New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-10
TIE ALLEGED ATROCITIES At SEA.

STATEMENTS OF TIE CAPTAIN AND OTHER OF
FICERs OF THE NEPTUNE.
Yesterday a TRIBUNE reporter visited the
ship Neptune aud conversed with Capt Peabody and
his officers relation to the alleged atrocities commit
ted on during her 40 days passage from Liverpool
to this port Capt. Peabody Is an old and weEknOWn
slpmaster standing high in the estimation Of his EN-
ployers Messrs II. Marshall Co.. and the mercantile
community in general He totally denies the statements
made by tho eight who have made such danag-
ing statements regard to his treatment Of them The
Neptune had a Of 20 men, 10 Of whom were white,
In the sarboard watch aud 2 c0Ored IN the port watch
The white men, with the exception OF 8. are the com
plauants OF the colored men having any complaint
to make.
appears that portion Of the cOmplananslbelong To
that class OF men known on packctships AS Buckos''
or fighting men, who do all in their power 10 annoy Their
spmatc5 well as TO quarrel WIN Their OHcers ihe}
are bad class OF men. who make living by getting adj
vance wages and then deserving Brady 10 Is said, be.
longs this class, and commenced his career on board
the Neptune by attempting TO stab the second mate with
a sheath;knife. For this act and for his Threatening
language to his shipmates he was put In irons ut ~
became sober. Carter, another Of the compainants at
tempted To stab sccond-mate while alof but failed
Carter is deserter from British vessel aud he had
been caught In Liverpool would have been sent 10 p'1
for months. Shortly after coming on board he
ed himself away and. while search was being I9 hll
the mate accidentally stepped upon hih put uu nm ~
serious damage. Bond shipped as an aDle sea
at "a 10 per month, and sJ advance IN MS
affidavit he states that he mad never D1en "a.
before, and consequently he no doubt thOuRht
that life hard one. lie was never struck, an1
the story oi keeping him. any OF the men, standing on
his head for hour at Tune Is as false as Is Idcu
lous. Giles. who complains that he was beaten every
day or AZ times, not beaten-in fact, was never
touched by his captain. Miller says ne was struck on
the head with capstan bar The bars are OAK II ieet
inches In length and from TO Inches III dlhiseI Uy
n Samson could one with facihtyi beside a dow
from Que would kill man. Capt. Peabody says the par
story is simply this: The watch was nearing down INC
foretack and the SAIL Stating In the WING eaught the
hitting both OF them No mention was maue "a hi ~
at the time. Giles, who says the captain struck MIN
while on the topsa yard has ms story DISPOSE o, Oy
Capt Peabody Ia these words: owing 10 lne ineCency
OF my crew obliged to assist IN bending new top
sail, one having boon blown away |nich % r
my being aoft. While up there ala not touch Giles ..
any other Had he let 20, as he swears' ne ussS
have fallen overheard" AS to the SHOOTING ne say
had endeavored TO make the men on tne iee 'o VI ~
main yard hear orders, but the gaze was 20 strohs
seemed impossible vent below anu OrousI. p'sJ
loaded with powder only which hred over We ice ran
not in the direction Of the yardi tue hash anu
tention of the men was thus attrao,eI a. ,i,
were eight other men alongside OF Giles al the Time.
the fact that the BuckOs continually lighting 10
the forecate and abusing the weaker men OF the crew
so outrageous their conduct that Capt Peabody TOOK
four of the and had hunks fitted up Tor
them in the after Storage. where the Buckos could not
annoy them That there were thieves among inc crew -
pare1t from the fact that Luther Thompson col
oed sailor was robbed OF 500 IN gold ana several Oh tue
lost their clothing. and dared not complain ess
they should beaten by their more powerful shpnate
Complaints made to Capt Peabody that Tue busAo
gang appropriated the food, and that the portion ney
unable TO eat at the regular meal time tney so"eu
away TO eat at night. IT., m
GERS with the coOred portion OF the crew. Some OF the
men who make the complaint against the OtlceIs en-
before the vessel sailed from Liver
pool but were prevented Most OF them had sGuapdered
their money and clothes on rum in Liverpool ana came
on board III clad and haltcrazed with liquor, and capt
Peabody supplied them with clothes, ana purchased
when his own supply exhausted additional lot from
the passengers During the passage the crew were pro
yed with quarters In the after steerage where the spare
sails are slowed Here the watch deck, excepting the
man at the vince. and the OOOuts snuglv slowed
away aud only called when their services were
needed to trim the yards or to make or take IN sail The
md fsln
lions than thousands OF people have IN TINS city
The food was good and plentiful. But for the Buckos
all hands would have had enough Dr. smith, an ex-
army surgeon, attended 10 any who were SICK ana no
man was sent to duty whom the Doctor reported
disqualified. No bruallties were INDUCED in by the
officers.
Before the ship fairly at anchor, boarding house
and lawyers runners boarded her, and without any
warning the legal proceedings were commenced. When
the paid of day before yesterday, several OF
the white asked that their might be retained
FOR the voyage, and some Of the men who had 10
wages due them gwen little sums OF money by
order Of Capt Peabody. IL is thought the whole affair
has trumped compel either the Captain or the
owners OF Neptune to pay damages for alleged cruel
ties never perpetrated