The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-06-12
Cuban Insults to American and British
Shlpmasters.


Capt. James Moore of brig Elizabeth Ann,
of Halifax,N. s., who was imprisoned at Sagua
with Capt Griffin Of schooner Llias of Stock.
ton on account of some stowaways being found
on board their vessels, arrived here with his
brig on Saturday. with a cargo consigned to E.
Churchill & Co. Capt. Moore related his ex-
perience as follows: The Elizabeth Ann sail
ed from Portland for Sagua le Grande, on the
23d of May. Took a return cargo and cleared
for Portland on the Sd of May. The captains
wife and son, a lad of years, accompanied
him on the voyage. About 9 o'clock on the
morning of Tuesday, May 4th, the consignees
clerk came on board and said to Capt. Moore
that statement had been made that he had a
slave slowed away among the cargo. Captain
Moore replied that he had no knowledge of
such a fact, and that the clerk was at liberty
to make thorough search, which he proceed
ed to do, Capt. Moore assisting him. After an
hours search negro was found slowed away
in the hold among the molasses hogsheads, and
was taken on shore by the clerk. Between II
and IL o'clock that night, after the captain had
retired, the brig was boarded by gang of al
ed men, who came off from shore in boat and
demanded the captain. Capt. Moore, uncon-
scous of any crime, and fearing to leave his
wife and child without protection or assistance
in case Of emergency, offered his papers as Sc
curity, but the offer was insultingly refused
and the captain was taken out of bed, carried
ashore and kept under guard until five O'clock
in the morning, when in company with Capt.
Griffin, he was taken to Sagua, distance Of 10
miles and committed to Jail. There was near
ly 100 inmates of the Jail, negroes and China.
men, and one American seaman. Considera-
BILE sickness was in the prison, and Captain
Moore was put into cell with eight or ten
criminals, two of whom lay on the floor i'll with
symptoms of small pox. He at once wrote
to the British Consul and by the mediation of
that officer, who purchased the concession of
the officials Capt. Moore was removed to bet
ter cell, built for the confinement of debtors,
where he was allowed the liberty of the yard
an enclosed court 40 feet sqare-trom a. m. to
Up. m. The Jail was ill-ventlated and filed
with an almost iutolerable stencil from crowd
ing it full OF filthy and diseased people. Add
ed to this was the discomfort of not being able
to communicate with any one, as everybody
except the American seaman spoke only Span
ish, and the sailor was p0werless to help the
captain. Capt. Moore was unable TO eat the
wretched rations furnished by the govern ment
to the prisoners, and by the interposition OF
the consul was permitted to buy food from the
hotel. After being imprisoned forty-one days
the consul succeeded in obtaining the release
of Capt. Moore, by becoming bail for him to the
amount OF SOL, and the captain returned to his
vessel, happy to find that his wife and bow had
been kept in good health in that hot and. 10,
strangers, dangerous climate. The Captain al.
80 gives his crew good name for their fidelity
and endeavors to preserve the vessel and her
cargo in good condition, as they had no superi
or officers during the absence of the Captain
Alter nine days Capt. Moore got his vesse
ready for sea and arrived here on Saturday
The detention of the vessel and the injury t.
her, the result of Spanish injustice, is consid
cradle, and the British government will n
doubt demand from Spain full indemnity 70
the outrage. The facts in the case have beel
sent to the home government by the British
consul at Havana. Capt. Moore is still unde
bail to return to answer to the charge agans
him, if he is wanted, which is questionable, a
the Cuban authorities evidently will be glad t
drop the matter where it is if they are allowe
10 do 80.