New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-18
A REIGN OF TERROR AT SEA.

A REIGN OF TERROR AT SEA.
Almost Incredible Tales from American
Seamen-Triced mp for Twelve Hours
and Fed ON Raw Wheat-Four Men
Murdered and Thrown Overboard-A
Mans Tongue Burned 'Out-Are These
Sailors Yarns E
The ship Sardis, Captain Cunningham, of
Boston, sailed from San Francisco for Liy-
erpooI, with cargo of wheat, on the eighth
of December last. and after a voyage OF 107
days, arrived at her destination. She car
ried crew of sixteen, shipped in San Fran
cisco for the round trip. Five of them
arrived in this port on the ship Prusille, on
Tuesday last, and are at the new Sailors
Home, on Pearl street. From one OF this
number, Charles II. Swords, a Sisn reporter,
yesterday obtained the subjoined story:
During the first thirty days out the crew
were treated with humanity by the captain,
who seemed to spare no pains 10 make them
comfortable, and they began 10 congratulate
one another upon having shipped with a
good captain. But, after this, Cunningham
began his brutalities by knocking one of the
crewin the head with the butt of his re-
volvers Men were put in irons, fed on sea
biscuit and salt WAFER, and not allowed to
remove their clothing,
Olive Johnson, John HenIing and Tou-
rany Williams were placed in double irons,
their hands behind their backs, and thus
they we're triced up for twelve hours. When
taken down they were unable to stand. and
their shoulders were ont at joint but the
captain with billet of wood beat them to
compel them to rise. Finding that they
were unable to do SO, he .jerked them up by
the assistance OF the boatswain, hammered
their shoulders into their proper positions,
and compelled them to man the pumps,
standing over them with rattan, laying it
on their bare backs whenever they slack
ened their speed. They were kept at this
until they fell to the deck senseless.
Swords and the cook inrerfered, backed
by three or four more of the crew, where
upon the captain drew his revolver and
threatened to shoot them down for mutiny
If they did not go forgard. This they re-
fused TO do until they had taken care of the
men who had been so shoekingly maltreat-
ed. The captain called his mates and put
the whole watch in irons and shut them up
in the hold. After this, as each watch was
called, the watch below was put in irons.
At first they were put on short allowance,
and then bread aud water, and finally, be-
fore reaching Liverpool, they were given
nothing but raw wheat to eat. They were
compelled to work and lie in irons each al
ternate four houre during the remainder of
the voyage.
On their arrival in Liverpool, Swords
and John johnson went TO the American
consul, and reported the treatment they
had received; but Cunningham, on hearing
of their intention, forestalled them by pre-
ferring a charge of mutiny. Swords said
he was willing to stand a trial on this
charge, and sent word to the captain that
the crew were all willing and anxious TO
have the charge investigated. The captain,
however, withdrew the complaint, and per-
saaded the consul to disregard the COM
plants of the crew. On the last interview
with the consul, that official said to Swords:
Il can't do anything for you. Your
officers say 1t Is a conspiracy to iDjure them;
and it you don't clear out, | shall arrest
you"
The crew, unable to obtain redress at the
hands of the consul, and deciding that they
could not bear such treatment, went in
body to the consul, and requested him to
secure their pay; but his answer was, that
if they quit the ship they could claim moth
ing. They therefore quit the vessel without
receiving a cent for their long cruise. not
IN the ship. Swords says that it has be-
come a common practice of Boston shippers
to abuse and maltreat their men TO such a
shocking degree as TO force them TO desert,
so that the captain can cheat them out of
their pay. They then ship crew in
foreign port for the round cruise, and play
the same game over, thus sailing their ships
nine-tenths of the time without paying
cents wages TO their crew.
The ship Mary Brane, Captain Arthur,
sailed from San Francisco for Hong Kong,
with crew of eighteen, and arrived there
about the first of April. From the time the
ship got out of sight of land the captain
opened ball on the crew. Mr.. A. Jackson,
one of those who deserted the ship at Hong
Kong, arrived in this port about week
ago, from San Francisco, and is also at the
new Sailors Home A Sun reporter saw
him yesterday. and obtained the following
story:
Captain Arthur beat every man on the
ship before they had been out three days,
and then began reign Of terror. Men were
beaten miscellaneously with Delaying pins,
capstan bars and clubs. On the first of
January the captain celebrated New Years
by.gouging out Alfred Nelson's ewes and
him overheard. The next day he
triced up the cook by the feet, head down.
kept him there until dead, and then threw
him overheard. George Harmon said that
he should sweat for that murder when he
reached port. Procuring a red-hot iron, the
captain sc0rched Harmon's tongue and
burned him in the face until he was unable
TO arteulate. Harmon was then tied up by
one wrist, clear of the deck, and kept in
that position until his hand turned black.
~Silas Wilson was forced to jump over
Ward from the bow of the ship at the in |
stance of the captain. whe gave him his |
choice between having his brains blown |
out and drowning. Another man. whose |
name jackson could not recall, was taken |
sick, and the captain forced him to commit |
suicide by taking arsenic, threatening as an |
alternative he should have his throat cut.
He took the arsenic and died.
jackson says he went to the consul at
Hong. Kong and reported the murders ON
the ship, and when the captain was called
tor examination he produced his log to
prove that the men deserted as soon as thew
touched Hong Kong, and he had all his
officers sworn to this falsehood. Being in
strange country, without money or friends.
and with sneh influence against them. the
crew could make no impression on the con-
'ul, and he refused to investigate their
.hues. The crew then all deserted. and
Jackson, with four others, shipped on a
nail steamer tor San Francisco. After
looking on board ooasting steamer for a
month he started for New York. and
arrived as above stated.
We learn thia from +La Po1 g |