The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-08-31
A CAPTAINS CRUELTY.
Mauls Three Seamen Dead and Heaves
Them 0verboard---His Ship
Sunk and Himself Arrest
ed in New York.

The American ship st. Marks, Capt.
). s. Grindie, sailed from Liverpool
March II, 1875. When about six weeks
out man known as 'tLong Tom" died
| from the effects Of injuries inflicted by
the Captain or his s,,bortlinates, and was
| thrown overheard BY the Captains in
| strnctions. When leaving port the Cap
tain had eleven green hands in n crew of
twenty-one, and his conduct towa rds
some of them was exceedingly harsh,
any slowness in the execution Of orders
being visited with the severest punish
ment, sucll AZ kicking, beating, string
ing up to cross-trees and choking. a
man nicknaned 'sSolilier" was the next
to ELL apietia to the Captains s inhu
manity, and he too was consigned to the
waves about two weeks subsequent to
the death of ''Long Tom" They were
both Englishmen. When the ship reach
eds Coquimbo, Chill, third sailor sue
cunbed to the result of injuries inhict-
ed on shore, the captain in each instance
mailifesting complete Indifference. Muir
murs prevailed throughout the ship, and
complaint was made to the authorities at
Coduimbo, by whom the second mate
was arrested and detained i'll custody.
The ship continued her passage to Callao,
where most of the crew deserted. About
800 miles south of CalIao, after shipping
a cirgo of guano, nearly all the crew got
drunk, and the vessel was wrecked while
going out of port. The captain and two
men came on to New York. The names
of the men are Henry Poentz, carpenter,
| and William Skinner, colored cook, who
deposed to the above particulars before
District Attorney Pullman. Grindle
was held to answer
Tn appearance the prisoner is genial
and good -natured, but his conduct to-
wards his men, as detailed by the COM
plants, was of the most brutal character.
The boat-swain was his assistant in the
business of maltreating the crew, and
would call them ont day and night to
beat them with ropes, Delaying pins and
clubs. The captain was constantly drunk
and when "Long Tom" and "Soldier"
died from the effects of his brutality he
ordered their bodies to be cast into the
sea with as little ceremony as would
have marked the finging over of a dog.
The third victim, sIarkeyau," is said
to have been choked to death by the
boatswain, and his body thrown into the
forecastle as an intimidation to the other
men. The vessel was wrecked while
leaving the Guano Islands, on the Sth
of July. She drifted into the heavy
surf, and, the anchor being let 90 too
late, she struck. All hands Immediately
took to the boats ard reached the land
in safety. The next morning the vessel
parted amidsbips, and in twentyfour
hours there was not trace of her to be
seen. The crew, after landing, were
paid off and discharged, the captain and
the two complainants coming to this city
on The Pac fic Mail steamer Colon, which
arrived here last Monday.
Capt. Grindle was arrested once before
Oh the 9th OF February, 1871. on a
charge of cruel and unusual punishment,
and was tried before Judge Woodruff.
The jury at that time found a verdict of
not guilty under the statute, but guilty
of cruelty. This was construed by the
Court to mean in law, not guilty, and
Grindle was discharged He is said to
be brother of the retired sea captain
who disappeared few days since, and
of the notorious DR.. II. d. Grindle.