The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-14
CRUELTlES IN THE NAVY.
fortunes Inflicted Upon Scamen Board the
United States steamer Pnwnee.

fortunes Inflicted Upon Seamen ON Board the
United States steamer Pawnee.
The last cruise Of the United States slo0p-of-war
Pawnee terminated with her arrival at Portsmouth,
ana the 21st of July she went out Of commission
About month before her arrival. while on the voy-
age from Rio Janero Acting Assistant Surgeon
Henry G. Ecstein was robbed OF money and jewelry
amounting in value It Ia sad to about 500. which
were taken from his stateroom while he was asleep
1t has become oerably clear since the arrival Of the
Pawnee that a colored man named Robert Shorter
the party guilty OF the theft, portion OF the
stolen jewery having been found upon his person,
and he is now in the Portsmouth jail awaiting the
action OF the Grand Jury OF the United States circuit
Court on charge OF larceny upon the high seas;
but no one suspected Shorter during the voyage.
Roderick W. Turner ana John A. Simmons. two
Of the wardroom boys Of the Pawnee both oolored,
were suspected Of the theft. and with the view to
extort from them confession of guilt they were
both confined in double irons. For forty eight hours
consecutiveIy they lay upon the deck upon their
breasts and faces, their ankles ironed together with
one pair Of irons, their wrists roned together with
another pair, their feet bent up behind them, and
both pairs OF irons being tied together behind their
backs. A more painful position cannot easily be
conceived. At the end OF snese forty eight hours
they were raised from the deck put stand up back
to back with their ankle irons still upon them, the
arms Of each being bent back wards around the body
OF his comrade In torture. At each meal bread and
water allowed them, with ten minutes suspen.
sion Of punishment to enable them to eat 1t.
No other suspension OF torture was allowed,
not even when the calls Of nature had
to be answered. consequently the fore peak where
they were confiUcd became tnsufer ably filthy and
the whole crew were made, In q measure, partakers
Ia the punishment. most d0cile and submissive
Bel OF men they must have been or they would have
risen In mutiny on SO extreme a provocatlon. For
and bound together back to back. The intense heat
OF the place increased their sufferings and sleep
came almost impossible. simmons testified bsforc
the United states Commissioner, the occasion OF
the examination OF Shorter that both he and Turner
offered all their wages for the entire cruise the
master-atarms II he would suspend their punish
ment for a single hour. But suspension was al
lowed, and day and night the cries OF the tortured
ones rung In the cars Of the crew. calling for release
SUFFERING without sleep induces dementia. On tho
sixth day OF his punishment simmons became Wild
ana insane, and the sufferers were parted Simmons
was still kept IN irons. Turner not only kept in
IRONS but MS wrists were ironed benind him and
tied or trlccd up 20 one OF the beams above his head.
In this condition for many hours he remained tied
IN 50 closely that MS toes barely touched che ships
deeS ms sody hanging chiefly by MS wrists TIL MS
winch Ii believed to have been false, that he had
stolen the gold and Jewerv and had given them to
q white sailor named Patrick UBrlens When his
returned to him Turner retractet the confess
sion which his tortures had wrung from hm: but
Notwithstanding this retraction. and notwithstant-
ing O'lfen denied all knowledge Of the larceny
and none OF the stolen things could he found on
hun, O'Brien was seized, confined in double irons in
the same manner As the others, ana tied up by the
wrists tightly that most OF his weight hung upon his
wrists. For three days and nights lie was Kept
thus when this irons had cut into the flesh, and ms
wrists, swollen To twice tner ordinary size pr.-
scented rightiuliy ulcerated and gangrenous APP
pearance. When the vessel reached Portsmouth
the condition OF o bren's wrists was sucn that at
first auputation of both hands was felt to be neces
sary to save ms hfc. But under the skiful man,pu.
latlon OF surgeon Gergas az the Naval Hospital the
inflammation was assuaged, and the hands were
saved.
me captain of the Pawnee (CIitz, denied all
knowledge or these punisiments beyond the con.
1nemont or the men In double IRONS. The counsel
for the executive Onicer, Lieutenant Commander II.
u. Seecy intimate tnat he knew nothing OF these Tor
lures but mat mo master atarus, petty officer,
inflicted them without authority. Thus the specta-
Gle Is presented OF cruel and unlawful punis lmenis
inflicted ON board OF public vessel OF the navy,
both tue commanding and executive officers Affect
ing to nave known nothing aboutit.
Not word OF Information touching these unau-
thorized punshments reached the Navy Department
through the ordinary oftcia channels. But Charles
CONVEY, Boston lawyer, formerly Naval Judge Adj
vocnte, took the ntflyiavit Of Turner and simmons
who employed him rs their counsel, aud forwarded
" to secretary Ropeson, with q request for court
martial. About the snme time Henry +. Role,
United states District Attorney for New Hampshire,
sent letter TO secretary kobeson touching the tor
nhfe OF Olrlen. Both OF these documents were re.
Portsmouth, consisting OF Captain Guest, Com.
manders McCawley and Wills, and Commander
Role appeared before TINS court In behalf OF the
complainants.
The proceedings OF this court have been conducted
with inc secrecy common with such tribunals. But
the facts above recied were incidentally elected In
the examination OF shorter; aud the same facts, In
greater aetaa! must have been brought out before
the Court o. inquiry. That court has completed s
labors, and VITA without DOUBT, be followed by q I
Naval Generaa Court Martial bcfors winch oil VINO
were concerned IN the lnnictl0n OF these tortures
VIII be brought for trial.