The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-08-31

the snip. lou nave ccfihm powers
under the laws Of the high seas. hut
the meanest sailor also has certain
rights"
He was livid with passion. and Il was
only after great effort that he said;
II win have you trieed up and
logged 70 death! Steward. put on the
ironsr'
But the steward dared come no ncar-
cr. The captain then ordered the crew
70 seize me, but not man moved. The
second mate was then ordered forward.
but he had the sense 70 keep his foot
out Of Il. and he replied:
III Castle has the law. let's hear L.
I've sailed twenty years without know
ing the rights OF sailor. and want
no trouble in the courts"
saw captain and first mate look at
each other, and ] prepared myself for
rush. They were determined to do
for mo. and as the captain handed his
pistol to the steward called out:
men, you are my witnesses that !
have not refused to do duty or obey
necessary orders. No captain has au-
thority to trice a man up. and he can
be put in irons only for disobedience Of
legitimate orders. II they lay hands
on me. it is at their peril"
They came with rush. but both
were knocked of their feet inside OF
ten seconds. The mate was satisfied
with that, but the captain came ut me
again. and this time ] gave him all he
wanted. Not man raised his
hand or voice. and gave the
brute such drubbing that he did
not get out OF his cabin for five days.
Then it was to signal an English man.
of-war. We were boarded by an ofii-
Ger. / was given In charge as mutt
neer. and four months later was put
on trial in Liverpool. ! not only re-
ceived full acquittal at the hands
! OF the jury. but was complimented on
all sides. and Captain and mate were
both suspended from duty for term
The affair raised great talk. as may
be supposed. and it was seed which
could have been well planted. A few
sailors did profit by II to assert their
manhood for o time. but after . little
things went backward and became
worse than ever. To-day, despite the
romance Of poets ard novelists, the
average salt water sailor Is a cring-
ing coward. The law gives him every
right, but he dares not stand up TO
single one. He has less personal In
dependence than q State-prison con-
vict
Nv second voyage, which had to bt
made under another name, as all cap
tains had been warned against me
was from Liverpool to San Francisco
in the bark s'Enchantress." just WHY
captain and mates let me alone 1 nevel
knew, for Others who did their duty q
well were grossly abused. but ! wa
not even threatened during the voyage
Before we had been week out tn
mate broke mans nose with Delay
ing pin. Next day he cut open man
. scalp in a terrible manner. On tn
third day the captain knocked two me
down. breaking several teeth for on
, OF them. The second mate . day Q
two later kicked q sailor in the sid
and broke two OF his ribs. When "
arrived at San Francisco / took thir
teen OF the men, all Of whom had sui
fered personal violence and three
whom had to 60 to the hospital. AM
went before tho English Consul. Il
sent for the captain and mates hear
their statement, and then dismissed Y
with the threat Of sending us to prise
: | II We made any further ado. Iwer
to the United States authorities. q
cured the arrest OF the officers. and ia
, | captain was fined four hundred dollar
I the first mate three hundred and fift
! dollars and the second mate two hun
! dred and fifty dollars. And yet, on U
! return voyage--which was with . ne
: crew-every man was beaten like
! dog. and the ship went into Livcrpo
! with half the crew unable 70 pull
q rope.
h | made a third voyage before u
II | mast UeloFS lARtik - 80 - -
: mate. This was on the brig Goo
: Intent" bound from Plymouth to u
1 Canary Islands. We left port one ma
! short, simply to save money for y
4 owners. Our bread was full Of weeS
4 and worms. and the pork 50 faint.
4 that an open barrel Of il scented u
y whole brig. We had not the boa
= required by law, and we had no me
= icines aboard-not even dose
q = salts. Here were i've derelictio
I, which made the master amenable
u the law. Within a week the two III
: officers got 80 intoxicated that tn
q could not take an observation ut moo
a and for three days our position "
!. unknown 70 them. Tho captain, VIII
- drunk. upset lamp and set the cat
Z, On firc. and his chief officer. while
q the same condition, fell overboa
\ and narrowly escaped drowning.
A forfeited our insurance no less In
4 three times. and for the last thT
= hundred miles Of our voyage We r
y by sights, which I took myself q
- worked out. There wasn't
!" without it, brutal treatment Of
man. two OF whom were fired upon