly, and, with the tears trickling
down his cheeks, said—The second mate was too
hard upon me, sir; he made my life miserable, and
was always kicking and knocking rile about.
Alexander Donaldson, a Scotchman, said, he
joined the Come On in the Isle of France. There
were not hands enough to navigate the ship. He
had seen the boy's face continually bleeding from
effects of blows he received from the second mate.
He had seen the second mate grasp the little boy
by the throat, nearly choke him, and dash his head
against the wheel-house.
Mr. Selfe—Was that child put to the wheel, and
compelled to steer the ship ?
Donaldson—Ay, sir, he was. It was work for
strong men, not weak boys. He was compelled to
be at the wheel six hours in the day time and four
hours at night, till he was exhausted.
In answer to questions by the magistrate,Donald-
son said the boy behaved reasonably, but he had
to be looked after. When boys went to sea they
generally neglected themselves, because they did
not know how to take care of themselves.
Leonard Gourdie, a Belgian seaman, one of the
crew of the Come On, had also seen the boy cruelly
ill-used by the second mate. The boy in cold
weather at the wheel was having a little sleep from
exhaustion, and the second mate ordered witness to
the wheel, took the boy forward, gave him a ropes-
-ending, and then threw him on the deck with a
force sufficient to break every bone in his body.
He saw the second mate give the boy an iron file
and order him to file his teeth.
Mr. Young said he was taken by surprise, and
wanted time to prepare the defence. Hexarnestly
appealed to the magistrate for an adjournment.
Kelly, 130 H, who arrested the prisoner on board
the Come On, in the London Dock, said the boy
was in a deplorable state, and the gravel and stones
had cut his bare feet on the way to the court.
Mr. Selfe—Lay out any reasonable sum to clothe
the poor boy, and buy him shoes and stockings. I
will give you a sovereign from the poor box.
Capt. George Lowell, the master of the Come On,
said he would buy anything the boy required, and
take every, care of him. He paid £2 for the boys'
apprehension at Portland Bay when he deserted.
Mr. Joseph Smith, solicitor, offered his services
to condnct the prosecution.
Mr. Selfe—l am obliged to you, Mr. Smith. I
was about to ask you to do so.
It was then arranged the boy should remain
under the care of the'constable (Kelly) for the pre-
sent; and the captain, who said Lobbett had been
in his service three years, deposited £5O with Mr.
Bowdler. the second clerk, as a security for the pri-
soner being forthcoming on Monday afternoon.
It is but justice to the captain to state that he
always behaved kindly to the boy, who was not in
his watch.

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

On Friday the weekly meeting of the Board was
held at Guildhall ; Mr. J. Thwaites in the chair.
The financial statement gave a total balance of
£369,221 3s. 10d. Government securities ; Exche-
quer bills, £24,100; New Three per Cent. Annui-
ties, £15,881 16s.
THE PROPOSED DISCHARGE OF THE SEWAGE OF
THE METROPOLIS INTO DEPTFORD CREEK.

A deputatioii from the vestry of St. Paul, Dept-
ford, attended the board to present a memorial re-
lative to the discharge of the high level sewers on
the south side of the Thames into Deptford Creek.
The deputation was introduced by Mr. Bristow.
The memorialists expressed their strong disap-
proval of this project, feeling certain that it would
bring such a nuisance into the very heart of Dept-
ford as would inevitably be injurious to the health
of the inhabitants and destructive of the interests
of the town. It was their opinion that the con-
struction of sewers for conveyinc, sewage-matter
therefrom to Erith marshes would be a violation of
the act constituting the board, which had been
framed with a view to the purification of the
Thames.

Mr. WADE addressed the board at considerable
length in support of the memorial. A large num-
ber of persons were he said constantly being passed
either into or through Deptford, by railways, which
traffic would be destroyed if there was to bean outfall
of sewage into a creek over which they passed in their
transit by the railway. If it should take place Dept-
ford as a country residence would be entirely de-
stroyed, and therefore they were most anxious to
preserve for Deptford that character for health
which it had hitherto enjoyed. It was true that
Deptford had been visited by low fever at times, but
those evils must be greatly aggravated if the con-
centrated sewage of the entire south of the n/etro-
polis should be poured into Deptford Creek, a
pro-
position which excited in the minds of the inhabi-
tants the greatest feelings of alarm.
A deputation also attended the board from the
Greenwich Board of Works to present a similar
memorial from the inhabitants of Greenwich.
The Rev. Mr. SOAVES, vicar of Greenwich, sup-
ported the prayer of the memorial.
Mr. BRISTOW moved the reception of the memo-
rials, and afterwards that they be referred to the
main drainage committee, both motions being unani-
mously agreed to.
IMPIOVEMENTS TN ALDGATE, MINORIES, AND
FLEET-STREET.

A report was also received from the finance com-
mittee, recommending that the sums of £1,333 6s.
Bd., and £1,150, the contributions agreed to by the
board towards the costs of improvements carried
out by the Commissioners of Sewers for the City of
London, at No. 81, Aldgate, Nos. 1 and la, Minc.
ries, and Nos. 187 and 188, Fleet-street, be paid.
The finance committee recommended that pre-
cepts for the expense of the year 1859 be issued
forthwith, and made returnable on the 29th Sep-
tember, and that the necessary orders be passed
thereon,

Some other business of an uninteresting nature
having been cP3posed of, the board adjourned,

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