The Portland daily press., 1872-04-10
An Episode of the Canadian Rebellion.
AN AMERICANS EXPERIENCES In BRITISH
PENAL COLONY.


The Syracuse IN. Y Standard says:
Last Wednesday night an apparently old
man, who looked as If he might have been
full ninety years, came to the station house
and applied for lodgings. He said he had
travelled long distance, was tired and hun
CRY, and wanted sleep. Ard the old man
took from his back little bundle, withdrew
a cane thrust through the knotted handker-
chief, and sank down in chair as if utterly
unable to take another STEP He was given
the best accommodations the station house
afforded, and that was a warm cell and bare
plank. But his old bones rested sweetly, he
said, even in that bed, ''for it's morn I've
been used to for these many years." Yes
terday morning he was taken before Justice
Corbett, and there he told a sad story. Al
though appearing to be fully ninety years
old, face wrinkled, and back bent nearly dou-
Bile, he was but ffty-five years of age. His
name was Samuel Washburne, and he has
just returned from Van Dieman's Land,
whittier he had been sent as a convict by the
British Government. He was born in Hart
ford, Conn.,, and went to Canada when he
was twenty-five years old. This was in the
year 1888. He engaged in chopping just
across the river from Clayton, when the Can
ada rebellion took place in that year. Wash
burne was near Prescott when the battle was
fought. A good many many persons from
this vicinity were interested in that fight,
young men having gone from Salina, Liver
pool, and other places in this county.
One of the leaders of that rebellion was
Papineau, who has relative now living in
this city. Washburne was an American, and
in the vicinity of Prescott, as he says, walk
ing along the road just after the fight, when
he was arrested and thrown into chains
on board British vessel. He was
given no opportunity for trial. Although he
strongly pr ,tested his innocence he was sem
tentenced to banshment for life in Van Die
mans Land. He was sent to that colony
with some two hundred others. They were
crowded like sheep into the hold of prison.
ship. After tedious and stormy voyage
they were landed at Sydney, and here their
trial began.
Reporter-Did they make you work?
Washburne-Well, they did make us work
like slaves.
R.-What did you do?
WI ploughed and drew stone.
R-You mean you held the plough?
W.-No, / don't. l mean that myself and
companion drew the plough. They hitched
us up like horses. Here, see my back.
And the old man tried to straighen up, but
no power on earth could ever make that back
erect again. He exclaimed:
''You see my bent back. Well, they put
straps across and around me; made a regular
harness, and hitched Miller-that's my part
ner-and myself to the plough, and we were
obliged to drag it like brutes. But they treat
ed us great deal worse than brutes"
R-What did they give you to eat?
W.-They fed us ON pound of meat and
pound of coarse bread per day, and we
slept in hut at night. Miller, my partner,
often told me he should try to escape if pos
sible. He made the attempt and succeeded,
some years ago, in reaching an American
vessel that brought him to this country.
R.-How did you escape?
WI was pardoned. / succeeded in get
ting letters to Canada and some of my friends
there interested themselves in my case, and
nearly two years ago received pardon
But then / could not leave the country for
lack of means to pay my passage. l worked
a year and a half-sometimes getting three
cents and sometimes five cents per day-un-
til had succeeded in raising S25. With this
and my promising to work ON the passage, l
succeeded in reaching New York a week or
two ago. / left Sydney last November, after
a residence there of thirty-three years
R.-Have you any relatives in this part of
the countrys
W.-Yes; Judge Foster, of Oswego, is my
uncle. My mother is his sister. i learned
at Utica that two of my brothers were living
at Canton (Memphis) in this county. Their
names are Henry and Benjamin Washburne,
and am on my way to see them.