Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-10-29

Nth announces the arrival there OF the
ship Topgallant, on the 18th, from New
York, May l6, and the arrest Of Edward
Larkin, second mate, on the complaint
Captain George NJ. Phillips. The Chron-
icle reporter interviewed the parties with
the following result;
He was arrested ON charge Of beat
ing and manning II. p. Corbert, a sea-
man on board the vessel. Corbert sub
sequently died during the voyage. He
says that Corbert, who shipped under the
name of Ryan, or was commonly known
by that name on board the vessel, was
suffering from consumption when he
came on board. He had just come off a
long voyage from the distant port of Cal
cutta, and was suffering with chills and
fever contracted in the East Indies. On
the 26th or 9th of May when the vessel
had been about ten days out Of port, and
while off the West Indies, he pushed
Corbert of the platform on which
the cable was coiled. He says that
he did not strike the man. He
merely put the palm of his hand
| against Corbert's ear aud pushed him
off the platform. He did not bruise the
man, or wound him in the least; did not
knock him down, or against anything
| that could have hurt him. A week or
two after that the man became so sick
as TO be unfit for duty He took to his
bed, and about sixteen days afterwards
died Lark;n admits that he once struck
a man called Dutchy," but did not hurt
him much. He says these are the only
times upon which he ever used violence
against any man on board he did not
iniure either of the men, and they re-
maincd his friends to the end Corbert
before his death gave him the address of
his (Corbert' 81 mother, in Holland, with
request to write her the particulars OF
his death. Larkin says the charge was
made through malice on the part OF the
Captain. He had a quarrel with the first
mate before leaving New York. The
first mate and steward combined to pref
udice the Captain against him, and sue
ceeded. The Captain quarreled with
him, as he says, because he would not
oyerwork the men, nearly half of when
were sick, and finally, on the plea that
he was incompetent, disrated him and
sent him into the forecastle, where he
was kept during the remainder OF the
VOYAGE and made to do the dirtiest and
meanest work.
He charges that The Captain and first
mate we're guilty of beating and other
wise abusing men; that about three
weeks after leaving New York he heard
some words among the men in the fore
castle about knife belonging to VIM.
Smith, one of the seamen, and moment
afterwards he saw the Captain emerge
from the forecastle, dragging out Smith,
whom he had clutched fiercely by the
throat with one hand and by the hair
with the other. He shook the man
roughly, exclaiming aDgrlly, God
YOU, | would like to have the pleasure
OF licking fourteen of you before break
fast" He choked the man until the
moor fellows face was suifused with
blood, and it was two or three minutes
before he could catch his speech again.
He did not strike the man. About a
month after this he heard noise at the
wheel. and saw the man Smith getting
un. The Captain had just knocked him
down because he could not work the
wheel lust to suit him. The mans lip
was cut and his mouth was bleeding
freely. He staid at the wheel about
twenty minutes longer and then was
relieved, when he came forward and told
his companions that the Captain had
been "onto him again and licked
him. Larkin also charged the first
mate with beating and maltreatng the
men. He had intended TO have lodged
formal complaints against the Captain
and the first mate and have had them
arrested yesterday afternoon but as
the United States District Attorney and
assistant we're both engaged in Court
irving cases, he had been unable to get
the warrants. The complaints will
probably be made out and the arrests
made to day. ..
Another cause Of complaint lies in
the ill-health of those on board. Nearly
half the crew are sick with the scurvy
and some of them have it very bad.
Lark;n ascribes this to the quality OF
food and water furnished. He says that
the salt meat was taken out of the cask
before cooking, merely washed on, and,
without having the salt soaked of,
was cooked and served up to the
men. The water became so low that
they had to depend on rain water caught
in blankets. and this was so impregnated
with oil and tar from the deck and poop
as to be unpalatable and unwholesome.
After the men became sick they we're
compelled to work the same as before,
and Larkin says one Of the principal
grounds urged against him by the CsP-
t,in was that he did not work the men
hard enough.
seven OF the sailors have had the
scurvv very badly and are swollen,
bloated. demonstrating beings. VIM.
smith. one Of the latter, stated that on
the 10Th of September, while at the
wheel Al about clock in the morning,
the mate. James Smith. struck him be
cause he could not see we'll 70 steer se- |
inc wbat the sailors call "moon.bhnd.
ne vas knocked down, and the mau
Licked him in the jaw, and q the RIBS |
and breast. knocking him down the /
ladder 10 the deck and following him up |
v;tb kicking al the way. De was badly 4
b,n;sed and said be still felt the effects
- his brutal treatment 10 his breast:
He vas struck BIZ the mate 90 several
5;lFerent occasions witt his olenchcd hsi,
-, IL aid not mind that much. The
Captaip also struck him several tunes,
md on one occasion threw him on the
aoor and choked him severely. Several
Of he sailors witnessed the assault BY
the mate.
a., fhe Tninud Of nj