Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-01-21
IN ATROCITY OF THE SEA.
i brutal First Mate SuspiciousIy
Escapes Easy

/ lne SeamonS Protective ASSOCla-
ton issues the following address to the
public. 1t is terse and lucid, and So
marshals the admitted facts ofthe ut
rage, which is the cause of the address,
that the dry land public, shocked at
this instance Of murderous and coward
~ maltreatment of an American sea
men by American officers Of an Ameri-
can vessel, must inevitably come to the
conclusion that Federal officeholder
bears no possible relation to the
sweet little cherub that sits up aloft
and looks out for the soul Of poor
| Jack"
The Seamen's Protective Associa-
ton would respectfully invite public
attention to the following brief state
ment Of facts:
A short time ago the American ship
Checsborough arrived in this port from
Cardiff, Wales, via Acapulco, Mexico,
with coal consigned to Diamond & Co.,
San Francisco. One John Giese, an or
binary seaman, had been rep eatcdly
ill-used by First Mate Hunt, till that ill
treatment eliminated in Giese's total
inability to work. Upon reaching
Acapulco he was utterly prostratcd
The intense heat increased his debility.
First Mate Hunt, with icrocity ter
rible in lis carnesthess, seized Giese,
while ut Acapulco, 10y the beard, and
dragged him on the deck into the hot
rays of the sun, and there forced this
helpless being to swallow dose of
salt and vinegar, which he had the
cook prepare. Hunt then began to
kick him, and continued doing SO till
Giese's body was horribly marked.
Getting tired of this Hunt raised the
poor wretch by the beard and dashed
him upon the deck, an inert mass, and
ordered him to remain there without
adequate protection. All through this
disgraceful and brutal business Hunt
heaped upon Gicsc most opprohrious
CpithetS. Upon reaching this port
Hunt was arrested and placed under
bonds to appear before United States
Commissioners O'Beime for cxamina-
ton. He was examined before that
official, three witnesses testifying to
the foregoing facts rs they occurred in
detail. NcvcrthecssHun was discharg-
ed and released from his bonds The
United States As istant District Attor-
ney however, protested against his
discharge, and to prevent the witnesses
being shipped by boarding-house keep
ers or III any manner tempered with.
had them sent to Alcatraz Island. About
the 18th, these witnesses wer heard by
the United States Grand Jury, and
uponthcir testimony Hunt was indicted.
Hunt remained on the Cheesborough,
either oblivious Of. or Indifferent to
these proceedings. The Indictment
vas made public by the press on the
sd ult., and the United States Marshal
states that the warrant for his arrest was
placed III his hands on the evening of
the 24th. Ii was probably the 23d. ON
the morning Of the 24th, ut 10 n. M,
the Cheesbrough with Hunt on board,
sailed from this port for Cork Ireland.
The following pertinent queries pre-.
sent themselves: Why did United
States Commissioner o'Beirne dis
charge Hunt inthc face of the same
evidence which secured his indictment
bv the Grand Jury? And why did not
Mr. O'Beirne, during the examination
of the witnesses, take their evidence on
paper, rs required by law Knowing
Hunt might sail any day, why was he
not arrested in the interval Of the en-
animation of the witnesses against him,
which was the 18th ult,. and the date
of his sailing the 24th2 Was his indict-
ment purposely withheld, and the war
rant for Hunts arrest also held back,
so that he might escape? Why was
Hunt not placed under bonds for his
appearances Presuming Hunt would
returnto this port, why were witnesses
discharged from Alcatraz Island to be
lost, rs in the case Of the witnesses
against Capt Dunphy2
IL inspire aproper respect for law,
il is necessary il should be administered
With impartialitv and with justice for
its object. Citizens will assume some
thing is wrong somewhere, and some
one is 10 blame for this grave omission
of duty. Who the guilty are We will
not perlude, but call upon all citizens
to insist upon investigation, that the
guilty and their motives may 81 dis
covered and condemned. For that
purpose public meeting will DO held
III IN early date to take steps 70 bring
this matter most forcihly to the atten-
t,f,, ~ ~. nronnr authorities at WASH