The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-04-16
LOCAL MATTERS.

p,oy cau,t,x ON sHrpnoAnr. AT o'eieck yester-
iay the Coroners jury, charged TO inquire how
md by what MEANS VIZ. Ennis baud on the
bark "octavia," now lying IN the dock, came 70
his death, mot 81 the 81. Charles Hotel, and pro
,seied 10 the examination oil witnesses. The hrst
one called was
& lossea R1rsisa. aged 10 years, had been en-
nioxea on the bark "OetavIa" for ak months AMI
thirteen days This lad testified that he shipped
here for Rio and back, and that he reached Rich
mond last Monday afternoon at oehck Inc
,octsvia" called from Rio on the 18th OF fehrua
nv last and made her return tip IN i1rty.three
days SAYS the witness" knew William Ennis.
tie deceased He was a Scotchmap. lie was not
a saior, but shipped at Rio for this eenotry'to
work his passage aud make himself as useiui as
he could Ne was not sick at sea, except when
m.de Al bv beating Capt Moore beat him about
ffty times between Rio and this port. Sometimes
the CAPTAIN nsed stick and others rope. never
heard The Captain say what he beat T.. for. H. was
man Of good character, and, as Tar az know, ne
YER gave the Captain any cause TO be mad; nave
seen the captain quarrel with the mate. Ennisdid
duty on board ship long as he vas able to do 1t.
lie died last Tuesday night, between the hours OF
12 and ! O'Clock. On Monday, Ennis was lying
about the deck, scarcely able to move himself ana
did very little service. The forecastle. where the
men sleep, IL on deck. The Captain sac h. on Mon
tlay and Tuesday, and asked him If he was SICK !;
T. REPLIED that he was. never saw Ennis in irons
at any time. but have seen the captain on TWO DC
casons pull of bis shirt, tie his hands toge'her'
swing him 10 the rigging, and punish niih se.efuy
With "A rooe Each time T.. was fastened to the
rigging TWENTY-FIVE minutes. have seen the hrst
mate, DAVID II MoREY, and the second mate. IHes
]. WHITE beat the dead man twenty times OF their
own accord-taking of his shirt ana giving nun
the rope's end The Captain has seen them
whiD him. without interfering one way or the
other Ennis was not beaten alter getting TO
Richmond lie never went on shore after the
vessel landed. The barGue came directly from
Rio here. only stopping In Hampton ROADS ana
at CITY Point None Of ne liked the Captain or
mates. because they beat us too much. Ennis
had an old sore on his leg when he shipped at
Rio. Inever beard z complain of hisarm. Three
sailors and mygelf were well fed; but three Others
among them the deceased, Jared badly. 1hey ire
gyentiy asked the Captain for more food, when he
weuId tell them to work for ii and they might
get it, The dead man and two others were
fed on bread aud water for three weeks before
we got here They were only fed twice u
day Three of us were given breakfast, din
ner and supper. The dead man never refused
to work / did not know every time the de-
ceased was beaten. The day we left City
Point | saw the mate knock him down with his
fist aud then stamp upon his breast. On Tuesday
Last deceased was sent into the hold by the first
mate t. SAW wood. When he got there, he was too
weak to do the work before him The mate there
upon made another sailor go down, put rope
around Ennis neck, and then made three OF Us
where ne died that night have heard Ennis beg
not to be beaten. The crew that left here in the
Octayia for trip Rio ran on, because OF the cru
elty of Capt Moore. The crew that brought her
back shipped in Rio. The Captain beat me
three or four times every day, and Punched and
pulled nv right ear until it sweled and became
much infamed. lie also whipped me and scared
my back with Il rope. Here witness exhibited bis
pers)u the appearance OF which showed that he
had received cruel treatment. The mates ALEC
4. in haa irOn
them upon the boatswan as we went out. Tie
mates and bOatswain left ut Rio. On our inward
passage the second mate got after a Frenchman
and made him jump overheard and down.
Frdac,L,o FryelrG Portuguese sailor, testified
through his countryman,J. V. Ramos, as follows
am suffering violent pain In my legs from being
beaten with stick by the Captain, while was at
the helm because / did not understand the order
he gave me. Witness exhibited his back, a part
of which was entirely raw and very much iu-
famed When the sore first came the Captain
put something on it, aud afterwards the mate did
the same, to cure the place, but the remedy TOOK
off the skin. was in good health when | shipped
in Rio and walked straight as any one. /
knew the dead man by sight. Saw the Captain
beat him violently for dropping tar on deck while
tarriug a rope. lie left him on the deck in be p
less condition, but soon alter had rope put around
him and lowered him into the hold. The Capital in
beat the deceased very often. Sometimes at night,
when deceased did wrong, the Captain would have
him tied aud led abnnt the deck Ivy boy, but !
don't know whether the tying hurt him or not -
rhe rope was put around his waist. | have Sc il
the Captain deceased TO the rigging, but he did
not fog him severely then. DeCeaseds feet was
partly touching the deck. He tied by the
wrists and Il cord attached TO one of his legs
to keep him steady While deceased could work,
he was fed tolerabiy we'll, but when he could not
work he was badly fed, getting sometimes crack
ars-sometimes iic--and occasionally little
meat The dead man kept on bread a1d Wa
ter for II or % days. My Own food toleTaGly
good while was able TO perform duty; but after
wards il was poJr-though / never WAS Fept oil
blend and water. After the deceased became
40 ill that lie could not eat, the Captain then
ufered him meat or anything else. | d0ut
know why the dead man was fed on bread and
water. On one occasion The mates ordered de
ceased to saw wood, and because he could not do
il they beat him severely. Don't know when En-
mis- died The steward, black man. never struck
deceased that know of. He often gave b i'm food
without the knowledge OF the captain or mates.
I'm C. !StlI,s, swUru.-0n Wednesday. between
the hours of aud ! O'Clock, was told by John
A. Belvin, with whom live, to take CO fin 10 the
bark Octayia Before | reached the deck I forgot
the naIae of the vessel, and sent thes f.sgro man
who was with me to fluid it. He did so, and says
he was told on reaching the Octavia that there was
no dead man on board ! afterwards saw Captain
Allen who told me where the corpse was, and
had the cstiin carried on board Finding that tbs
man had not died of a contagious disease, I went
on board and assisted to put him in the coffin
Capt. Moore then told his men to wrap the coffin
no carefully in the mating which he had ordered
TO be brought down; and this being done. it was
but into the wagon and sent to the buryipp
ground. Witness saw Capt. NJ. and identified
him.
Francs de C. &ira.-I saw the deceased beaten
severely on several occasions, by the captain and
the mates. At one time he was chained, lowered
into the hold and there fed on bread aud water
This cruelty was practiced because the deceased
lid not know the various ropes. l have seen the
Captain strip he DECEASED, tie him and whip him
severely Deceased was disabled about twelve
lays lie was tied and suspended above the deck
,n one occasion. the mate holding him while the
,aptain whipped him. | never saw the Tnatcs
peat the deceased, but am satisfied they did it
Never knew the deceased to give proyocation
or his treatment. Never heard anything like
nutiny talked OF, and never saw deceased draw q
Knife or other weapon on any one. Heard, on the
passage, that man had fallen overheard, but did
rot witness the occurrence.
r. HIreiru recalled.-rhe man that got drow n
a was pumping water, but left the pump a short
ilne to get a drink The second mate, ON disco
ering him, started after him. and the man lump
d overheard aud was lost. The day before this
he attempted TO destroy himself and
ave as a reason, that he preferred death to the
continual beatings that were inflicted upon him
This witness was 80 cut aud bruised that lie could
neither sit nor stand, but was compelled to lie on
mattress while testifying. He has been sent to
he poor house, to be taken care Of
The t0ODef TOOK Il recess OF nall HU hour, at 4
iclock. p. NJ, in order to enable the Jury to re-
resh themselves.
On the..reassembing Of the jury, The first wit
less called was
Thomas tSorden, Gan Englishman) who testified
Is follows: Was a seaman on the bark 0ctavia-
left Rio on the 18th of February, 1853, and ar
lived at this port OH Monday last Knew William
Ennis. lie was a Scotchman. Witness left the
lark before he died. lie was nothing but skin and
bone, and entirely helpless. lie had been starved
lave seen him foggcd by the captain aud second
nate,-ths former tied him up to the rigging and
whipped him. The second mate frequently beat
lim-using rope, wood, or anything he could lay
lis hands on. Have him jump on Enbis-
The reason alleged for such treatment was that he
sas no sailor, and could do nothing on board shin
He shipped a sailor. Did nothing that witness
,oad see to offend the eaptain-was always peace
'ble and quiet. Witness saw the captain tie him
% the rigging. lie was stripped and tied arouna
he waist Have seen him naked on the poop al
right and the captain made boy chase him
around the deck with rope. All bat two of the