The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1882-08-11
SING HO!
THE MERRY MERRY THAT AM |

A True Tale Of Tyranny prRcticed
by Lieutenant John T.. Merry. EN-
ecutiyc Officer of the u. n. Dispatch
BOat TnllapO0sa. ON the UufOrtu-
nate sailors Under His Command
SO Fast as They Can Get Out from
Under the Control OF Martinez
Merry, the sailors of the Taiia-
pOosn Refuse 20 Rc-EnIist-This IN
why Secretary Chambers Trip is
Liable 10 P0stpOnement.
"Tho U. S. steamer Tallapoosa will loavo on
Monday next, with Secretary Chandler and
others on n cruise to tho various navy.yards,"
was tho announcement made In the daily
papers on Tuesday Inst.
We'll, will she leave? that ia the question be-
ing asked on all sides now. Unless the twenty
i've or thirty mon can DO Cotton to ship be-
tween now and Monday, THE CRITIC an
nounces that tho Tallapoosa aciR.not sail on
tho day announced for her departure.
The reasons for her not sailing next Monday
were learned by CRITIC reporter this morn
ing. II seems that one Lieutenant Merry, tho
executive ofllcer OF the ship,
Has Made Himself Very Obnoxious
to the men under him, so that those whose
timo expired since the arrival OF the ship from
Florida have positively refused to re-eulist.
Some OF tho sailors who have left the ship are
particularly severe upon Merry and say that
he treated them in tho most shameful manner
while at sea and whom In port. As a rule
when in port he would only give his mon
throe hours liberty, whom they were entitled
10 good deal more than that. II one OF them
should remain minute over their time they
would be
Put I'm Double Irons
by the cruel Lieutenant or quarantined dur.
Ing the entire voyage. As an evidence that
the story OF Merry's ill.treatment OF the sailors
is correct, twenty.three men (some OF them old
In
Monday, and, although importuncd to re.en-
list by the officers, refused to do so. Some OF
them have gone to other ships, whore they will
receive decent treatment and not DO DON'T
neered over by stuck-up, brass.buttoned
aristocrat. There will be two men mustered
out to-day and four tomorrow,
Not One of Whom VIII Re.enIist
on the Tallapoosa, and all on account of the
fact that the executive officer OF the ship,
Merry, has treated them even worse than con.
victs. By 80 many mons leaving the ITALIA
crippled, so seriously, indeed, that unless, as
stated above, men can BIO got to-day or to-
morrow Secretary Chambers contemplated
trip OF observation on the Tallapoosa will have
to be postponed. 1t is said that Lieutenant
Merry, finding that he cannot induce sufici.
ent white men to ship, has expressed n desire
for colored men, whom he no doubt can
Drive and Maltreat without Much
Complaint.
Verify, Lieutenant Merry Is discerning
man, and knows Just whom no can kick. In
the last two or three days several colored mon,
understanding that Lieutenant Merry pre-.
ferred them TO white men, applied to him to
TO enlist and were readily accepted.
II the Lieutenant tries hard, and has sum-
Client time, he can, It is thought get full COM
plement OF colored mon, whom he can han
die something after tho fashion OF tho good
old slavery days.
In connection with the Ill treatment OF the
sailors referred to by Lieutenant Merry, 1t
might be we'll to add that Captain Kellogg,
the commandant Of the Tallapoosa, is in no
way responsible for IL. While complaints
were made, they never came to tho notice OF
the Captain. A sailor so stated to THE CRITIC,
and every one who knows the Captain knows
that he would not tolerate any such business.
All the men on shipboard
Speak in the Highest Terms of Cap.
tain Kellogg,
but condemn Merry, whom they term tyrant.
Lieutenant Merry has been in the service
since 1869, having been appointed from the
State OF Maine. 1t Is said that there is not q
well.authenttcated case on record whore the
Lieutenant ever gave a man under him a
pleasant word. He Is, 1t is said, at all times
snappish and ugly.
1t Is to DO hoped that Secretary Chandler
will pay his respects to this gentleman and
give him 'soft snap" on foreign station.