Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-11


the appearance Of an English cruiser all
would have been murdered.
PHILADELPHIA,O October f0.-The thrill
ing story Of the negro insurrection on the
island of Navasso on September IA was told
to-day by handful of the intended victims
of the mutineers, who were fortunate to es-
cape butchery. The British steamship
Dorian, which arrived here, brought six of
the white officers of the Navasso Phosphate
Company, against whom the attack was
made.
These survivors are o. D. Smith, NJ. D.;
@. W. Roby, II. A. Jones, II. N. Vail,
John O'Rourke and John jacobson. They
brought with them three colored men, who
were among those friendly darkies who as
sisted in preserving their lives. They sailed
from Jamaica on September 20, and al
though the account OF the insurrection has
been published IN detail, the individual
stories OF these survivors are interesting.
RESCUED BY ENGLlsHMEN.
They were rescued by the British man-of-
war Forward, upon which they sailed from
the Island OF Navasso to Kingston, j jamaica.
G. W. Roby is an elderly man of robust
physique, who was the first one of the Off
GERS of the company assaulted by the rioters.
He was brutally hit on the head with clubs,
and left for dead in a ditch where the ne
groes were working at the time He has 80
stitches in his scalp where it was torn open
by the blows. The fact that he is alive
seems miracle.
Strong, healthy II. A. Jones has his face
SCARED with ugly cuts and bruises. and his
scalp has likewise been sewed up in many
places. He is young man about 35 whose
people live in Baltimore. He was attacked
by the rioters while attempting to arrest one
of the ringleaders under orders from DIR.
Smith. He was knocked down by the mob,
and nearly dubbed to death. DIR. Smith,
in giving his account of the riot, said
NO WARNING GIVEN.
I'VE had no warning of the outbreak what
ever. We did not even suspect 1t. There are
137 negroes employed in the phosphate mines.
and they were all sent there from the city of
Baltimore. The worst element of them were
ship hands who had been arrested for desertion
and other offenses and sent there by the United
States Shipping Commissioner instead of being
sent to jail, SO you can see that they were a
pretty hard class of men and up to all kinds of
viciousness and devlltry when the opportunity
if they had been uEsophisticated natives of
that region it might have been an easy matter
to subdue them. but, being colored laborers
entirely different class to deal with. There are
no natives on the island Of Navasso. It is en-
tirely barren. The house we took refuge in
when the attack was made was no protection
whatever from bullets. The doors were only
made of mosquito netting and the walls were
mere shell of thin boards
Before we got into the house fred into the
- T.
of them. They concealed themselves behind
trees and stones. so that our fire had little ef-
feet on them. The dynamite bombs they threw
weighed A pound @ apiece, and !. suppose % the only
was because they were thrown on the piazza
instead of underft.;
THE LITTLE PARTY.
There were II Of US, comprising the white
officers of the company. When we were COM
PEELED to abandon our shelter to escape being
blown to pieces by the blasting cartridges, we
made rush, but the blacks gathered around
us and closed In upon us. using knives, clubs
and revolvers. The men who fell were Thomas
N. Foster, Joseph Fales and William T. Shea.
The blacks literally butchered them with
knives and clubs. Mr.. Foster was the Superin-
tendent. esf
We reached q small house, in which we hid
for safety for the time, and in the interval the
negroes ransacked and pillaged the Superin-
tendents house In which we first took shelter.
MaQ0u
most bloodthirsty acts of the day. The negroes
came to our hiding place and promised us
safety from attack If we came to supper. We
came out and found that some of the negroes
were disposed to intercede for Us.
We marched along in Indian file when one
of the villainous blacks known as George s.
Key, stopped and fired revolver within six
inches of Mahon's face. the ball going through
his cheek. As he fell the fiend fred another
bullet into Mahons back, which pierced his
heart. Jones felt that his time had come, but
ii it had been the negro's intention to shoot
Jones, something caused him to hesitate and
was lying of the coast but heavy storms were
prevailing and we had no means Of communi-
eating with her.
WELCOME ASSISTANCE.
/, however, got note to the captain, and he
sailed to Jamaica and sent the British man-of-
war to our assistance. When the vessel came
TO the island the negroes were thoroughly
frightened. A part OF them were still thirst
ing to finish the job. by killing those of us who
MS gatling guns ready for service and threat |
ened to shell the island unless every man of us |
was turned over in safety. We were taken /
,DOaLa the vessel f on Ihursaay: I & after @ being in
saturday. when the Insurrection took place.
As we assembled the steps up the side of the |
7essel the officers paid US the compliment of /
hanging the American flag over the side. We |
we're treated royalty by the officers of the man
,f-war. He took us to Kingston, where we
we're taken. to a clubhouse and entertained as
I we were distinguished people, and put safely
Lboard the steamer Dorian, destined to this
,ort. We have been treated like princes from
he moment of our rescue by the English
.ruiser. There was only one sad accident to
mar the Joy of our rescue. Samuel March, one
# our men, who had his head frightfully cut
md bruised, died on the Forward on the way TO
jamaica.
The accounts of Mr. Roby and Mr.. Jones
gere in the same vein as that of DR.. Smith.
rhe survivors left bv rail this afternoon for