The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1866-05-04


The Savage Cruelties Practiced in ia.
maica-.-Torture Of the Lying and
Mutilation Of the Dead By English
Officers and Soldiers.
The London journals continue The pub
LEGATION of the evidence taken by the Roy
al Commission in relation 10 the crueities
praciced in Jamaica by Eyre aud bis
men
1t appears that the "cats" used for
logging men aud women were made by
an old soldier of the Second West India
regiment, named Bruce, who had knack
of manufacturing a cruel weapon. Here
j. the account:
TIE WIRE CATS.
The first vas made Of Irvine. but after a
time thin pieces Of wire were introduced
This was not done, Mr.. Kirkland (Col-
lector at st. Thomas, in the East) said, by
his orders; he knew it afterward, but the
amount of wire was SO tritling that he did
not think it a matter of any importance,
and he did not believe they were in use
more than three days. Another witness
deposed that the wire was twisted around
the cord, or intertwiued with it, about
half the length Of the cat out Mr.. Kirk
land said the wires were never bound with
the cord, bat ran the whole length Of The
cat. The wire was Of brass, came from
NJ. Ford's store at Bath, and Was what is
known in the trade as IS gauge wire.
The story told by Mrs. Bruce, wife Of
The black soldier who logged the people
at Bath, is tina: in the first instance her
husband made a cat which the " bushes .
(overseers) and others who had escaped
from the rebels said was too light Then
wire cat was handed to him A man
named Beck:ord was The first who logged
and the bushes proposed to give hlm
dozen because he tlogged too light. She
could not stay in ki:kland's store (near
the spot where the floggiDg took place. be-
cause Of the cruelty. Her husband fam
ted away, aud she had to give him nedi-
cines and nourlshment. The fioggings for
thl men were most severe. the cruelty
terrible. Some OF the men who were to
be hung got one hundred lashes. Other
testimony was as follows:
CRUELTIEs COMMITTED BY NAVAL OFFICERS.
The Rev. Edward Palmer was appre-
hended in Kingston on the Goth, was con-
fined for some days along with many 9th
ers on board the Abcukir, and on the "a
of November was removed ip the Cordelia
TO -Morant Bay. lie complained that
when taken on beard the Aboukir his
hands were tied behind him so tightly
that the tears came into his eyes. An
officer on board ordered the men to blow
out thsir brains if they attempted to es>
cape, and not to take more account of
their lives than they would Of a cats.
"What are you?' said one of the men
to him. GA Baptist Then because
you are Baptist III hang you" He
had fever, and the doctor told him that
about eighteen inches of rope was the best
medicine be could get. An officer IN the
boat ordered one OF the sailors to row in
such a way that the oar would strike him
10 the stomach. But did the officer
actually tel the sailor 10 strike you Wlln
the oar 2" the Commissioner asked
d" No; bu. that must have been his o'jecI!'
At Morant Bay the prisoners were always
taken gu, to see the people hung and
logged. It was borrifsing to witness; be
could not describe his feelings. When he
had occasion to 60 to the head Of the ship
a rope was tied around his neck, and an
officer held one end OF it in one hand, with
a drawn sword in the other. lie was moi
allowed TO ask how his wife was, or to
write or receive le,teA, and petition
which was addressed TO the Governor by
The prisoners, assuring hun Of their loyal
ty, was never answered
DREADFUL SCENE.
According to tie evidence Of black