The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-11
CRUELTY AT SEA.
Acts Of Shocking and Fatal Brutality Charged
Against officers of the Ship Macedon.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb 10-The Record this
morning has the following account of the voyage
Of the ship Macedon from Philadelphia to Hioeo
in which it Is shown by the finding of court OF
inquiry that the crew were subjected to the
most cruel treatment: One of the most afro
cious cases Of cruelty ever known in the annals
of the sea has been disclosed by the finding of a
naval court Of inquiry in connection with the
voyage of the British ship Macedon from Phila-
delphia to Hiogo, Japan. The Macedon left this
port on May 19, 1887, in command Of Jesse
Willis Jones, master. and after aprotracted voy-
age OF 21s days reached her destination on Dec
% with her crew reduced in number by death
and disease, and the survivors half dazed from
the brutal treatment to which they
had been subjected at the hands of
ships officers. The crew were all
shipped at Philadelphia, several Of them having
been American seamen. Five unfortunates sue
cumbed to their tortures and were thrown over
board, 70 be devoured by n school of sharks that
followed in the wake of the ship. The list of
the dead included Edward Grant, John Miller.
James Armstrong, Alvin Chapel and Angelo
Bauchio. On the arrival OF the Mscedon at
Hiogo out of total surviving complement of
seventeen persons on board thirteen were suffer
steward having been exempted from the symp-
toms of that dreaded disease. Charges of gross
tyranny were formulated at Hiogo against
Clarence N. Cox the mate. and Charles +. Bev-
eridee, tho boatswain, aud naval court, with
James Troup. British counsel. as president,
was organized to investigate the COM
plants which had been entered by
surviving members of the crew or the FIVE men
who died NJ sen the evidence showed that Ed
ward Grants death occurred on Sept 25 1887,
of scurvy. after having been the victim of a
wanton act Of cruelty on the part OF the mate.
Eight days before his death, Grant was triced
mp to the mainmast bv Cox and kept at
work until the morning of the day before be
died John Miller was lost overheard on Oct. z,
and the master allowed the man to sink without
making any effort TO rescue him, not
causing boat to be lowered when the accident
occurred. On Nov. 10, while suffering from
scurvy, James Armstrong was sent aioft on the
mizzen-mast by the boatswain to scrape the
mast, q task t6at was not of an urgent nature.
While performing the unnecessary duty
Armstrong fell to the deck and died
Of his injuries the following dav. Al
vim Chapel and Angelo Bianchio died
of scurvy, the former on Dec. 13 and the latter
six days after. Bianchio received the most
shocking acts of cruelty, he having been dragged
alone the deck on several occasions by Cox and
Beveridge while IN a dying condition. The out
break OF scurvy on board the ship was shown to
be due to a gross violation of the English stat
utes requiring the of lime or lemon juice,
and TO deficiency in the quantity of other anti
seorbutes in the food supplies FOR so long . voy-
age. During the voyage of the Macedon one Of
the stewards feet was bitten off by shark
when the ship was thrown on her beam ends by
mr,NM all