Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-04-10
IsOluNANT IsALIANs
Who want the Captain OF an Oyster
schooner Punished.

This Philadeipnia Tunes OF Monday oou-
tsinsd report OF d m. citing of Italians in
| Mech si,ics' Hall, ,hst city, attended by
over 900 ps,eoas, iuo'utirg delsea-
toe from wil,ni: g'o, Upon the main
| sui OF before the iaH. tug, lie Times re-
port sgys:
The abuse and enforced detention Of
FIVE Italians on an oyster schooner in
Delaware was called to the attention Of
the meeting by the president, who said
that several months ago five immigrants
were taken to Baltimore for the purpose,
they were told, of working on a railroad
There they were told that they would
have to cross the bay and were placed on
board OF a schooner, where they were
compelled to sign paper, the contents OF
| which they we're ignorant. 1t subss-
qusntly turned ont that i. was a contract
| binding them TO work on the oyster boat
for three months at S12 month. The
| echooner sailed away to the oyster beds
and joined feet of dozen other sloops
| and schooners and the entrsppsd
I.slisns were compelled to submit
to the provisions OF the con-
tract. When they protested they
were kicked and beaten into subsection.
| One day one Of the men refused TO work,
| when the master of the schooner drew
revolver and swors that he would kill
| him ii he didn't obey. At another time
| the men made united demand to be sent
| ashore, when the master gave a signal
and several boats OF the fleet surrounded
them and they were threatened with
| death if they attempted any mutiny. On
| the forty seventh day of their captivity
| one OF the men succeeded in smuggling
| ashore letter, written in chalk and
directed to a friend in this city. He gave
q brief outline Of their sufierings and told
where his friend could find $50 belonging
to him and constituting his worldly
wealth and implored him to spend 1t all
in eifecting his release.
The matter was laid before DR.. Pigna-
tell and hs immediately wrote 10 II.
| Lawson, the collector of the port of Girls
| field, Md, who replied that be would in
| vestigate the matter when the vessel
arrived. A few days later another letter
| was received from the collector, saying
| that he had notified the United States
commissioner and that hs had learned
that the schooner on which the Italians
were held in captivity WAS named the l..
C. II. Finney and was commanded
by Johnson Evans, Jr, who Wa
kssping away from that port 80
avoid arrest. A United States
revenue cutter had been instructed 10
arrest Lin, but 1t had not yet succseded
in executing its mission. the master OF
the schooner had evidently bseu
acqua nted with the fact that he was to
be arrested and proposed to the osplivts
to liherate them il they would sign
another paper. He refused, however, to
give them any pay, on the ground that
they mad broken their contract. They
acoeded to these terms. II was subse-
queDtly learned tbst the paper tnst they
lad signed declared that they had
been we'll treated by the master
and would prefer no charges against
him. They were transferred TO
| another vessel 10 take them ashore
AID were charged Is esch for ttsnspcrta-
lion. Having no money they were forced
10 sell their watches aud clothing to
escsps. They came directly 10 Phila-
dslphis sad reported 10 Dr.. Pignstelil.
They ali showed that they had been
terribly msisfested They declared that
| they mad besu almost starved, their food
consisting mainly of disgusting com
| pound that the master called bread. A
| lew crumbs OF the stuff we're exhibited at
she meeting, but it bore no resemblance
| to breaI. Tue men were Lot permitted
10 Eat an oyst-r during their captivity.
The soc.v,y haa 500, 600 in It's treasury,
| 2ed IL Will prosecute the MISTER when he
is arreated, both on orimiual charge ard
on civil suit 10 recover dsmases, In
ieei, it was ssser ed that the matter had
besn lad bsfors the Italian minister, aud
that be- would bring this shanghaiiog to
tue attention OF the state department.