The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-10-17
THE OTHER SIDE.
Barbarities at Navassa said to Havo Fro
voked the Riot.

Barbarities at Navassa Said to Havo Pro-
voked the Riot.
BALTIMORE, Md, Oct 12-The steamer
Pirate has arrived here from Kingston,
Jamaica, bringing with her a copy OF the
Jamaica Post of October /, which pub
llshes full story OF the riot recently on
Navassa Island. In addition to what has
already been published in the United
States, the Post contains a statement
from Charles Davenport one OF the ne
groes on the island which puts an entirely
different face on the trouble. He says:
The man James Mahon who was shot
came 10 the island as a car boss, aud from
time to time he considerably ill-trsated
tho men. After Superintendent Upton
died, on September 5, Mahon punished
four or five men daily. This demoralizsd
the men aud be had neither method nor
discipline He punished them by placing
them in stocks, Handwriting them and
hanging them up by the hands" Daven-
port goes on TO tell about the cruelty
practiced by Mahon against a man who
had been in the hospital for twenty
days. "When the sick man was
discharged from the hospital Mahon put
him at work, for which his condition was
not fit So he objected, and Mahon took
ny tu0 utCk uuu SuOOh
severely, and took him back to Jail, when
Jones tied bim up. About IL 80 the doctor
let him down, but Mahon tied him up
again and took the keys of the handouts,
but DIR. Smith had him taken down again
and had the handouts cut of. DR.. Smith
was generally recognized by the men as
superintendent, but in fact every body was
boss, for the men had orders issued by
Roby, DR.. Smith and others as superin-
tendent Next morning Roby had a con-
fict with two men named Phillips and
Francis. Fifteen minutes after that the
car men came down and Robinson, who
was the spokesman, demanded to see the
superintendent They said to Smith, who
claimed to be the superintendent, 1--WE
want to sse you with regard to the treat
ment of this man-the man who " as tr!ced
by Mahon. We are American citizens and
not slaves. Smith made the men go 10
their quarters at the point of gun. Half
an hour later all the white men had their
revolvers and guns in their hands. They
called on the men to come up. Jones was
the foremost and the men filed out and
came over, and they were called off man
by man. DIR. Smith was the officers
spokesman, and he and they held cooked
revolvers and guns. AS each man filed past
he was asked: Are you willing to work"
Yes Then pass on When James
Phillips came along he said: Yes, if
am properly treated Mr.. Jones imme-
diately jumped out at him and put pistol
to his head. Don't move. he said. or l'll
blow your brains OUT He shot with the
last word and Phillips fell. shot through
the jaw. The men, about 100 in oil, then
picked up stones from the road and threw
at the officers. The latter retreated and
got under cover, while the laborers picked
up the pistols that fell. The white men
began firing upon the men again. About
two O'Clock they ceased firing. DR.. Smith
then came out and said: Men, there is
a vessel in the harbor. You can 60 to
Kingston or England in it We won't
exercise any further control over YOU
The men said: No we want all
the ammunition so you can't harm us any
more.' Stones began to be thrown again
and some ran toward the dynamite house
What occurred then l don't know, for !
went to my shanty. That was about four
O'Clock, and about five 1 heard dynamite
explosions aud from some of the men who
came up 1 learned the officers had sur
rendered. After the officers surrendered
three of them were murdered. Foster was
killed by Henry Jones and Mahon and
Fales were also shot, but l did not see
these deeds. 1t would have gone hard
with the remainder had not Henson and
stood guard over them. They got proper
treatment, but because of this action of
ours and the feeling of dislike the men
took to us in consequence we thought II
best to come away from the island, know
ing we would not be sure of our lives il
we remained