Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-09-13

Ultimate order concerning the care OF
the ship. You have certain powers
under the laws of the high seas. but
the mannest sailor also has certain
rights"
He was ivid with passion, and it was
only after great effort that he said:
Il win have you triced up and
flosged to death! Steward, put on the
ironsr'
But the steward dared come no near
er. The captain then ordered the crew
to seize me, but not q man moved. The
second mate was then ordered forward.
but he had the sense to keep his foot
out of it, and he replied:
IF Castle has the law, let's hear it.
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 1 prepared myself for
a rush. They were determined to do
for me, and as the captain handed his
pistol to the steward called out:
"Men, you are my witnesses that I
have not refused to do duty or obey
necessary orders. No captain has au-
thority to trice man up, and he can
be put in irons only for disobedience Of
legitimate orders. If they lay hands
on me, it is at their peril"
They came with a rush. but both
were knocked off their feet inside OF
ten seconds. The mate was satisfied
with that, but the captain came at me
again, and this time gave him all he
wanted. Not q man raised his
hand or voice, and l gave the
brute such a 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 off,
Ger, was given in charge as q mutt
neer, and four months later was put
on trial in Liverpool. l 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 it to assert their
manhood for time, but after little
things went backward and became
worse than ever. To-day, despite the
romance of poets and 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 a State-prison con-
vict.
My second voyage, which had to be
made under another name, as all cap
tains had been warned against me,
was from Liverpool to San Francisco
in the bark "Enchantress." just why
captain and mates let me alone l never
knew. for others who did their duty as
we'll were grossly abused, but l was
not even threatened during the voyage.
Before we had been . week out the
mate broke a mans nose with a Delay
ing pin. Next day he cut open mans
scalp in a terrible manner. On the
third day the captain knocked two men
down, breaking several teeth for one
of them. The second mate day or
two later kicked sailor in the side
and broke two of his ribs. When we
arrived at San Francisco took thir-
teen of the men, all of whom had suf-
fered personal violence and three of
whom had to 60 to the hospital, and
went before the English Consul. He
sent for the captain and mates heard
their statement, and then dismissed us
with the threat of sending us to prison
if we made any further ado. went
to the United States authorities. Sc
cured the arrest of the officers, and the
captain was fined four hundred dollars,
the first mate three hundred and fifty
dollars and the second mate two hum
dred and fifty dollars. And yet, on the
return voyage-which was with new
crew-every man was beaten like a
dog, and the ship went into Liverpool
VIII Hall The crew UudUlc W pun Il
rope.
l made third voyage before the
mast before taking berth as first
mate. This was on the brig "Good
Intent" bound from Plymouth to the
Canary Islands. We left port one man
short, simply to save money for the
owners. Our bread was full of weevil
and worms, and the pork so tainted
that an open barrel of it scented the
whole brig. We had not the boats
required by law, and we had no med
icines aboard-not even dose of
salts. Here were five derelictions
which made the master amenable to
the law. Within a week the two first
officers got so intoxicated that they
could not take an observation at noon,
and for three days our position was
unknown to them. The captain, while
drunk, upset lamp and set the cabin
on fire, and his chief officer, while in
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