The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-07
CANNIBALISM At SEA.


How tho Crew OF n schooner Kept fras,
starvation -ButcherIHR, Ceokins, and
Rating sailor who was shot while
Insane.
There arc few tales Of hardship and
suffering at sea more terrible IN their
details than the story of the almost in
credible experiences Of the crew Of the
Sallie NJ. Steelman. the story of the
exhaustion Of provisions, of the shoot
ing of Che maniac colored sailor and his
subsequent butcherv to furnish iooi for
Hle famished crew is fully corroborateVl
nv several Of the seamen, who were
brought "a this city by the Speedwell
which anchored at Pier No. ~ East
river. The entire crew of the wrecked
vessel were the captain, ). q. Highly
the mate, James L. Somers the stew
ard. Sylvester II. Herbert David Bar
rctt, white seaman, and three colored
seamen-George Hicks, Walter Samp'
son and George Seaman. The seamen.
while they answered inquiries put e.
them. seemed 90 do SO unwillingly, AMI
continually inquired if any punishment
was liable 90 be inflicted upon them fOr
their act of Capnihahsm.
After their provisions gave ont then
sufferings were terrible beyond deScrlp,
tinn. but il seems that the butchere,i
sailor. Seaman, who was reported 30 have
been driven mad hy starvation. was sub
iect to fits Of insanity, and according 10
the story of his fellow-seaman, Hicks,
who had shipped with him on other
vessels, had acted violently ON other ~
c;,sionS than that narrated below. De
privah0n brought ON a renewed attack
of insanity during the week In which
the vessel was tossed about unprrSision-
ci, after being over month at SEA, and
as day after day passed without the
iamiShed men being able 10 obtain any
thing but coffee Go appease their pang>
oi hunger he became az times raviug,
and would Jump from his bunk at night
aud tramp through the vessel, talking
incoherently, and acting 50 strangely
that his fellows feared 20 SO near HIM.
After being out for forty-three DAYS.
Seaman sprAng from his bunk early IL
the morning. and ran up ON deck whero
he again talked wildly. and threatened
10 shoot the captain. The latter having
gradually got ont Of the way, Seaman
returned 10 the forecastle, where lie
yelled 10 Sampson, who was asleep IL
his bunk, % come up on deck. Whut
Sampson was hastily dressing himself,
the maniac sailor ealled 10 him again,
threatening 10 shoot him II he did not
instantly obey. Sampson began 10 re-
treat slowly toward the door, keeping
his eve up0n the insane man 20 guard
against being attacked unexpectsSily.
When he reached the deck he saw Sea-
man. So he saws, place his hand in his
pistol pocket, and then. fearing for his
life, he drew his psstol-which he had
previously borrowed from che steward
and firei AZ Seaman, striking HIM on
the head behind the ear. The shot was
heard through the vessel, but ouly one
man, George Hicks, SAYS that he saw
the shot fired or heard anything Of the
conversation that precsied II After
beinC shot Seaman rushed wildly 10 the
deck, but fell dead in his tracks Ehei.
he had gone but few STEPS.
The crew, il seems, let the body lie
where il fell for some four hours, during
which time the proposition that the
dead mans flesh be eaten was discussed.
After the body had lain in pool of
blood for about two hours, Sampson,
who had fired the fatal shot, was given
An axe by the mate, and, approaching
the corpse. severed the head from the
dead mans body. Afre- the completion
OF this fearful task. the head WIS wrap
ped in canvas by Herbert and Barrett
and thrown overheard. Barrett then by
means of knife stripped of as much Of
the flesh from the legs and trunk as he
could, and when he finally ceased the
butchery, the flesh he had removed was
placed in a barrel and salted down, and
the mutilated carcass was wrapped
Ike the head, IN canvas and thrown
overheard. Some OF the flesh was I'M
me,iiEtely afterwarl removed 10 the
galley, where it Was thrown into a pot
and parboiled, and then fried in 4 pan.
NoS- o; the crew turned sick At the
thought OF such unnatural food, but
their hunger at length prevailed over
all quAlms % conscience and revulslOns
of taste, and they partook of two meals.
Their experience Of the cannibalistic re
past was yarieil. Barrett, who butcher
ed the corpse, and who ate about a
pound and a half Of the flesh, declared
that il tasted as good "a any beef
steak he ever ste. The necessity for
partaking OF such food, however, ended
on the following day, when, after forty
five days of almost unexample1 suffer
ing, the crew Of the partially dismantlei
and fast sinking vessel sighted the
Speedwell and soon they were safe on
hoard the vessel and bound for New
York.--NeW York Times.