St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-11
Brutal Actions of the White
Bosses Ineited the Negroes
to Riot.
Treated Like Dogs the Blacks
Became Frenzied and Slew
Their Masters.
Six White Survivors Of the
Bloody Battle Landed at
Philadelphia.
They Claim That There We're
No Grounds for the Blood
Letting.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 10.-The British
steamship Dorian, which has just ar
rived here from Kingston, Jamaica,
brings six of the officers of the Navassa
Phosphate company, VINO were recently
attacked by negro employees on the
island of Navassa. They were taken
off the island by the British man-of-
war Forward and conveyed to Kings
ton where they were transferred to the
Dorian. Their names are G. ID. Smlth.-
NJ. D.; C. ". Roby, I'll. A. Jones, n. n.
Vail, John O'Rourke and John Jacob
son. They have with them three ne
groes who were friendly and who
helped them save their lives. Mr.. Roby
was the first man attacked by the
rioters, and he was terribly beaten.
His recovery Is due to his remarkable
strong physique. Mr.. Jones was also
nearly dubbed to death. DIR. Smith
says they had no warning of the out
break. The 1877 negroes employed IN
the phosphate mines were all sent from
Baltimore. Many of them were ship
hands who had been arrested for deser-
ton and other offences, and 1nStea1 or
being put in Jail were sent to NavaSSa
by the United States shipping commits
sioner. They were hard set, always
up to mischief, DR.. Smith says:
The building we took refuge in was mere
shell, affording no protection, and the only
reason we were not killed by dynamite bombs
Is that the missiles fell on the piazza instead
of under u.s. There were eleven OF us whites.
When we had to abandon the shelter Tor fear
of being blown up. we made q rush. Some OF
us had been badly injured. AS we ran the
blacks closed in on US, using knives. clubs
and reyolyers. Thomas n. Foster. Joseph
FaIes and William T. Shea were struck down
and butchered Foster was the superln,
tendent The rest of US reached a small
house, where we hid for safety. Meanwhile
the negroes pillaged the superintendents
house, where we had taken refuge first. The
shooting of James Mahon was one OF the
most bloodthirsty acts OF the DAY: The
negroes came to our hiding place and prom
ised US safety from attack if We came to sup
per- We came out and found that some OF
the darkies were disposed to lntercede for US.
We marched along in Indian hle, When one
of the villainous blacks known as George ).
Key stopped and fired a revolver within SIX
inches OF Mahon's face, the ball going
through his cheek. AS he fell the hend
fred another bullet into Mahon,s back,
which pierced his heart. With the
smoke curling from the barrel OF the weapon,
Kew then stepped up to Jones and said. i
settled that - Jones felt that his time
had come; but if il had been the negro's in
tention to shoot Jones something caused MIN
to hesitate. and the mans lire was spared
1uS EuSllSH DllS AIl1lOAOeeN 80 N-~S
coast but heavy storms were prevailing and
we had no means of communicating with
her /. 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 thirsting to finish the job by killing
those of us who had survived. The captain
of the Forward got his Gattling guns ready
for service and threatened to shell the island
unless every man OF US was turned over in
safety. We were taken on board the vessel on
Thursday, after being IN imminent peril OF
our lives since the previous Saturday, when
the insurrection took place. AS we ascepded
the steps up the side Of the vessel the officers
paid us the compliment of hanging the
American flag over the side. We were treated
royalty by the officers of the man -of-war.
They took US to Kingston where we were
taken to a club house and entertained as II
we were distinguished people, and put safely
aboard the steamer Dorian destined for this
port, We have been treated like princes
from the moment Of our rescue by the Eng
lish cruiser. There was only one sad Incl
dent to mar the Joy Of our rescue. Samuel
March, one of our men who had his head
frigbtfully cut and bruised. died on the For
ward ON the way to Jamaica.
The accounts of Mr.. Roby and Mr..
Jones were in the same vein as that OF
DR.. Smith. The survivors left by rail
this afternoon for Baltimore, the head
quarters of the NaVassa Phosphate COM
pany.