M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-03-15
From the Boston rrcvrler
G. OIL NG LOF II:
A TRAGEDY.

the terrible cruelty inflicted upon
seamrn, in the name Of discipline ,du.
ring the early years Of the present
} century. He describes timid boy
, who was so cruelty lashed because he
was afraid to 20 aloft, that he became
! maniac, and ever attrrward appear
ell to act without fear, running like a
monkey from mast head to mast head
aud along the yards.
! An old man of.wars man told the
N'riter of this the same story many
years ago, with sequel, which Cap
tain lall has not given. The sailors
story was in substance as follows:
A tit.lid boy about fourteen years
of age hes tated to go alott, but by the
captains OF ders, was torcibly put in
the main rigging, and then a boat
swain's mate was commanded to lash
him like dog until he learned'to run
aloft The poor fellows legs and
arms trembled, he gra spe the shrouds,
he cried-he prayed the inhuman
captain for Gods sake t,o have mercy
on him; but all in vain. The boat
swain's mate was ordered to lay on
harder and harder, regardless OF the
boys piercing screams, which made
even the veteran seamen turn from
the brutal scene in disgust. His clot hes
were rent from his back, the blood
| followed the lash, and still the -tyraat
Eroared Outlay on, boatswains
mattel" With one wild scream he
6prapg from under the lash and bound
cd up the rigging with amazing rapid
ity. He doubled up the luttuck ris
ging like cat, passed up the topmast
and top gallant rigging with undimin.
ished. speed. Skinned the unrattled
royal rigging. and ,perchel himself
like birl alongside OF the pendant,
which streamea from the mast head.
Here he paused, looking fearlessly
upon the deck below. All hands
came up to see him -his-cries and cru.
el treatment had already enlisted their
sympathy, and, # possible had in
creased their hatred OF tn 9 captain.
The monster was smiling compIa.
Gently at the success ofthe ex pOriment;
for he was one of those tyrants who
.boasted that the cat, properly applied,
could make men do anything. Still
he was apprchensive that the hoy
might destroy himself, and the cir
.oumstances he used against him at
the Admiralty, where he knew rep
resentations OF lis cruelty had already
been made. The men gazed in 81
lcnce, looking first at the captain, who
W.T. seated near the taffrail. They
dared not BE- seen speaking to one an
other, it Was Aoggable "f+use, even
at night, spies passed under their
hammocks IL ascertain it they 'whis-
pered. The officers walked the lee
side Of the,quarter deck, occasionally
casting their eyes aiclt, but were as 81
lent Us the men.
Still the boy clung to thelnast head,
playing with the pendant, apparently
unconscious Of the interest he excited
below. Tired with gazing alott, the
captain sung out through the speak
ing trulnpet-"Down from alott J.
| Down. ]"
The boy sprang upon the truck at a
6ouDd and raised himself erect, wav-
ad his cap around his head, then
stretching his arms out, gave @ild,
laughing scream, and threw himself
; forward. The captain jumped to his
J feet, expecting to see the boy dashed
in pieces on the deck; but when clear
of the shade of the sails, he saw him
sliding along the main royal stay to.
ward the foretopgallant masthead. and
S heard him laugh, and chatter libe 4
monkey, as if cnjnying the sport. He
0 reached the masthead in safety, anc
then descending along the topgallar
backstay hand-oyer- hard. The cap
tain looked at him, and was about tC
speak, but could not find words. Tht
boy iroihed at the mouth and nose, hit
= eyes seemed starting out of his head
! he rolled upon the deck in conval
sions, staining it with the blood which
,, still trickled from his back. He wat
II maniac. The surgeons skill in the
course OF a few weeks restored biz
health but not his reason.
4 From that time he was fearless. IL
$ the darkest night, In the fercest gales
!, he would scamper along the decks lik,
|, a dog, and bound aolt with speec
!, winch no one Oh board could equal
He would run over the yards withoa
holding, pass from mast to mast OF
the stays, ascend or descend by tht
:, teaches OF the sails, and run upon the
naked studdiugsail boons. He wa'
nimble as a cat and had forgotten fear
n Some OF the light duties alutt he learn
D I'd to discharge in company with the
= men-' he dla as they did, but could
u not be trusted to do anything himself
j. One order he al wuva ohavad ,p,thn,,