Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-23
ANTONIO pELLETrER,s CLAIM.
Why He Asks Over Two Million Dollars
from the Haytien Government.

Why He Asks over Two Million Dollars
from the Haytien Government
1t was a motley cargo, says the Wash
lngton Post of Nov. Is, which filed the
hold OF the bark William as it cleared
from the port Of C~arthagena for RIO Ha-
cha, in November 1850. Pitch pine lumber,
bales of tobacco, boxes of soap and bags
OF corn were there, all the property of a
Mr.. Juan Cortez, who, with his wife,
child and servant, had taken passage from
C~arthagena. The Captain and owner Of
the vessel was Antonio Pelletier, a
FrehchmaH OF medium build, with a de-
clslNe cast OF countenance. He had then
been a naturalized American citizen for
elsht years and looked upon himself as a
true American.
The crew Of the bark consisted of seven
seamen, a carpenter, Charles Tiscoiner,
ana the mate, Samuel B. Gordon. Soon
alter leaving port n~oTtheasterly winds
were encountered and the vessel was
blown so much out of its cours that Cor
tez became alarmed on account Of the
delicate state of his wife's health, and in
sisted upon being landed at the nearest
port. b vessel consequently put into
the island OF Grand Caymau on Dec. Il,
1860. Finding the cargo had been consid-
eraOly damaged by the salt water which
had dashed over the sides OF the vessel,
COrteZ desired to sell il. and Pelletier
agreed to buy it for 81, 600. A few days
later be sailed for Port-au-Prince Hayti,
where Pelletier, being unWell, took l0dg-
ings at a hotel.
One night several unruly members Of
the crew broke into the stOre-r0om, II
stealing the liquor became intoxicated
and threatened tho lTXpE of tho matn and
the customs officers on board. The latter
escaped and obtained assistance from the
shore, with the help of which five of the
mutineers were lodged in prison. In
duced by brides, one OF them denounced
Pelletler to the authorities as a SLAYER,
and in the evening a large force of armed
men boarded the bark and broke open
boxes and closets, but not finding any
thing of a suspicious character took pos
session of the vessel. The United States
Consul was appealed to, and through his
intercesSiOn the President ordered the YES
sci TO be given up. suits were instituted
for $4,000 damages, but only $4,000 were
offered, which Pelletier refused to accept.
The latter part of February he set sail
for New Orleans, and during a gale was
thrown upon a reef and the false keel lost
and the rudder fastenings broken. Pelle-
tier put into Hayti to make the necessary
repairs, thinking that it was the Puerto
Plata. Seeing the Haytien flag flying,
however, he became alarmed, and, re-
solving to feign the vessel was French,
named it the Guillaume. The third night
after reaching the port, Miranda. a sailor
whom PelIetier had flOgged for miscOn-
duct, stole one Of his boats and escaped to
shore, and lodged information against MIN
for falsifying his nationality. Remarking
absence of this man. Pelletier at
tempted to go to sea, but, being unac-
quainted with the channel, the vessel
STRUCK on a rock, ard in this position she
was seized by the authorities and taken
back, and Pelletier lodged in a dungeon
and double irOned.
In the course of several weeks he and
crew, in irons, were crowded into the
hold of q small schooner and conveyed
Fort Liberty to Cape Haytien. At
the latter place he was paraded through
the town, while the pOpulace amused
themselves pelting him with dirt and
stones, some even cutting him with their
He was finally cast into a small
cell. with four others, where they were
some weeks. From Cape Hayden he
vas transported to POrt-au-Prince. YOy-
age Of eleven days, in the closely con-
find hold OF a vessel. At that city he was
marched three miles about the town Il
assailed, cut and bruised by the Infatuated
mob. Because he complained be was con-
ined in a dungeon without air or light.
moldy and dripping with filth and infested
VermIn. There he was kept some
months. cut OFF from all communication
with the outer world. In August a per-
son named Cano, a resident of Cartha-
gena, came forward claiming to be the
real owner of the property intrusted 10
who was his clerk. Witnesses
and judges who were favorable to Pelle-
were imprisoned without any charge,
and the boy Peter was submitted to tor
lure to compel him to testify against Pei
etier. Another boy, Louis Legallin, for
same reason was tied by the heels to
I horse and dragged through the streets
until his brains were beaten out on the
;tOnes.
In the end Pelletier was convicted Of
sentenced to death n ordered to
a fine of $1,000 to Cana and $1,000 to
and the William, with all the
property on board. was confscated. An
appeal cOmmuted the sentence of death to
i've years Imprisonment. He remained
n jail until. becoming sick, he vas car
led to a hospital. from whence he made
MS escape on NOY. IL, 1863.
On arriving in this city he found his
home broken up. His wife, believing him
10 be dead, had married another man, his
property had been seized and his prospects
He afterwards brought a claim against
the Republic and people of Hayti mount
ing to 81, 466, 4S9, which he itemiZes as fol-
Value of bark, cargo money and
for twenty years, S201 $50; loss IN
the firm of Delaney, Rice Il Co., $4,000;
on real estate, $4,000; loss of 500, 600
acres of land in West Virginia, $175,00
loss of a claim worth $4,000; boot and
investment in Troy, n. Y, $65, 900;
other claims allowed, $23, 900; interest at
per cent, 1927 $50: cost OF suit, S2I5,-
300; loss of health, wife and children,
$500, 900.
The hearing ofthe case has commenced,
Justice William Strong sitting as
arbitrator between the Government Of the
States and the Republic of Hayti.
JOl. All. jackson, of Washington, appears
for Pelletier, and eX-Secretary George S.
and Marquis de Chambrun for
The Haytien Republic.