Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-05-22


erstone kicked viciously at his head, but
in an instant the offender was seized by
the master of arms and two marines.
''Put him in irons, "yelled Bully Will
son. 'I'll fog the life out of him."
The struggling sailor was manacled
hand and foot and thrown into that IRON
barred cage between the lower decks
which the sailors call ''the run" Here
he was guarded as is a murderer during
his last hours. A sentry, like death
watch, paced continually before the
cage.
Day by day the sailor awoke to antici-
pate his impending punishment, but it
did not come. He grew restless and i'm
He Ion red for the mental relief which
would follow his punishment. He did
not dread the physical pain. His back
had felt the lash
He did not know that there was then
pending in the Congaess of the United
States a bill for law to save him from
the whip. He did not know that he was
being kept by his commander to be
offered up as the last sacrifice on the altar
of the "cat o nine tails" in the event of
that instrument of torture being abolished
from the navy.
One morning, nine weeks after Peter
Featherstone had struck his messmate on
the deck, he was aroused by the guard
and tod that he was to be logged. His
irons were removed and he walked
quickly to the third deck. The entire
crew of the North Carolina had been
summoned to witness the flogging. The
marines presented fixed bayonets. Com
modore Wilson and the boatswain, armed
with the cat, stood near gun carriage,
which formed the whipping stocks.
Peter Feathcrstone was we'll acquainted
with the method of fogging sailors on
board ship. He walked to the gun car
riaoc, and with a quick motion pulled
his blue shirt over his head. He threw
it at the feet of the officer and exclaimed ::
NOW, I'm ready"
t'Not so fast" Numbered the Commo-
dore. "Wait till you get orders. Put
on your shirt"
The sailor obeyed. Then the officer
read from paper the charge: "Assault-
ing seaman and attempted escape, " and
asked if the prisoner had anything to
say.
In reply, the sailor again pulled off his
shirt and approached the carriage. The
b2atsvain dashed the culprit's feet to the
timbers of the carriage and his hands to
the hammock look above.
At nod from the officer the boatswain
raised his arm, and once, twice, and
again the nine thongs fell upon the white
flesh with cruel Swish" At the first
blow the muscles of the sailors back in
voluntarily contracted and his shoulders
slightly shrugged. Then his head fell
forward, his teeth set and his breath
came fast.
But the boatswain had admired the
pluck of the young sailor, and his arm,
respondent to his sympathy, seemed to
lose its usual strength. The blows, severe
as they were did not satisfy the COM
mander. At the third lash he cried,
"Stop" Then, glazing at the boatswain,
he said:
eff you don't do your duty by that
man I will find man aboard who will
do it by you."
The sailor turned his face defantly
to the boatswain and cried:
clay on! You can't hurt me-"
The boatswain understood his superior
officer and was nettlel by the boosting
tone of the culprit. He piled the cruel
"cat' rs he never had before. The blood
spurted from the .lacerated back; the
perspiration streamed from the sailors
face; he gaspcd for breath, but he ut
tered no cry, and when the whipping
ceased his knees trembled and his arms
seemed to support his body.
He was released, He leaned against
the gun carriage for support; but he was
not conquered. He still looked defiance
at the officer.
GLOW do you like that3" asked Bully
Wilson.
''How do 1 like it," cried the sailor,
"why my old mother in Liverpool has
often g.ye me worse licking than that
with dishlag."
This sally brought roar of laughter
from the sailors, and the officer was beside
himimself with rage. The rebellious
sailor was again ordered to "the run"
this time in double irons.
On the afternooa of the same day the bill
for the abolition of logging in the navy
was signed by President Fillmore, and
became law. The last fogg.ng had
been sanrtionel by American law.
Two months later Peter Featherst one's
irons were taken off, and one right at
10 O'Clock he was transferred to the ship
Saranac. She was to sail on the following
morning for the Gulf Stream, where Com
modore Wilson was to join the flagship
of the squadron.
81 will take Featherstone with me, :"
he is said to have remarked to Lieuten-
ant Enshaw, 'and I will break him or
kill him."
THAT night, aboard the Saranac, a
sentry saw a shadow pass him and heard
splash in the water.
Half an hour later half dead sailor,
with his bundle Of clothes tied around
his neck with a handkerchief, drew him
self out of the water He looked across
TIE waiter where lay the black outlines
of ship, and the last man logged in
the American navy hurled out a curse
and turned his face toward the great
city, Cincinnati Commercial