Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-01-23
A Terrible Story Of Mutiny.

A Dublin correspondent telegraphs the
particulars of mutiny, and some terri
BILE scenes which occurred some weeks
ago on ship belonging to the British
mercantile marine, which has been doing
duty as Chinese transport in the Chinese
seas. Our correspondent says:
1.-THE story Is contained in q long
letter to a Dublin gentleman which
arrived yesterday. 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 becoming known,
he desires his name and that of the ship
not to be given. He, however, is a
highly respectable man, and the truth
of the remarkable story he tells cannot
be doubted. The writer states that his
steamer was chartered by the Chinese for
$40, 900 to take to Hankow from Annoy,
600 miles, $4,000 Black Flag troops who
had been disbanded from the Tonquin
war. On their march to Annoy
they had committed fearful
murders and atrocities, and the govern
ment were very anxious to get them
from Annoy, where they were terror.
At the cmbarkation about 1000 were
disarmed, but they crowded on board
too fast, and the work of disarming had
to be abandoned. Many of them were
drunk, and carried liquor with them,
and were fit for any mischief. The ship
was crowded to excess, the bridge,
poop, forccastle, between decks. and
lower holds being packed. After get
ting under way with great difficulty, the
Black Flags commenced gambling, hav-
ng plenty of money about them, and
were al 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 in
terfere. The writer himself saw three
murdered men pitched overheard during
the night. When 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 Back
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
Aehilul, duu Huduy uAcll lFOul tulESC. i nc
Black Flags destroyed all tho food, threw
the rice overheard. with the cooking APP
paratus, and threatened to kill the cooks.
They eventually began to drink sea
water. The sailors. who were fearfully
parched, crawled down to the engine
room and got condensed water and
drank it, thought was quite hot. Things
became still more serio u.s. and the Black
Flags threatened to kill the crew, draw
ing knives across their own threats to
convey to the sailors their meaning.
They succeeded in getting hold of the
captain by the beard, and held knife
to his throat. Eventually the vessel was
put back to Annoy, where British war
ship was anchored. The commander of
the latter prepared to sweep the vessels
deck with his gatlings. and eventually
boarded her. The mutineers were then
standing on deck with black flags
hosted on spears. Two Chinese gun
boats subsequently, arrived and took off
the Black Flags. those refusing to leaye
being thrown overheard and left to get
to lard as best they could. Six of the
mutineers were at once beheaded and
one hundred bastinadoed. Five dead
mutineers were afterward found in the
lower hold, having been crushed to
death. "-St. Jdmes's Gazette.