Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-03-24
" SHAN0HAiING."
The Traffic In Human Flesh by Which
0zStar Slnc.as


Oyster Sloops Are Manned.
The Monumental City is popularity
credited with being more free from
crime than any other city of its size in
the Union. But the outrage called
"Shanghaiing' practiced here daily
should certainly be regarded as Grim
inal. Shanghaiing is nothing
more or less than trading in human
flesh. The slave traffic of ante-war
days was not more barbarous than it.
During the winter the business is
brisk. Here is the modus operandi:
The dingy little Office of a so-called
"broker,' near the docks, is resorted
to by captains Of oyster-pungies when
they are in need OF hands to man
oyster dredges. It is extremely diff
ficult to get men for this work here,
but when q captain tells the broker
that he is in need of certain number
of men, and that he must have them
aboard his boat by specific time, the
" broker will bargain to execute the
contract for a fee of five dollars per
head. When men are particularly
scarce a larger sum is often paid.
After the bargain is made and the
captain leaves the office, the CROKER
calls one or two Of his assistants gen
orally noted roughs and blackguards-
and directs them to procure and de-
liver the required number of men,
stating the reward of their services.
These fellows sally forth, making
their first visit to wharve5 where there
are vessels about discharging their
crews. They use all manner ofpersua-
sions and inducements to get the
strange seamen to 90 with them. In
this effort they are often foiled, as the
masters of respectable merchant ships,
upon discharging their crews, usually
call them into the cabin and warn them
of the shanghaier and the boarding.
house runner. Some of them are Sc
cured by promises of large wages and
plenty of grOg. If after a few hours
search the brokers' henchman finds
that he can not secure men legitimate
ly he visits some of the low grog-shops
along the waterfront, and it is an ''Off''
day when he can not meet one or two
miserable wretches in some of the
dives who will agree to go on board, if
paid few dollars in advance. This
the assistant agrees to give upon the
men signing receipt and an agree
ment to remain on said boat for a
specified time. II the assistant finds
the men obstinate in their determina-
ton not to 90, he treats them to as
much liquor as they can drink, and
when the poor fellows are "dead
drunk he carries them aboard the
boat. which is ready to sail. By the
time the kidnapped men regain their
senses they are many miles down the
Chesapeake.
Then commences life of hardship
and toll that is not easily described.
The captain, usually brutal specimen
of humanity, clubs them on the least
provocaticn, often without provoca-
ton. Poorly fed and scantily clothed,
these men are compelled to work eigh-
teen to twenty hours out of the twenty
four, with the thermometer but few
degrees above zero. Whether sick or
well they must turn out when called,
or be inhumanly treated. Cases have
been brought to light where man, in
capacitated for work by exposure and
bad food, so that he was scarcely able
to stand, has been carried out on deck
and dashed up by his thumbs until his
feet barely touched the deck; he was
then stripped of all his upper clothing
and compelled to stand in the biting
cold for hours, falling in q heap more
dead than alive, when finally cut
down. If this treatment proves more
severe than was intended, the man is
put ashore at night, without cent, and
has to find refuge with some charity BILE
farmer, and get back to the city as best
he can.
The police have endeavored and are
still endeavoring to break up this prac-
tice, bat, as few cases are reported to
them, tits not easy to do so. Now and
then a captain is arrested, but friends
and densely stupid juries generally al
low them to 60 free. The evidence,
however, against one captain arrested
some time ago, was so clear and con-
vincing that be was convicted, and is
now serving out a twenty years SEN
tence. 1t was hoped that his fate
would prove a warning, but the con-
tinued prevalence of the custom shows
that the avarice of the oystermen is
stronger than even fear of imprison-
ment.-N. T. World.