St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-10
STORY OF STARVATION
The Shocking Narrative of the Famine
Stricken Homes of the Cape
Verde Islands,
And the Dreadful Voyage Which Four
Score Persons Experienced on
Fishing Schooner.
Disastrous Fire at Hull, Quebec
Many Coal Baraes sunk by High
Water at Pittsburg.
Two Persons Killed and Two Others
Fatally Injured Through
Fathers Carelessness.
ATerribIe story of Destitution.

Special 10 the Globe.
BosroN, May "a story that is I'M
matched since the days of the African
slave trade is told in connection with a case
to-day before United States Commissioner
Hailett. Deputy Marshal Gallup this
morning brought from New Bedford John
Gomez, q Portuguese, who is charged with
violating about all the provisions of the
paSSenger-carrying act Last fall Gomez
chartered the little fishing schooner Spring
Bird eighty TONS of PrOvincetown,
for 4 trading cruise to the Cape Verde
islands. lie took out very
small cargo of miscellaneous merchandise
and cruiSed about among the islands trading
for some time. He sailed for home April
l, and reached New Bedford on the 1St
inst Instead of cargo he brought back
on the little vessel eighty-two human
beings. The report made by Gomez to the
custom house authorities was that the YES
sci brought thirty-tiye passengers and
fOrty-Seyen crew. As matter OF fact
however. according to the stories of those
on board, the cargo comprised about
Seventy-tive men, women and children of
the Cape Verde islands, who for thirty
days were huddled in a Semi-Starying con-
dition in the hold of the schooner Their
narrative. told by means of Interpreters, is
a shocking one. The captain admits he
made up
HIS CARGO
of the natives of the island, who were anX-
iouS to get away from their faminestricken
homes at any price. They paid, he sayss
some $50, some S2G, some in miscellaneous
personal property and others in mortgage
on their native property, etc. The cOndi,
ton of the islands is described as dreadful.
All business is paralyZed and hundreds are
dying of starvation. 1t is q common sight
to see men and women dropin. the streets
exhausted by hunger. The captain says
he could find no other cargo to bring back,
and so filled with load of men, women
and children. There were no accom-
modationS on board for passengers.
The poor people were turned
into the hold and told they must
get along as best they could upon the rough
ballast, without beds. mattresses or any
thing with which to make decent resting
places. -Four young girls, however, were
given accommodations with the captain in
the small cabin. These girls were 13 to Is
years old, and serious charges are made
against the captain regarding his treatment
of them. The vessel set sail for New Bed
ford On April l. and the SutferingS of those
on board began at once. There was not
food enough, according to the statements of
the passengers, for half their number.
After the vessel was three days out the
only food they received was
\ SMALL PORTION
twice or three times daily of hard cake
made by mixing a course meal which looks
like sawdust, with water. Deputy Marshal
Gallup has some of the rations in his Office
: morning meal consisted of a hard, dry
cake about four by two inches and an inch
thick and two gill cup of so-called coffee.
Supper was one ordinary griddle cake,
made of precisely the same mixture of meal
and water and a cup of alleged tea. This
was the bill of fare for almost the entire
voyage Men crawled about the ship, it is
stated, bent almost double with hunger,
md the women and children could do little
more than moan their distress. 1t was eX-
pected the trip would be made
n twenty days, and the additional ten days
ship reached New Bedford nearly all on
board were in a most exhausted condition.
On approaching his destination the captain
arranged to land at dark, 1t is said on
good authority that other vessels which are
bringing in large cargoes of Cape Verde
natives to New Bedford pursue the same
tactics making such report as they please
to the custom house authorities but escap-
ing inspection by landing their passengers
after business hours. On being arraigned
before Comm ssoner Hallett to-day Capt
Gomez obtained a continuance until the
18th inst, and gave bail in the sum of
go 600