The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-06-19
Abuse of American seaman.

- abuse of American seaman.
The excessive c~ruelties practiced upon seamer
belonging to the American merchant service ar,
becoming notorious. and should claim the atten
ton Of the United States Government. 1t is 10,
frequently the case that n sailors complaint i
dismissed without 4 fair Investigation. and Will
the remark that it is only 4 Sailors warn.
who Is dissatisfied with his position. and
who would willingly lie, or even do worse. tc
get clear of his duty. We are not willing "a
admit tlat Jack is ~ black as officers of shirs
and their sympathizers would paint him but,
even admit that in nine eases out Of ten it should
be proved that jack Is in the wrong. is not the
tenth entitled 10 It hearing? Persons will be
found in every sea port who will boldly declare.
generally with 4 round double sIotted oath, that
the sailor yarns about ~crucltics practiced are
never borne out by testimony on an examination
Of the complaint, doubtless meaning the testimony
Of the master and his mates.
rs pertinent to the matter, let us quote a
part Of the evidence adduced during the progress
of the libel else between Captain Winsor. of
the American ship Intrepid, and the publishers of
the San Frapcisco EceaiMg BULLETIN. 1t appears
that Captain Winsor had abused Il deaf seaman.
and then abandoned him off Easter Island. The
editor Of the Bulletin, on learning the facts from.
good authority, published them To the world, as
4 specimen of the inhUmanity prIcticcd in the
American service. Captain WinSor then sued the
HuHetiH for $4,000 damages. and in the oours.
Of tire trial, the testimony showed the treatment
% have been even worse than that Iaper had
published. Among Il dozen or more witnesses.
whose evidence all conceded rs 20 the ~inhumanitv
Of the Master. we copy the testimony of one only.
\ German seaman testified that the beginning of
the trouble between the Captain and crew was
that Thomas Nichols
80 was driven away from the wheel after that
We were staying III the foretop when the Captain
called Tom, who was on the forestrap making flats :
Captain called out TO Tom TO come down Tom did
not hear him, when the Captain said " You Cd
d-m son Of a b-h, when | speak to YOU. come
down - Tom went down 10 the Captains room one
day We had 4 big squall the Captain was very mad
that day IL was our watch the Captain called out
to the mate something, which he did not hear; the
Captain got mad ut something which Tom dill, and
cursed him NJ / r. ". we went down below at .
We went W we were called up by the Captain, who
said that II = that man Nichols lays hold Of me again
! viii shoot him :" he drew his pistol, and Tom told
him % fire the Captain then hit lin alongside OF
the head, and he fell like 4 dead man after a few
minutes the Captain told US to carry him away lac
called 20 the mate 10 get handouts, aud 20 the stew
ard O. get some Imminent {; after the lnimcnt was I
brought, the Captain put II TO Nichols nose, which
wakel him up !; after he came to, the Captain said
10 him, You s-n Of = b, you have not got
enough" and hit him alongside the head again we
took him up, handculleI. and sat him alongside the
stanchion he was kept ON deck ali night {; the next
morning lac was put in the lazarct this is Il place
where stores were kept the Captain said to US the
next day that he had been down TO see Tom, and
him If he wanted 10 come out Of irons, and
that Tom said there was some talking in the fore
castle between the Captain and the crew, and by
order Of the Captain, Tom was brought out Of the
lazaret and beat by three or four men with ropes
and fists, being handcufied all the time the Captain
said nothing while they were beating him Tom laid
senseless on the deck ut night time lac was put in
irons, and during the day in single irons
lasted a week, after which he was kept in single
irons in the llzlrct for ninety days. After we got
around the Horn We saw an island. and were tod
that Tom was going ashore none of the crew knew
what island it was when we came upon deck we
the carpenter arranging the boat the next
morning We were within five or six miles Of the
island the boat was lowered and Tom was put in
clothes. water, etc; he was handcuEcd and the
put in his pocket by which to loosen himself :
he boat was about twenty fee; long we saw no one
n the island, no trees or anything else the island I
Of the port bow Of the ship before Tom went {
a he bid goOl bye to the Captain and crew Tom
in sight after we sank the island about II O'Clock ,
iO0n that was the last we saw Of him after Tom
vas in the boat the Captain threw 70 him a sheath I
.nifs and belt that was all he had besides the bread, !
gater and clothes not a word was said by the
aII4lu AFTER ION Hbl ltil the snip N was me
geither, blowing a light breeze the ship was going I
oar or five knots an hour.
Mr.. W. II. l.. Barnes, ESD, Attorney for the
in his opening address, said
"a that Captain Winsor treated this Greek sailor. q
'hOmas Nichols, in a most inhuman manner that {
man, who claims to be n Captain Of an American :
lcrchantman, was unfit AMI unworthy 10 command !
ship. Instead Of being the man represented by y
he opposite counsel, he was a levi. in command Of t
Batting hell. This sailor hal received at his hands :
III treatment a. would not be inflicted on a n
east. The Captain kept him confined for nearly q
rO days lie would also prove that this defiant 7
lp;liu went from 300 10 40 miles out u his way "
place this poor sailor on an island, inhabited by
alive, who were hostile TO the whites that the 5
light before he put him of, he, the carpenter, was /
squirrel o. remain up al night, 10 uall on some d"
hanks in the boat, which was stoyein coming around q
~ Horn that the sailor understood the English n
iuguage poorly, and was lowered down in the boat
and the keys then thrown him with "
hich O. loosen himself that i few gallons Of water ii
NJ q few pounds Of crackers were given him. and -
2 was then LEFT 10 his fate. and has never been heard /,
or seen since. Although Captain WiuSOr dill \
cape through some techuicIlitics 81 being convicted N
the indictment found against him by the Uuiicl a:
.lies Grand Jury, the counsel would say that he
A. just as guilty Of murder as though he hal III
owed tie sailor of a plank from his ship. The 81
tiCle was not written ia such strong terms a. this II
an really deserved. \ Captain who would draw :
g pistol aud strike sailors over the head with il. 80
them with bclnying-pins, conhnc them for Re-
cks, and end by sending them ashore on Easter
and, going out Of his way hundreds Of miles. AMI
wing them at the mercy and prey Of hostile natives
q point where ships rarely land, would be not vi
u deserving # ceusure but Of being deprived 10: CO
. cDmu1ul 81 an american vessel. lie said IC
j. tire character ~ the man who l. here repre- ac0
r'tiu Wiu~,T - not here De- I"ft CO.. iare-iticrs pu.
men who weT' on hoard ~ fhe time 'Er sailor was i-