Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-07-29
Sentence of Capt. Pendleton.

Capt. Ephraim Pendeton Of the Brig Sa-
rah Parks has been convicted in the L. S.
Ciyeni: Court, San Francisco Of cruel pun
ishment OF his sailors while making the pas
sage to that port and sentenced a, follows -
For maltreatment of VIM johnson. nine
months imprisonment in the county Jail and
a fine of 500; for maltreatment of Francis
Williams, imprisonment for two months af-
ter the expiration of the first sentence, and
fine of $50; for similar treatment to Lars
Thompson. one month additional imprlson-
ment and S25 fine.
The result of this trial is in striking con-
srast with that of Capt Waterman of the no.
tee ship Challenge in 1852. before the San
Francisco Courts.
Capt. Waterman, it viii ber.colccted was
arrested and placed on trial for mal-trcat-
ing his crew, and even for causing the death
OF a number of them. OF the facts there
could not be much doubt; and that this cap.
tain was guilty of the greatest cruclties and
barbarites, no one seemed to deny; yet he and
his mate passed through the farce Of a Cali
fornia trial and were acquitted. We were
an eye witness of the removal of three Of the
men as they were taken from the ship and
placed in the cart to be conveyed to the Hos
1ital at San Francisco. and sldder sight we
never looked upon. Thcspectace aroused the
ire of b undrcds OF idlemen boutPacifcWh arf,
and in les than half hour a mob was un-
der full way, having forced Capt. Lang, "a
Bath gentleman who had charge of the ship,
the mate and captain having been secrcted, J
from his ship and on to the wharf, and were
threatening him with the agreeable pleasure
of being hoisted to the yard arm of his ship,
with rope about his neck. The mob was
exasperated beyond control, having been foil
ed the afternoon before in getting possession
of the mate, this same Capt. Lang taking him
into boat just before the ship reached tie
wharf. where hundreds were impatiently
awaiting to give him specimen of Lynch
law, as administered in California. The cry
went up in clear and ringing tones, from n
score of the Infatuated ones, to bring a
rope" and as often asst was made, the crowd
hurraied. \ son of the Captain, bright
and interesting youth Of about fourteen was
pleading with tears for his father life, and
with agonized fears for the result, he was
holding on to bis arm, while piteously i'm
ploring the monster mob to save him. Some
one has defined mob to be "a power devoid
of intellect, but it..might be added also, that
this power is often devoid of feeling and of
justice. In this case the boy plead in vain;
but some Police officers, and others who had
the care of the wharf, by some mysterious
power, led the wild mass of humans up street
and in the direction of large store occupied
by the consignees Of the ship, and in it the
Captain was thrust and the doors shut and
bolted; the great iron shutters of every win
dow and door being placed between the infu-
rated mob, and its escaped object of ven
geance, the building, four stories high, was
BY the assistance of ladders, mounted and
searched for an entrance, but the mob was
foiled.
Capt. Lang, we afterwards learned, took
charge Of the ship, and died on the passage
to Hong Kong. The noble boy who periled
his life, and almost sweat drops OF blood, to
save his natural protector from the power Of
those who were thirsting for his blood, We
never heard of afterwards. Capt. Water
man, months afterwards was holding lucra-
tive Office in connection with the Custom
House at San Francisco instead of having.
like Capt. Pendlcton, to pay the penalty of
his cruelty in a jul.