Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-19
INTOLERABLE CRUELTY.
Terrible Stories Told by Sail ors on Chesapeake Boats.
"THROW THOSE MEN OyERBOARD.'

Testimony Which May Mean That tn.
 Dead Bodies Found Floating Are Not
 Always Those of Men Who Were Killed
 by Accident-TorturedI His Employees.
 BALTIMORE, May 19.-A startling statement
 was made by witness i'll the trial of Capt
 L. T. Beauchamp, one of the brutal oyster
 pirates recently apprehended. The charge, ii literally true, gives a more serious aspect te the case and hints of something darker anC more terrible than mere privaton and bruta. treatment. It would suggest that the numer. ous dead bodies found floating about the bay and its tributaries are not always the result Of accident, and that human life is not helG at very high premium by those who sai the waters of the Chesapeake in search of its great food product; for John KovalleclS, 2 sailor on Capt. Beauchamp's vessel, testified that the captain had offered to increase hi, pay if he would consent to throw two worth. less hands overheard The statement pro duced a sensation
 Fleet Capt. Hub" Beauchamp, owner ot the pungiss Beauchamp, Rasmussen and Stevens, is the third of the brutal oyster pirates recently captured to be brought be fore jury. Capt. John Wallace and Capt Severn Croswell, who were convicted o1 cruelty Saturday, were brought over from the jail as witnesses in his behalf
 Edward Brandt testified that he had seer Capt Beauchamp beat Jim Mitch. "Jim,' he said, ''could not talk any English and was very awkward Beauchanp would give all order, and when Jim would not understand It he would strike him. One day he picked up an oyster and struck him with it in the mouth. It must have cut his gums, for the blood came. out through his teeth. His lr was also cut and bleeding. I put Jim ashore by the captains orders, about week before left was discharged the morning of the day that Capt. Beauchamp was arrested"
 The witness then detailed the hours ot work, which kept the crews busy sometimes until after o'clock at night During the first two weeks the fare was good, but after that it became very poor, and at times was totally unfit to eat Brandt concluded by telling how he had been put ashore at Grape without money, although, there was wages due him, and how he had worked his way to Baltimore.
 John kovalleck, mate of the Stevens, said he had always had plenty of food while sail ing. He had seen the boys cruelty abused
 kovalleck created a sensation ill the court room at the conclusion of lis testimony. Dis. trict Attorney Hayes had signihed that he was through with the witness when he an. nounced that he had something more to tell
 My term of enlistment on board the Beau champ had already expired, said Kovalleck, ''and we Were bound toward Baltimore. It became necessary to haul the jb sheet aft. \ strong breeze was blowing at the time, and l a p,,n nno or1 a hand 10 get the sail in proper trim The men could not work much because they did not understand the handling of the stIls Capt Beauchamp then said to me: Why don't you haul that Jib sheet attE 1 told him that l couldn't becau-e the breeze was too stiff.
 "'Why don't you make some of those fel- lows give you handH asked the ca tain. l told him that l had ordered the two hands on the boat to lend me hand, but they didn't know much about it. Throw those fellows overheard They're not worth cent of the money they earn here. Just throw them overheard and Fl give you couple of dol lars more. I'd sooner gre you a couple of dollars more than to give it 10 those fellows"
 Bill Sticker testified that Capt. Beau champs treatment of hls men was always harsh Every day in general" he said, s'I got cuffed and knocked about One day, while was culling out oysters, Capt. Beau champ said l was not doing it right did as he told me, but in little while he came back again, picked up my culling hammer and struck me with it on the wrist. When pro- tested he struck me again and chased me to the mast and back, kicking and cutfing me all the way. This was the cause of my at tempting to escape afterward After we had been hung up by the thumbs, Capt Beau champ said one day, If I'd been here when you tried to escape I'd have killed you.'n On cross examination Sticker testified: q knew Capt. Beauchamp claimed to be church member, and he used to go ashore sometimes to attend church, but that did not interfere with his knocking us about the deck"
 l. D. White, New York World reporter. testified that he was one of tn, marshal's posse which arrested Capt Beauchamp. ''While on board Capt. Beauchamps boat,n said he, ''the men claimed that they were without water, and one of them said: My God, you don't know how good a drink of water tastes till you find you cannot get it. Capt. Beauchamp, when asked about water. said he would have the captain of the Stevens get some as soon as they reached harbor."