Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-11-18
A Modern Alexander Selkirk.
[From The Boston Traveller, Oct. S j

terday, Judge Heryey presiding, was tried
Betsey Williams, of New Bedford, charged
with having left on deserted island John
Francis, colored man, one of his crew, in
the month of November, 1855. The mate
Of this vessel, Mr. Weston, has already
been convicted of an assault upon Francis
with Delaying pin, by which the sight OF
one eye was destroyed.
Johu Francis testified to the fact of his
being put ashore. At the time that the
orders were gwen by the Captain, the wit
ness was below in irons; his irons were
knocked of, and he was put on board a
boat, the Captain instruc,ing them if they
could not land Francis without staving the
boat, to throw him overheard and let him
get ashore a. best he could. He saws that
as he was leaving the vessel the Captsi in
gave him one or two smart Kicks, and said
that if he should live and any one should
ask who put him ashore, he should rep ly,
''Captain Austin kicked me ashore" They
ave him few articles OF clothing and
landed him alone on the beach, after which
the ship sailed away, and ne was left the
solitary inhabitsas Of the is and. For
twenty-si days He lived on raw crabs and
young birds soaked in the water. taking
refuge in hut which he made of sticks, al
night. Every morning he was in the habit
Of going down to the beach before sunrise
to look for ship, because his eye could
not bear the reflection Of the sun upon the
sand. Finally the ship Old Hector touched
at the island, and he was taken off and
carried to Fulcshusay where Ire remained
seven months and half in the hospital
There was co-roburative evidence of his
being put ashore, and also some evidence
fer the defense, which did not deny the
fact. The case will be argued tomorrow.
The island in question is one of the Gul-
ipagos Group, and was formerly used by
the p, ruvian Government as a penal sta
tion; it was afterwards abandoned, but was
sometimes visited by whalers for the beef
of the wild bnllorks left upon the island,
and this fact probably led to the rescue #
Francis. The rial of this case reminds us
Of a somewhat similar case many years
ago on board an English man Of war, " hich
at the time, caused great excitement in
England. There was on board the English
ship mere lad from the West Coast of
England, who had been caught in some
trivial theft, and for no other cause than
this The Captain ordered him to be taken,
with scarcely any food or clothes, TO a then
deserted island of the West India Group,
and notwithstanding the protestalions anG
tears of the lad, they sailed away and left
him to his fate. Afterwards the facts were
made public in England, and great interest
was expressed TO know the fate OF the poor
lad. So greet was the excitement that at
last the British Government was obliged
to take notice of it. and an expedition was
sent specially to the island to search for
the boy. Nothing was found there but a
skeleton, from which it was supposed that
he had persisted. 1t was not long, hewever,
before it was whispered that the boy had
been rescued and isken to the American
continent. The English Cover nment found
it necessary to send another expedition,
for the public indignation grew hot against
the inhuman Captain, and at last the lad
was discovered with a family at Marble
head, Yankee vessel having rescued the
boy at almost the last moment from his
place of aban 1onment. He was thus re-
stored, after the lapse of number of years.
to his mother in Eng So much had
the case attracted public notice, that as the
vessel reached the shores The greatest Curl
osity was manifested to see him, which
continued as he passed through the coun-
try, and in consequence Of this expression
of public opinion, the inhuman Captain
was obliged to compound for his cruelty by
the payment to his victim Of large sum
Of money.
Austin was sentenced 10 pay fine of
800. The extent of the punishment for
t his ofense is $500 fine, or six months i'm.
prisonment. In sait brought by Francis
for damages. Judge Hervey awarded him
the sum of $500, to be pa id by the Captain.
The mate of the same ship was fined $50
for assaulting Francis with Delaying pin
BUcKwHRAr Straw FOR Hoes Perhaps
all of your readers may not know that buck
wheat straw is poisonous to hogs. A neigh.
bos Of mine once put some into lis hog
house to make bed for them, whom they
began to run round and round, until they
dropped down dead 1t seems to make them
craz, This may be Of benefit to some OF
-o,,. -a.Iox. - T y Qr,,kJ. In Es.n,