Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1873-11-06
A BRUTAL SEA CAPTAIN,

In the course of the trial of Capt.
Clarke, lately convicted in San Francisco
Of extreme cruelty to seamen on board
the ship Sunrise, the following evidence
was introduced
August Wiltpfenning, one of the sea-
men, testified l was an able seaman
on the Sunrise, in the port watch Cor
rigan and others were in the watch with
me [ received punishment the last Of
June was sending the foretopsail lift
down it leads from the crosstrees to
the yard arm had the lift in the top
and was drawing it down to the d. ok
when it got foul of the leech lines, and
L hauled it over on the starboard side to
clear it and had to drop it; my arm got
tired and could not hold the lift the
mate cried out, "Come down here,
you -" when / reached the deck
the mate knocked me down, and gave
me blue eye said the mate, What
did You let go of that line for ?" / said
/ could not help it +; he knocked me
down again /; / said to the captain, who
was standing near, "Do you allow such
things on the ship ?" he said, " Yes )"
[ said l would see about it when we got
to San Francisco -; he replied that he
would see that was not i'll condition to
do anything when 1 got to San Fran
cisco then he asked the mate to put
me in irons ; this was between eight and
nine o'clock in the morning the cap,
tain ordered the mate to trice me up,
and so he did, and hing there until
three o'clock in the afternoon then
they cut me down and gave me fifteen
minutes to get my breakfast, which was
made up of bread and water after the
breakfast was placed in the lazaret and
ironed, and kept there until half-past
eight o'clock in the morning that
morning [ had bread and water for
breakfast this bread and water diet,
confinement in the lazaret, ETC.: was
continued for two days, when he wit
ness appealed to the captain to relieve
him the captain saw him by request of
the mate, and when witness said that
he was sorry for what he had done, and
would not do SO any more, the captain
replied:
81 will not take you out OF irons, you
-; I'll keep you in there for my pleas
IRE y was triced up two days, and only
let down fifteen minutes for meals
Peter johnson was beaten by the mate
and placed in irons when he first came
on board he was sensible man, but
afterward he lost his senses he was
triced up; every man who was placed in
irons in that ship was triced up Corri-
gan complained to the captain that the
mate had struck him the captain made
inquiries OF two men who did not wit
ness the assault then he said to Colri-
gan, " You have been lying" and he
ordered the mate to place him in irons
and trice him up; have seen Jean
Brown beaten by the mate severely in
the presence of the captain =; Edwards
was triced up two or three hours John
Condiff, the second man who went over
erboard, was beaten by the mate in the
presence of the captain l witnessed
three or four blows Martinson was
triced up in irons the weight Of a mans
body in this position comes on his toes
and arms; Lejude was also triced up in
irons in front of the captains door;
heard the captain say that he knew
everything that occurred on board the
ship ; saw marks or bruises on John
sons head ; there was swelling, which
he said the mate had caused by hitting
him with tar Ratchet johnson was
beaten every day-every day of the yoy-
age
Corrigan, John Conkif, and Charles
Brand went overheard while at sea, after
great sufferings at the hands OF the Off
GERS of the ship.