The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-25
DlSCIPLINING A CREW.
a Tale Of Alleged Cruelty
at Sea.
SuSPENDING MEN IN IRONS.
Slow Starvation on Biscuits
and Water.

A revolving tale of cruelty and despotism ut sea
told in United States Commissioner Osborne $
office yesterday morning. Five able bodied seamen-
4. G. Maloy. Charles Johnson, John Lyman. August
Whitman and Andrew Nick-woro taken before AS
Eistant District Attorney Fero. and Mr. Malloy. the
official spokesman the delegation, rccied the facts
which gwen below
sEAMrs's STORY.
'sOn the 2Sth of April, began spokesman Malloy.
1--WE sailed from Bremmerhaven for New York in the
American bark John Zittlosen. j. c. Merriman. cap
tain. The consisted of seven able seamen, one
ordinary seaman and one boy. We sailed at two in
tho morning and until the next day we hardly
had moments rest. We fatigued as hardly
to be able to stand. We went to the captain and
applied to him for watch and watch-that
is, four hours on deck and four below
He refused us. saying. You d. = =. I'll make
you work. said. Captain. can't stand it any
longer. WELL he said. you must either go to
work or be put in irons I repeated, we can't
work. give us at least few hours rest He said
he would be damned if he would. and ordered us to
be put in irons The mate put them on me, Charles
johnson. John Lyman August Whitman and Andrew
Wick. Wick had them four days. Whitman three
days. Lyman days. Johnson five days and /. my
self. twelve days. They took us down to one OF the
half decks, place no more than three and half
feet high, and shut the hatch 1t was pitch dark.
and the atmosphere was sutfocating. since the only
air that came in was that which was forced through
by the cabin bulkheads when the ship rolled.
SWUNG
"On the second day by the captains orders John
son and were swung up for an hour A rope was
made fast to the irons that bound hands, and it
passed through pulley, and thus we had to
hang for full hour. our toes barely touching the
ground Every lurch. every roll that ting ship made
swung across the deck. The irons cut into our
hands as you for yourself Here he showed
pair OF brawny fists which were still discolored at
the wrists
..well sir" he resumed. '.for forty hours we had
after we were mined before we got drop Of water.
AT the end of forty hours the captain sent down
three and ohe-haf biscuits to be divided among the
five of us; atterward he also sent us some water.
The day he gave four biscuits the following
day biscuit to each of us, and after that he gave
each man three.
''The rest of the men gradually liberated.
the only man kept down. l could sit but not
stand. and was kept bound tight night and day
that could not 1t bitterly cold, too, but
all this did not affect the captain III the least
Finally the twelfth day, the hatch WAS opened
and allowed on deck. The light and air almost
overwhelmed me. l staggered and was for some
moments blinded. The Captain said:-"tiet down
your knees and ask my pardon. said:-"Cap-
tain. that man doesn't live before whom levill go on
my knees" He got angry, but finally released
and allowed to so to work
Our passage was long one, lasting more than
sixty days We arrived here on the Sd Of July. We
ut once went before Commissioner Duncan. He was
a seafaring himself. and understood at once
that in the right and awarded us damages,
the Captain agreeing to pay them withnsseven days.
awarded sia5 johnson 500. Lyman SOS. Will
man $50 and Wyck $25. But afterward the Captain
objected and refused to pay. y
A WARRANT AGAINST MERnIMAN.
This statement was corroborated by all the other
seainen. and a warrant was Immediately issued for
the arrest of Captain Norman 1t placed in
the hands Of Deputy Marshas Miller and Harvey, to
be served at their discretion. HERALD reporter
,t,alA
street last evening. and found that gentleman
gagged in reading the Ere',ng 7eieg,am's account of
the Ho expressed much surprise and
regret that the matter had got into
the newspapers, and he wanted to know
lie warning to be thus given to offenders. He
said that the Captain had been absent from his ship
but would probably return during the night and III
the morning he would go over to Williamsburg aud
the papers on him.
1t was reported In the city after the court had
closed that the Captain could be found and that
he had the report the evening papers aud had
left the town.
A VISIT TO THE CAPTAIN
After considerable trouble the reporter found that
the bark Zttlosen lying at the foot of North
Tenth street, in Williamsburg. the Greenpoint
Ferry. Captain MerIiman appeared on the quarter
deck of his 1000 ton ship and told his story sub
stantially as folows:
''This case" said he. sis not a one. /. is
blackinslng scheme managed by Malloy to get
money out of me through false statements
am Maine man, have sailed out of New York
harbor since 1910 aud purpose to command my
ship or resign. and will not submit to cxtor-
MISREPRESENTATION.
men-Johnson--began proceedings through lawyer
and the courts: then the rest OF them, headed by
Malloy. brought separate action before Captain
Duncan. His assessments too much, accord
ing to the facts of the and would not submit
to two actions. with prospects of several more.
cxorbitant damages. l want the matter to go to the
courts and shah make my statement. which is
this:-
MUCH BRANDY ABOARD SHIP.
took crew in going from Baltimore. They
were Norwegians. but had no trouble. While at
Bremcrhayen four of them deserted and four re-
n. m faka tbar rla qi on lafya
These men brought brandy aboard. got the
other sailors drunk and donioralized them so that
morning. Tho day was fine, and on the second day
we were well at sea and the weather. was
told the mate to have all hands go to dinner and
then get everything in shape for the voyage. While
Twas working up my chronometer tune the mate
as could In an nsoent way they asked If they
were going to have "watch and watchg' said I
would give 1t when the proper time came lt was
fine weather, and l wanted the ship put in good
trim. 1t is customary in fine weather to have the
watch deck in the Afternoons. The men
refused 10 go to work. and, after repeated COM
mands. Malloy who was leading the men, laughed at
and said they going to sleep, and they went
below. | ordered the mate to get the irons. This
made them laugh again. They said they would not
come on deck until four O'Clock +. NJ. told them
that they were making great mistake. They would
not obey and was forced to put them in irons aud
send them into the poop deck.
As the crew we're in liquor and had become de-
moralized, the others watch came forward and
1Nu tnht no one snOulu De lroneu. put Nyck, ITO
ringleadcr of the new batch OF mutneers in irons.
and they then went to their work. would have no
Interference, and wanted them to undersapd 1t.
Those in irons were allowed deck each day. and
they given plenty of biscuit and
water. Gu the second day of their confinement
released August Whitman because he confessed that he
made drunk and led away by Malloy. The next
day johnson told me about the same story. and !
let him to work. and by degrees they ali confessed
and rcpented, leaving Malloy defiant and III irons.
But in eight ten days he came around anu
sobered down, and ] released him and he wen,
L
worked well any crew i ever had Iheil
statement made is false i'll every particular
There crucltcs aud never struck one oil
them. There would have been no confinement II
Aialloy had not organized mutiny, which IL some
thing no captain will stand at In conclusion
Captain Merryman said chat he willing to have
the facts given ia court. his log published anu the
whole truth given % the public
S.ILI,LsIrI,