The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-04-23

"Bip Dobbins I" cried L. 'sCan it be
possible that was misinformed, or was
he cut down before life was extinct?"
"Cut down." exclaimed the sailor,
staring in his turn; and then, after mo-
ment's reflection, he added: "Oh, i
know what you are thinking of now; he
had brother that drove cart In New
York who hung himself"
"But this is the exact likeness of his
brother. l could not tell them apart;
and he looked Mt me rs though he knew
me"
"Well," replied the mariner, 81 would
not advise you to cultivate his acquaint-
ance. There may be worse men in the
world than Big Dobbins; but, If 80,
they've never crossed my hawse. When
he fiogs a man he strikes with all his
might; you'd think he was going to cut
you in two He does this to curry favor
with the officers, and every man on
board hates him. He never dares to go
on shore with any of the crew. If he
should go ashore, and the boys had
caught him away from the ship, he'd
stand no more chance than cat in rat
pit without claws"
The time passed on. / saw many
men fogged, both with the cats and the
colt. Those who were logged with the
cats told me that, after few blows had
been given, the back felt as if melted
lead was poured upon it and yet they
said they preferred the cats to the colt.
I The latter is single rope about rs
thick as mans finger. Generally no
more than six blows were given with the
colt, the victim being compelled to take
off his jacket only. The cats have nine
strings, which do no more than take off
the skin, and leave the back raw and
bloody but the colt is said to bruise, rs
well as cut the flesh. Experienced
hands would, when possible, put on a
hacker. Hearing their names called by
a boatswain's mate, and expecting to be
logged with the colt, they would hastily
get friend to shove several thicknesses
of cloth under their shirts. The hacker
deadened the blows, and thus rendered
the punishment more endurable.
One day L went down on the berth
deck to get something out of my bag.
The place was solitary, except the mas
ter-at-arms in the other end of the ship
there seemed TO be nobody on the
berth-deck but myself. While L was
leisurely overhauling my bag, 1 heard a
strange, smothered sound, as of some
one in great distress, and this sound was
followed by the shrill cry of murder !"
which rang through the frigate and
startled every one on the gun-deck. L
turned hastily, and saw two men-both
of them noted ugilists-beating Big
Dobbins in the most furious manner.
These two men had seen the giant de-
scend from the gun-deck to the berth
deck; they had quietly slipped down
after him, seized his jacket by the col
lar, drawn it over his head and face, and
had then given it to him, right and left,
with their fists.
AS soon as Dobbins yelled murder, half
a dozen Midshipmen came running to the
rescue, while the two assailants darted
up the ladder to the gun-deck, but they
were not quick enough to escape recog-
milton by the foremost Midshipmen.
Their names were Immediately called by q
boatswain's mate. the ruffies were placed
on their wrists, and they were consigned
to the brig to wait trial by court-mar-
tial The offense was n serious one; at
lacking your superior officers is called
mutiny III the navy.
These two men were tried and SEN
fenced 10 receive 100 lashes each, on the
bare back, with the cat-o'-nine tails.
As for Big Dobbins, both his eyes
were BACKED, and his face was swelled
to twice it's usual size.
The two culprits bore their punish
ment without finching or complaining,
and, two days afterward, Big Dobbins,
on going to his chest, found it full of
coal tar All his clothes were complete
" ruined No one knew who committed
this dastardly act, but every one could
guess Poor Dobbins sat down by his
open chest, surveying the ruin of all his
little property, the picture of despair.
From that hour Big Dobbins never
smiled Indeed, he was not smiling
man. One would almost M soon have
expected the features of the stone image
in front of st. Paul's to relax into a smile
as that doleful countenance which sur
mounted the shoulders of Big Dobbins.
In few days Dobbins was missed. No
one could tell what had become of
Dobbins. Had he deserted? "Yes," was
the general answer. Finding himself
prosecuted by the crew, and hated alike
by the crew and officers, it was thought
he had left us all in disgust.
Another boatswain's mate took his
place on the gun-deck, but Dobbins
had left a great hole in the air which
his successor but partially filed.
But few days passed when some of
us were out in the launch getting up a
cage. At little distance from us we
perceived there was something on the
surface of the water which attracted the
notice of the birds, who kept diving
down, raising in the air, and then alight-
ing again, till quite u swarm of them
were gathered there.
The men took little notice of it /; but,
when we had finished our work, the Mid
shipman i'll command of the boat gave or
ders to head for the place where the
birds were flocking in such great num-
bers.
AS we approached the spot the birds
rose from the water, giving us a clear
view of the object which was floating
on the surface II was the blue, swollen
corpse of Big Dobbins.
The body was much decayed, and
Al ,,,4< 4