The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-09-04
CrueIties to Seamen-.A French Boys
Gf0ry.

The attention of the United States Dis
.-,et Attorney at New Yerkh recently been
called TO atrocities said 10 have been commit
ed on board one of our largest packet ships
trading between this port and Liverpool. A
rreneh boy, named Joseph Deiatre, makes an
se,dayit. which is on fife, in which are descrb-
"A sceues that puts the Pirates Own Book to
.,.me The New York World says:
x,a states that he arrived in New Orleans on
,he ss;h OF March last, and after partaking OF
cuD Of coffee and piece OF toast, he was In
ytted 10 20 on board of this ship. Here lie
was left by the boarding master. Subseq nen t.
ly his chest was sent on board, accompanied
nv bottle OF brandy and one pound of to-
bscco The second mate broke open his chest
and took from IL all he had except an old
Asnnei shirt, a pair of overalis, and jumpe ?,
The ship was towed Down TO the Belize, where
she remained more than two weeks, during
which time he witnessed scenes calculated 10
make even sailor shudder. The language OF
the officers was exceed ngiy profane; noggtog,
beating, ant-blows of all kinds, were every day
occurrences. and the food would have disgust
eo a hungry dog
The ship's company was composed OF
twenty-five men, representing many natioa-
ailiias. Among ihe Dumber were three iiae
locking Portuguese. Oae day, while on The
coast they being no longer able 10 stand the
lll-treatment and beatlngs 10 which they Were
subjected, All three jumped overheard, and
tried to gain the shure 10y swimming; bat
alter struggling some time, two OF them sunk
10 rise 40 more, while The third WAS picked up
by tne tow-bJat and put on board of the ship.
another man was badly beaten, and finally
I,cked from alott, and failing over board, tn us
ented his suiierIngs. The same outrage
was enacted upon the person OF a Dutch boy.
Tbs cspiain was standing on deck and ieanin 4
over the buiwarks when the boy was thrown
into the sea and he gave orders not 10 save
him IL is further stated that he watched him
through his spygiass In his dying struggles,
The Sea At this Llme being very smooth. Della
tire adds that one night during lne voyage he
WAS standing behind one OF the boats when
The second aud third mates began to coax and
caress Mexican boy, who was not much of a
sailor, aud, as If they were Joking, pushed
him against the bulwarks; Then one OF them
took MIN by the neck with one hand and
gagged MS inou tn ana placing his head over
The buiwarks, while the other took out his
knife and cut The boys head of, and threw the
headlsss body into the sea. This " AS enacted
as joke, and with the grim OF hangman on
their faces.
On seeing the French boy watching them,
they tod HIM If he dared 10 men tlon the cir
cums;ance TO any one, they would serve him
in the same way. Nor is this all A carpen-
ter who had been "shanghaed" in New Or
leans, was so badly beaten that he died in two
days alter The vessel arrived IN Liverpool. Al
the coroner's inquest the jury gave their YER
diet 10 the effect mat the carpen came to lis
death by The hands OF the second and third
mates. They fled, and one of them was walk
ing the streets OF this city few days ago with
the French boys clothes on, aud meeting him
shook hands with him. The boy started tor
officer, and when he returned the man had
OF course, gone. These two mates figured cou~
spCuUusly III acts OF a .lmIlar character On
board OF another of our packet ships not long
SINCE. 1t was said in court, few days since,
that the captain OF the first vessel referred u
Was very humane man, and just as the yes-
sci WAS entering port ne gave every seaman q
Bible THIS is not the first time the vessel has
been seized for acts of like nature. In this
case cut of twenty i've men who left New Or
leans IN her, only eighteen arrived IN Liver
pool.
Incredible as the above stories appear, they
form part of an affidavit now on file ia the
United States Court of the Southern Distrlcl
OF New York, and the matter is now undergo
Ing judicial inyes tlgatIon.