The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-22
TORTURED TN MANY WAYS
FORTUNA FERNANDEZ STORY OF
HIS TERRIBLE SUFFERING.

s~%'N
to Dance on Hot Gratinss-His Els
cape from the British Ship Frank
Carvin at Sapelo by Jumping Over
board and Drifting to the Shore.
If the story told by Fortin1 Fernandez, a
Spanish sailor, be true, there is no punish
ment too severe for bis inhuman porsecu
tors. Fernandez is about 90 years OF age
educated intelligent, a handsome youth,
and bears n certificate of first-class sea
man. given by the officers of the Spanish
Corvette Africa, on board If which he
served four years. He was born in Oviedo.
On May &c Fernandez shipped as
a fiist-class seaman on board
the British ship Frank Carvill,
Chapman, master, for Darien, and arrived
there Aug 2. More han once the tears
came TO Fernandez eyes as he told of the
cruel treatment he received on the passage
4 MORNING NEWS reporter found him
Yesterday at the shoe shop of Manuel Ruiz
No Z Jefferson street, and as Fernandez
could not speak or understand much e.
glish Peter Sampson a fruit and confec-
tion dealer at No. 1SS Bryan acted as inter
prefer.
A STORY OF SUFFERING.
Fernandez story is briefly told When he
shipped aboard the Carvili he was assured
that the captain and mate understood Span
ish, and that the voyage would be an agree
able one lie found, when too late, that he
could understand but little of what was
said to him or what he would have to say
to the officers. His miseries dated from the
beginning of his service, He was compelled
to d in the hold and do more than
should have been required of two sailors in
Il. $ In11 l.,
punished for no offense as he was a Span
lard but he was never addressed except
with an offensive epithet After getting to
sea the most excrucisting punishments were
devised and carried into execution.
When the sea was rough he was put at
the wheel, and weak from short allowances
and hard tasks compelled of him, when he
wavered in his weakness, the ships dog
was set upon him, managing his limbs and
did not abuse and assault him was a
German who, after nightfall, surrepti-
tiously obtained some lard and anointed
the frightful wounds, the scars of which
are plain upon Fernandez arms, legs and
shoulders.
A BISCUIT A DAY.
The fellow was allowed but one
sailors biscuit daily, and no water. When
it rained he caught rain water III cup, and
so treasured it that on one occasion hehid
il away, when it was discovered aud dashed
to the ships deck. Not only was he pun
ished when awake, but as he slept matches
We're placed betws en- his toes and set fire to,
and when he walked up in alarm and was
about TO jump over the ships side, he was
knocked down by the mate and rallied at.
His clothes were taken from him and he
wore only pantaloous and hat. Even the
cabin boy mado him sweep the deck
If the captain found a sailor at work he
would tell him to G and smoke and make
the d Spanish -- do it. Often he
was sent down into tie hold, and when half
way down the ladder buckets of water
were dashed upon him. Fleeing thus in
terror, his feet were lacerated by
the cid iron and tin cans in the dark hold
and two of many cruel wounds are still
open and fostering, both of his feet being
covered with scars and wounds. At one
time he was drawing water in small buckets,
and his strength was so near spent that he
almost tainted at his work, when the cap
tain, with an oath, ordered the small buck
cts exchanged for larger ones
RUN THE GAUNTLET.
He was made to run gauntlet in which
blows from ropes and marlin spikes greeted
Inn Oh every side, and his back is a mass
of scars. Once he was lying forward when
the mate grabbed his hands and tied them
behind his back, and then the captain came
up and struck him blow on the ncss that
sent the blood flowing in a stream to the
deck; tie ropes were then cut and he was
ordered with an oath to pump water and
clean up his Spanish blood.
When down and groaning in agony the
captain with an oath III hun to die, and
said they would work the life out of him
before no saw land. Fernandez said that
not day passed that the captain did not
draw blood from him. Either he would
set the ships dog on him, drive him in the
hold to have his bare feet lacerated, or beat
him on deck. They made him stand on
irons heated in the intense sun, and when
in his suffering he jumped up and down,
escape overheard they knocked him down
and tor ured him.
ESCAPED FROM THE SHIP.
When the ship arrived at Sapelo to dis
charge ballast, and while the rest of the
crew were at dinner, Fernandez put his
discharge from the Spanish corvette,
Africa, and other papers in his hat and
jumped into the sea, striking out for the
mainland. He is an expert swimmer, but
in his weak condition he would not have
reached land had he not got hold of a spar
timber which, with the tide, enabled him to
90 ashore. He landed in marsh, and
VIA bAhl blulStiA. JUST as
he was about to faint from exhaustion, he
was discovered by friendly negro, who
improvised two crutches of sticks
and by the aid Of these and the assist
ance of the colored man, lie was taken 70
the latter's cabin. There he remained four
or five hours, was given food and water,
and the negro provided him with coat
He was unable to make the negro under
stand much, but be succeeded in Informing
him that he must push on TO escape capture
Weak, weary, and with his feet a mass of
wounds, he hobbled along for four or Il re
miles, and finding white mans house
staid all night.
The next morning he pursued his journey
on foot toward Savannah, and stopping at
the cabin of another colored man was given
shirt, and the negro, who owned a fishing
sloop, brought him to Savannah. He reached
here Monday morning of last week, friend
less and unable TO communicate with any
one until coming up Bay street no saw
man standing by the MORNING NEWS build
ing.
FERNANDEZ FINDS A FRIEND.
He was waiting 10 see some one TO ask
about the fever news, but as he too was
Spaniard and couldn't make any one under
stood him, he was making but little head
way. The man was Jose Maria Martinez
also a sailor Fernandez asked him if ne
could take him 70 the Spanish consul, but
as Martinez was a stranger he could not,
but he had become acquainted with Manuel
Ruiz, ard be took Fernandez there, and
Ruiz has cared for him most tenderly, re-
a. A.. a L.