Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-24

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Fsstuue.
New York Times. ASA
when Captain u. =. Dey. the inspector
Of steam vc<selcs, reached his room N Tue
pnstcfiice building yesterday morning. DC
ionnd letter from q. II. Mercer, VINO "
IN the employ Of Dunn. Barlow q Co., 10.
quiiing the meaning OF fn advertisement
which Captain Dey bad put IN
ssked for Mr.. Mercer's address. Cap
tain Dey fastened with the letter
10 the Astor Honse, and, hardly stopping
IN knock. bounced into room No. GO, aud
dourisbed the letter before the amazed
eyes u o short, mIddIr-aged man 10 skull
CAP. who vas doing his best, with marked
success, 10 rival the outdoor fog by means
Of a large and very smoky cigar. :. The
notice drew prize the first time" ex'
claimed the jubilant Inspector, still waving
the letter In the face Of bis pleased but puz-
zied friend. Mr.. Mercer was wanted as
witness IN the case OF Captain Antonio
peletier, whose claim against Hlyti IL now
under arbitration.
There rs enough In Captain Pelleticr's
life 10 make an autobiography that would
belittle an ordinary tale OF fiction. From
the time I'm 1871 that he ran away from
school ut his home in France. shipping as
cab,n.boy under Captain Blanchard, OF
Portland, on the ship George Turner, when
only fifteen years old, his career was rosy
until, having acquired fortune, sailors
luck turned against him. After nineteen.
years, spent mostly on the sea, In 1859 he
came 10 this city and started the Australian
packet line, which he owned aud managed
for five years. Every enterprise that he
touched coined money for him. He valued
his packet line at 100000. He had devised
patents i'm boot and shoe-manufacture.
which he worked Ia his own factory at
Troy. lie had large distilling Interest at
Chicago.
The ambition OF his sailor years had been
10 own a fine vessel and sail 1t mainly for
his personal pleasure. With this view he
bought at Key West In 1850 the bark VIII
liam, condemned SLAYER Of 400 tons. The
bark was bought at Government sale.
From the day OF the purchase Captain Pei
letters luck changed. The former owners
ran away with II, and 1t cost $4,000 to get
II back. IIe put aboard 100000 feet
OF lumber and other freight for de-.
livery at Carthagena, United States
OF Colombia. But rs Colombia was
then in revolution, he could not discharge
the cargo. But he found there chance
for a profitable turn by carrying 4 refugee
and wife to the West Indies. for which he
was TO get $500, and another refugee named
Bipar, who had succeeded in begging pass
age. The man who took his wife along
was named Cortez. Cortez had with HIM
also Il lot OF merchandise, from the pro-
ceeds CT which he was TO pay his passage
money. On reaching port 1t was found
~ .t,.,,I l.oI lao. do nod
by water, and settlement was made
on that basis, TO which Cortez did not
demur ut the time, but which he remem-
Dcrod. Binar refused to observe ship dis
cIphne, and on being ordered ashore at
Port-au-Prince demanded money with
which TO support himself. This beng re-
fused, he made complaint 10 the authorities
that Pellelior was SLAYER and pirate. Tue
local authorities attempted to arrest him,
and pilaged his vessel. but he finally es-
capped. ills vessel was damaged IN gale,
and IN heading for another port he made q
mistake and got back TO Hayti. An attempt
TO conceal his identity was frustrated by
one Of his sailors. He attempted again TO
escape from the harbor, but his vessel
grounded on q reef, and he was captured.
Wiz the six other Americans OF his
crew he was put IN irons and imprisoned.
the march to the prison beng attended by
q bowling mob, who threw stones and dirt
at the unfortunate men without inter-
ference from the guard. The cabin-boy
the next day, for refusing TO admit that the
vessel was engaged in piracy. was subject
ed 10 the fortunes Of the torniquct. While
the men lay in jail the bark was common
spells. After many indigDities, with much
cruel treatment, the prisoners were taken
TO PoIt-au-Prince, where Pelletier was
robbed OF everything.
For Two years he wore irons. There
were sham trials and legal processes mean
while. which did no good. TIE crew were
released after few mouths, but the
authorities made no secret Of it that they
did not mean to let Pelletier get them into
trouble with this country he had been a
natuTalized citizen since 1Sj2-by letting
him 90. Twice be was condemned to death
and twice 10 long imprisonment at hard
labor IN irons. One day he was tied to a
tree, and for three hours file OF soldiers
with muskcts were drawn up before him.
They raised the muskets three times.
An officer stood near with an applIcl-
ton for pardon. promising that II Pelle-
tier would sign it he would be released aud
given money with which to return home.
terday that they would probably have shot
him II he had signed it, ilstifying them
selves by that virtual confession OF guilt.
/ a plate OF soup was once taken 10 his cell.
| He had been forewarned against poison,
and refused to cat it. A negro in the same
cell ate it, and died within half-hour. At
| one OF his trials the refugee Cortez was
brought in TO say that the merchandise Pei.
letter had taken as pay for passage consist
| cd OF stolen goods. Peletier's papers show
ed that the goods had come TO him regular
w. but the papers were kept from him for
several months. The Court, mean while,
awarded $4,000 OF Pelletier's monev-his
vessel carried $4,000 in gold-to Cortez.
/ When Pe'letier's papers at last became ac-
cessible TO him Cortez fled the country.
The German and Ell glish consuls, prior
10 the arrival Of Mr.. Whidden, bee ,me in
terested in Pellelier's case. On the day
that they were To move in it before the alI-
thoritios Peleiier was taken from his cell
ut PortA.u.P Prince and was marched IN
IRONS and bleeding 800 miles across the
country to Cape Haytien. the guard prod
ding his sores with sticks whenever Inc
failed TO keep upa good pace. In crossing
the Mountain des Roches he fell exhausted,
and was revived by vigorous swabbing
with soaked tobacco. leaves. After Mr..
Whidden's arrival Captain FelletieT Jared a
little better He was taken back TO Port-au-
Prince and put in a hospital, from which
he escaped in November. 1868, sailing at
once for Kingston, Jamaica. Tho William
had been sold 10 Il Partner OF President
Geiirard for $3.50, aud. under the name OF
General La Name, afterward traded with
northern ports. Captain Pellctier had left
his wife and family at Havana when he
sailed on the William. In October. 1861.
dispatches from Hayti announced his exc
cution. Before his escape hi. wife married
n second tine. lie went TO find her, bui
when he heard OF the marriage he did not
90 near her. Since then she has be-
come widowed, and be has seen her once,
| but they have not rennited. For q long
time after his return to this country he
was IN hospital at Washington. and
there he peti,ioned Congress for relief
President johnson recommended 1t. Toe
House referred the matter back to the Pre-
sident. 1t lay dormant from 1868 TO 1878,
Nothing was really done until July last,
when Hayti deposited 100000 and agreed