Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-08
THE BRUTALITIES
of Cuba Slave Owuers-StOry OF the
Cruel Sufferings Endured by Eir.
ginia Negroes Sold
by Their Former Master After the War
and Compelled TO Endure the Nest
Horrible Treatment.

INDIANAPOLIS, October THE Central
station at present Mss an inmate whe tells q
tale OF awful suffering add torture, which no
ordinary man could endure. His history aud
horrible experience, it true, are of re-
msrkable character. He applied yesterday
, Tor lodging, and gave his name as Charles
Long. He is coiOred, ard says he Is about
forty-two years old, although he looks much
younger. According to his history, he was
slave in Virgins at the breaking out Of
the war, and lived on q plantation near
Richmond, with large numbtr of other ne
groes. After the fall of Richmond, his mas
ter, whose name, he says, was George w.
Eareheld, induced him and his other ser
wants to go with him to Cubs. He promised
them property and gold on their arrival
! there, and said their lives would be one Of
ease. These promises had The desired effect
| upon the ignoi ant people, vino readily con-
| senteo TO Join in his trip 10 the foreign
land. They went first TO New Or
leans, where they remained short
time, and then took passage on steam
chip bound for Havana. the second day
after hey were upon the ocean he says they
were one and all heavily bound with chains
and informed that they were 10 be made
slaves. Those who protested were told they
would be shot and thrown overheard, and
thus were forced to submit TO all manner of
brutalities. Arriving at Havana, Long says
they were turned over so many animals
TO Spanish STAKEHOLDER, who took them into
his rice and banana plantations a; San Java,
in the interior. The men, women and chill
dren were assigned so much work every day,
and If they failed to complete their tasks
they were punished fearfully. At night they
were bound hand and foot, in cramped posi-
tions, to prevent them from running away.
In addition TO this, he says, they were COM
PEELED TO wear iron head bands connected
with the body and fastened tightly around
the waist. Attached TO the hesd- band was an
iron rod, at the end of which, beyond reach,
bell was firmly secured, and in this manner
slave could be tracked wherever he went
BY the jingling sound. When attempts TO
escape were made bloodhounds were sent
after them. All OF the slaves were branded
with the initials of their owner. Long is
marked from head TO foot, and his back is
fearfully SCARED from the lash. His nose liz
broken and between his eyes is a mark which
he claims was made by the attempt 10 bore
hole through the upper part OF his nose.
In this torture he says be begged TO be killed,
and the guards then ceased their bloody
work in that direction. The men and
women worked in a semi-nude condition.
They were provided with no clothing, and
compelled to eat out OF trough as SO
many hogs. They were compelled, also, TO
worship stone god. Leug was for nine
years on the plsntation, at the end OF
which time he was put to work on a Span
ish man of-war. He made his escape, in
shackles, two years ago. taking a colored
woman with him whom he afterward lost
track of. He concealed hims elf on vessel
bound for New Orleans, and WAS found
after the steamship was fully und way.
Rhe chains binding his wrist were broken,
and bis story, having created sympathy, he
was allowed TO work on deck TO pay his pas
sage. He remained in New Orleans several
months, and once caught glimpee of his
old Spanish master, which nearly frightened
him 10 death. He finally left the Crescent
City and worked his way up the river to
Helena, Ark, and then to ST. Louis, from
which point he came to Indiana polls. He
is now suffering from lung disease, and is
poorly clad. He seems TO be slowly dying,
aud weighs not much more than 100 pounds |
He says when he Left Virginia he weighed |
nearly 200 pounds and was strong and hearty. |
He insists that he and his brother, George |
w. Long, were the only ones out of the en-
tire cargo of slaves who ever escaped from |
Cuba.