The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-05-21
wholesale kidnapping.

NEW York, May 1S.-The Herald
this morning publishes story from Key
West, FLORIDA, which gives an account
of the kidnapping of Edward Sank
Rosa, 9 youth q sixteen years, from New
Orleans. Rosa relates q pitiful story
which ii true, would call for q tull inYes-
ugation by our government. Rosa states
that last September at New Orleans he
was entIced on board a vessel the captain
of which offered to take him TO Key
West, and while he was talking with the
captain the vessel sailed and he and
sIxty-six others who had also been inter
cepted were carried to Puerto BarTios,
Guatemala, by the steamer Ella knight.
We arrived at Puerto Barrios, in Guate-
mala, about sun down of Wednesday
October 9Th, after voyage Of a little
over ak pays. Owing to eating poor
food and drinking brsckish water, near
lY all the party were sick. Five were
for four days unable to get on deck.
Altogether the passage was a very disa-
greeable one and we anchored in the
open harbOr about a quarter of a mile
from the shore, when Jim O'Donald of
Glasgow, Scotland, of Irish descent"
the man who entrapped US at New Or
leans, along with the captain aud mate
went ashore, where heard him call out.
Here are my cattle for which | am TO
get $40 per head"
HOW THEY WE'RE RoBBED.
We then landed IN q small boat,
whereupon O'Dohald went up TO the Of
flee of j. p. Bouscarfen, president of the
railroad company and received 500 for
this shipment of siXty-seven men.
BouscarTen, though Kentuckian, spoke
French fuently: n. B. Day OF Cnata-
nooga. Tenn, is vice president When
l left New Orleans had $22 in money
in my pocket. As We landed Day sung
out: "Hurrah, look CT the boysI There
is plenty of money here" Mr. Bous-
carren said the soldiers: go to search
ing" The soldiers were natiYe blacks,
spoke English and were under CON-
mand OF a tall white man. IT any of our
party objected to being searched his
money and arms were taken from him
by force. There was a tree near at hand
and the lash was taken to show him that
he would be tied up and whipped. AS
we were brought ashore in small par
ties those remaining In board did not
know what was In store tor them until
| they were forced to give up their prop
erty. Pres ident Bouscarren sat at a Ia
bic with a box at hand into which he
dropped the money as 1t was passed to
him by the soldiers.
CLOSING THE DOORS OF ESCAPE.
After taking it from our party as it was
never intended the workman should ever
earn and be paid money enough 10 get
| away from Puerto Barrios they were at
| once robbed of what money they had
| brought with them in order that the door
of escape might also be closed against
them. Work at Puerto Barrios was
commenced, but during August and
September there were not many men
secured. In October they began 20 get
their supply. New Orleans was filing
up with people, and O'Donald and Stall
ings knew how to get them Ia Puerto
Barrlos. l figure up the following re-
ceipts of labOrers up to January IA:
There were at work when our spartY ar
rived about 800 men; our party, per
Ella knight, numbered CT; brought by
Blanche Henderson, 100; brought by the
Ella Knight, II; total, GIT at work
| When l left about 200 were tO
be accounted for. leaving All. If the
laborer would not go out to work he
was denied food Men were kicked TIL
they left sick beds tO return to. work
The system was one of torture, and life
! was one of torture, but life was cheap.
Men only cost the company ten dollar;
each, and it was President Bonscarren:
habit to pay us monthly visit from the
interior, riding mule. Ifunable to come
himself he sent his agent to inspect The
work and report Men were worked il
gangs of from ten, seventeen or twenty
or whatever a man was told to do he wa!
expected to do. No strikers were allow
ed at Puerto BarrIas and there were NJ
ministers, churches or religious services
of any kind while I was there.