The Portland daily press., 1872-06-14

WE lately had by telegraph brief mention
OF most brutal murder on board the man-of-
war Kansas The following particulars, taken
from letter from an officer of the Kansas, off
Greytown, are printed in the World:
On Saturday evening, the 9TH inst, one of
the men attached to the engine department of
| this vessel, by the name of David H. Cady. be-
came noisy from the effect of liquor, and was
| put III double irons by order of the command
| ing officer, Lieutenant Commander White
Cady continued his noise, as all drunken sail
ors Will this seemed to annoy the commander
| OF the ship, who ordered him brought aft, which
| was done; the captain then ordered him to
| stop his noise, which was not of a serious ma
tnre, but Cady paid no attention to the order
This so enraged the captain that he ordered
one OF the large deck-swabs to be placed over
Cady's mouth. Mr.. Homes, officer of the deck
at the time, not liking such barbarous pro-
ceedlng as stopping mans mouth with a
swab, particularly in hot country like this
where man needs all the air he can obtain
ana more too, did not carry out the order with
the requisite brutality to suit Lieutenant-Com
mander White, so he reprmanded Mr. H.
sharply and sent for some of the marine guard
and exclaimed in very excited tone of voice
that he would keep the swab to Cady's mouth
and stop his wind, remarking that this was not
the first time he had done such thing; at
the same time telling the marines he was
astonished at their not being able to stop Ca
dys noise. Just at that moment Cady got his
mouth clear and remarked to the captain that
he was astonished at Lieutenant Commander
White, for trying to smother him to DEATH
Ihls being little too much insolence for
White, he jumped at him with the fury of an
enraged lion, and with his own hands attempt
ed to stop Cady's mouth with the swab The
latter, being a large and very powerful man.
made the best effort against it man could with
double irons on his hands and legs, but White
tugged away for some time, while Cady kicked
and thrashed to resist the swab, when
White getting tired of his job of keep
ing the swab to his mouth called out for
Cady's hammock to be brought; the order was
obeyed.. All this time this poor creature in
double irons was struggling with all his might
to resist his cruel commander, and save his
own life from suffocation. The hammock was
brought, and Cady was ordered to be dashed up
In 1t like an Egyptian mummy prepared for the
catacombs. But he did not live long enough
for his eIecutioner to carry his torture to the
extent contemplated, for David III. Cady, a
man who had served in the navy for twenty
years, and a true-blue American sailor died
from torture and suffocation before he could be
imprisoned in lashed-up hammock-murder-
ed =,
A more outrageous case of cruelty and muir
der never transpired, and if not punished in the
severest manner the American navy should
consider itself disgraced. 1.-THE Secretary of
the Navy" rightly says a correspondent of the
World, 'owes it to himself, the navy and the
country, to have this matter investigated a.
once, and Lieut. Commander White sent with
Lieut.. Commander Seeley, late of the Pawnee
and others who are now suffering punishment
and disgrace for cruelty and inhuman treat
ment of Uncle Sans sailors"
ToRTUREs In REFoRMAToRY INSTITUTION.
The legal examination of legitimate of the
House of Refuge, Randalls Island, New York,
for murder, disclosed system of tortures prae-
ticed upon the inmates that is almost beyond be-
lief. One boy testified that he had been strung
up by the thumbs for nearly three-quarters of
an hour; another that he had suffered the
thumb-puuishment and been caned on the bare
back at the same time; third that he had been
strung up by the thumbs and received thirty
two lashes for gazing about him during relig-
lous services and refusing to read the Bible and
a fourth that he had been flogged on the bare
flesh for looking off his book at school Valen-
tine Feldmen, shoemaker in the refuge from
1859 to 1867, testified to the Gaming of a bow Inv
man named Halleck, for not performing his
task, and the Gaming was repeated three times
The boy died four days after the fogging. An
effort is making to prove that there is religious
moderation in the conduct of the institution as
well as cruelty. 1t seems to be the determine
ton OF the court to allow the most thorough ex-
posure of the concern. The bows who are sep
fenced to the refuge are from the very worst
and most dangerous classes-young scoundrels
who have not learned the caution of older GRIM
mails, and are accordingly reckless to the last
degree. Consequently it appears to be difficult
to impress the belief that any treatment of
such boys is crime
In view of the slanderous statements of SEN
ator Sumner relative to President Grant and
Secretary Stanton, an extract from the report
of committee on the conduct of the war is
suggestive. Lieut. General U. S. Grant. who
had that time, May 18th, 1866, commanded the
whole army for year and more, was put upon
the stand and questioned as follows:
Question-In what manner has Mr.. Stanton,
the Secretary of War, performed his duties in
relation to the military operations under your
command?
Answer-Admirably, think so; SO far as he
is concerned l do not think there has been any
ground for complaint.
Question-Has there ever been any misun-
Outstanding in regard to the conduct of the war
between you and him since you have been in
command?
Answer-Never has there been any expressed
10 me; he has never interfered with my duties
never thrown any obstacles in my way; never
dictated the course of the campaign, and never
inquired what was going to do. He has always
seemed satisfied with what / have done. and
has heartily co-operated with me.
This is taken from the stenograpbic records
in the War Department, and successfullv re-
flutes the charge that Mr.. Stanton deemed Gen.
Grant Inefficient for it is not the custom of a
Secretary of War, when campaigns are CON
Quoted inefficently with the whole responsible
ity resting upon him, to maintain silence.
Fires destroying property to the amount of