The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-09-04
A STORY OF CRUELTY.
Practiced Upon a Spanish Sailor
at Sea.
Beaten and Nearly Starved to Death-Made
to Dance Upon Hot Iron Grating
Other Inhuman Cruelty.

bears a certificate of frst-class seaman, given
by the officers of the Spanish corvette, Africa
on board Of which he served Jour years. He
was born in Oyiedo
On May Goth, Fernandez shipped as first
class seaman on board the British ship Frank
Carvill Chapman, master, for Darien, Ca, and
arrived there August 2. More than once the
tears came to Fernandez's eyes as he told OF
the cruel treatment he received on the pas
sage.
a Savannah reporter found him at
the shoe shop of Manuel Ruiz, No.
Jefferson street, and, as Fernandez could not
speak or understand much English, Peter
Sampson, "A fruit and CONNECTION dealer at No.
1o5 Bryan, acted as interpreter.
A STORY or SUFFERING.
Fernandez's story is briefly told. When he
shipped aboard the Caryill he was assured that
the captain and mate understood Spanish, and
that the voyage would be an agreeable one.
| tie found, when too late, that he could under
stand 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 ser
vice.. He was compelled to stand in the hold
| and do more than should have been required OF
two sailors in taking in the sixty tons Of ballast.
| He was punished for no oifense as he was
| Spaniard, but lie was never addressed except
with an offensive epithet After getting to sea
the most excruciating punishments were de-
vised and carried into execution.
When the sea was rough he was put at the
hard task compelled of him, when he wavered
| in his weakness the ships dog was set upon
him, mangling bis limbs and shoulders. The
| only one OF the crow that did not abuse ard
assault him was a German who, after night
| fall, surreptitiousiy obtained some lard and
annointed the frightful wounds, the scars of
which are plain upon Fernandez arms, legs
| and shoulders.
A BISCUIT DAY.
| The fellow was allowed but one sailors
| biscuit daily and no water When it rained
| ho caught rain water in a cup, and SO treas
| ured IT that on one occasion, he hid it away,
| when IL was discovered and dashed to the
| ships deck. Not only was he punished when
| awake, but as he slept matches were placed
I between 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 pantaloons
and hat. Even the cabin boy made him
| sweep the dock.
If The captain found a sailor at work he
would tell him to go and smoke and make tho
! d---Spanish--- - do it, Often he was
sent down into the hold, and when half way
| down the ladder buckets Of water dashed
| upon him. Fleeing thus in terror, his feet
were lacerated by the Old 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 al
most tainted at his work. when the captain,
| with an oath ordered the small buckets ex-
changed for larger ones.
RUN THE GAUNTLET.
lie was made TO run u gauntlet in which
| blows from ropes and marlin spikes greeted
him on every side, and his back is q 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 tie nose that sent the
blood flowing in stream to the deck; the
I ropes were then cut and he was ordered with
| oath "a water aud aipan n n ha
ish blood.
When down and groaning in agony the cap
/ tain, with an oath, told him to die, and said
/ they would work the life out of him before he
saw land. Fernandez said that not a day
passed that the captain did not draw blood
/ from him. Either lie would set the ships
! dog ON him, drive him in the hold to have his
| bare feet laCeratod, 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, they beat him, and when he sought
to escape overheard they knocked him down
and tortured him.
ESCAPED FROM rHE SHIP.
When the ship arrived at Sapelo to discharge
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 aud 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 go ashore. lie landed in marsh, and
with difficulty extriCated himself. Just as
he was about to faint from exhaustion, he
was discovered 10y friendly negro, who inn
proviscd two crutChCs OF sticks and by the aid
of these and the assistance of the colored man.
he was taken TO the latters cabin. There he
remained four or five hours, was given food
and water, and the negro provided him with a
coat. He was unable to make the negro
understand much, but he succeeded in iuform-
ing him that he must push ON to escape capture
Weak, weary, and with IFS feet mass of
wounds. he hobbled along for four or five
miles, and, finding white mans house. staid
all night.
Tho next morning he pursued his Journey
on foot toward Savannah, and stopping at the
cabin Of another coloted man was given
shirt, and tho negro, who owned o fishing
sloop, brought him to Savandah.
FERNANDEZ FINDS 4 FRIEND,
lie was waiting to see some one TO ask about
! the fever news, but as he, too, was a SpaniaId
! and couldn't make any one understand him,
he was making but little Roadway. The man
/ was Jose Maria Martinez, also sailor. Fer
naudei asked him if he could take him to the
/ Spanish consul, but rs Martinez was stranger
/ lac could not, but ho had become acquainted
/ with Manuel Ruiz, and lie took Fernandez
! there, and Ruiz has cared for him most tender
/ iy. refusing to send him 10 the hospital.
/ Fernandez's feet arc stillsbadly swollen. and
( there are some very ugly open gaSheS on each
| foot, but they are being well treated and ban
/ daged, and as he is young and has splendid
| physique If tetanus does not cDsue, he will re-
| cover. lie Is able 70 walk, but every step Is
/ painful one.
Fernandez shipped at 500 month, aud has
! NOT received any pay, but he says no money
| would pay him for such suffering rs he has I'M
| dergoue. and il would have been better for him
| il he had been killed outright than tortured as
4 he was.
THE SPANISH CONSU urdNFoRMED.
! The matter has been brought 10 the atten-
/ ton Of the Spanish consul nj Savannah who.
/ with the SpaniardS in that city, are taking
! live interest in the unfortunate man. The
! Spanish and English vice couSulS have also
/ had their attention called e the statements
Of Fernandez, and if his statements is corrohor-
1 ated Icy the KIND hearted German Of the
Frank Carvill those wo arc responsible for the
4 Spaniard's treatment Will certainly be made TO
! suffer at the hand Of the law. Such cruel in
I human and brutal treatment is almost uu-
( parallelod in tho history OF sailors wrongs
! He will not want fox friends, although in a
/ strange land. To all his fortunes he says he
| never offered once 80 resent them, because he
I knew he was helpless in the hands OF his
enemies, who were cruel TO him because he is
Z "A Snaniara