The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-16
THE FEVER SHIP.
Cruelty on Board the Ship James Foster
Shocking Treatment OF Passengers.

Cruelty on Board the Ship James Foster
Shocking Treatment of Passengers.
An examination is now being made into the
conduct of the officers OF the emigrant ship
James Foster, Jr., which recently arrived at
New York. The charge against them is that
of inhuman treatment of the passengers. The
testimony given yesterday was to the following
effect:-
The following diary is a relic of the trip. 1t
is written in a fair hand, and gives the beatings
Kicked - the eyes and nose on the 18th of
December. 1868. Black my eyes In the Mersey.
"l6th January-Beat with a rope ten minutes
"Kicked is:h of January in mout by carpen-
ter; kicked by carpenter, FEBRUARY.
"Struck in the face aft, then ordered to the
ferecastle. puld down by the hair and kicked
until bled out of the nose and ears, by car
"In fact every day on the voyage.
"MICHAEL CANNON"
Michael Cannon was the first witness called
at the examination, and after testifying that
he was a laboring man from Cork, Ireland, and
much as promised in the contract, he said:~
We had to go to work pulling the ropes; the
carpenter beat me i've or six weeks after being
OUT that was the only time; the carpenter COM
gers were afraid they would not get any lining to
me: went into the galley and be called me a
- - or something, and then he stuck
captsin had ordered the Irish - - to pull
the rope; i was in the galley again, and the
bostswain struck me there two blows with q
rope IT we got our rations on Saturday they
would last until Thursday morning. The car
penter used to put the fires out in the galleys.
On cross-examinatiOn he testified that the
passengers often snapped one thing for another;
the Jews, not eating pork, would swap it for
other things; the supply Of water was not
enough; we tried to catch rain water on wet
days: when received the blows was in the
passengers galley; the time the carpenter
were others present but he only struck me; I
was doing nothing; he told me to go out, and
srnet sScs saar week 1H .hs
| that was In the hast part of the voyage; then
he SaIied o sn0sH %tb nam cond 5Sid Eh
me on the back Of the neck. was not strong
enough to fight. but would II could. 1 often
nights ! was called up to work. three or four
| times anight. We worked pulling ropes, clean.
the latter part OF the voyage we were 'Ii mp at at
work i've times every week, the water mea-
sure was as hall 1pi OF pl,Gs Tnsn went into the
| "a Yankee - -" and then he hit me
with his fist and knocked me down.
PHYSICIAN BEATEN.
Abraham Meyer, O Pole, sworn testified-I
was passenger on the James Foster. Jr': the
provisions generally were very poor; / have
| seen the carpenter beating persons; he beat me
| quick enough, so he gave me blows; was not
| Quick enough to take 1t away; he hit me with
mis- fist in the face; my business WAS that of an
| assistant physician.
THE BRUTAL CARPENTER AFTER THE COOK
Bartholomew Tobin sworn, testified-I am a
| passenger cook on the Foster; one morning
| ihe carpenter struck me; he hit me with a
| hammer in the face, knocked me down, and
| threw water over me; he hit me most every
| day l was aboard; kicked me, knocked me
| down. and jumped upon my face with his
| booIs: he was an awful man; was forced to
| do sailor work too; he knocked me down with
| q hammer; was senseless for time.
NOT FOOD ENOUGH.
James Burke, sworn, teslihed--I used the
| weeks meals In three days; / had sixtee
| shillings, and spent them in buying food;
1 could eat In one day what / received for the
| week; the carpenter often misused the sailors.
THE OFFICERS SIDE or THE STORY.
| The officers counsel requested TO examine q
4 sailor VINO was outside, and he was accordingly
/ called in. ...a,
sailor: the food he received was about the some
/ as ON oiher ships; the amount about the same
| most all the crew but himself became sick, an9
| twelve passengers volunteered their services; !
do not think any were forced; he only saw
few passengers work, and only for short times
| seventeen or eighteen OF the sailors died. saw
| the carpenter strike the passengers someelmel
with heavy Delaying pin, but did not know
| the reason why, he struck me eomeimes onc'
when was i've minutes getting out OF tn'
fOrecastle. ~ n ASH at a A tra
"A VIOTIM DIES FROM sTARvATIOF. 81
The ooroner's inquest over the body Of JohI