Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-26
TERRIBLE TALE OF THE SEA.
Atrocities Committed on a Ship by Mu
tinOus Black Flags.
From The London Times

from me LOHUOB Ii2HeS.
A Dublin correspondent has telegraph
ed to the 50. james GGzette the particulars
of mutiny and some terrible scenes some
weeks ago on a ship belonging to the
British mercantile marine, which has
been doing duty as a Chinese transport
in the Chinese seas. The story is con-
tanned in long letter to a Dublin gentle
man which has just arrived. The writer
is Chief steward on the vessel on which
the mutiny occurred; but as every effort
has been made by the authorities in
| China to prevent the affair from becom-
ing known. he desires his name and that
of the ship not to be given. He, how
ever, is highly respectable man, and
Jhe truth OF the remarkable story he
tells cannot be doubted. The waiter
states that his steamer was chartered by
the Chinese for $40. 900 to take to HankOw
from Annoy, 600 miles, $500 Black Flag
troops who had been disbanded from the
Tonquin war. On their way to Annoy they
had committed fearful murders and afro
cities, and the Government was very
anxious to get them from Annoy, where
they were terror. At the embarkatiOn
about LOCO were disarmed, but they
CROW ded on board too fast, and the work
of disarming had to be abandoned MANY
| OF them were drunk, and carried liquor
| with them, and we're tit for any mischief.
| The ship was crowded to excess, the
/ bridge, poop, fOre-caste, between decks,
and lower holds being packed. After
/ getting under way with great difficulty,
the Black Flags commenced gambling.
| having plenty of money about them. and
4 were all night quarreling, fighting and
numbering each other. Numbers were
thrown overheard alive or dead. Some
| were stabbed, others. were strangled, and
not one OF the ships crew dared interfere.
The writer himself saw three murdered
men pitched overheard during the night.
w hen morning came dozens OF dead bodies
were thrown overheard, some of them
having been smothered, squeezed to death,
or having died from want OF water. A
party OF the Black Flags seized the water
on board and guarded it, refusing any to
the crew. A fearful crush followed on
the other Black Flags trying to get at the
water. The heat was fearful and many
died from thirst. The Black Flags de-
strOyed all the food, threw the rice over
board with the cooking apparatus, and
threatened to kill the cooks. They event
ually began to drink sea water. The
sailors, who we're fearfuily parched,
crawled down to the engine room and
got condensed water and drank it, though
1t was quite hot. Things became still
more serious, and the Black Flags threat
ened to kill the crew, drawing knives
across their own throats 10 convey to the
sailors their meaning. They succeeded
IN getting hold of the captain by the beard
and neld knife TO his throat. Eventual
ly the vessel was put back TO Annoy,
where British warship was anchored.
The commander Of the latter prepared to
sweep the vessels deck with his Gatlings,
and eventually boarded her. The muii-
neers were then standing on deck with
their black flags hOisted on spears. The
Chinese gunboats subsequently arrived
and took of the Blag Fiags, those refus-
ing to leave being thrown overheard and
LETT 10 get to land as they could. six of
the mutineers were at once beheaded and
100 bastinadoed. Five dead mutineprs
were afterward found in the lower hold,
having been crushed 20 death.