The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-10-31
UsEI, FOR SHARK BAIT.
treatment to Which a Poor Stow
away Was Subjected.
The Cruel Sport of Inhuman Officers
Causes a Meeting-BlOOdy Fate of
the Mutineers-Rescue of
the Sole Survivor

Reading in the papers the other 5Iay
of the arrest of the mate of th q Rio
steamer Finance for cruelty to three or
four stowaways who made Cheir an
nearanee after the vessel was well on
her voyage, has recalled viyidly an
adventure l had whe ma boy offourteen,
and, though l was a verr5 humble in
dividual myself, the part -culars of that
adventure stirred the people of great
kingdom. 6@a se
When | was eAev en- years old my
mother died, and my father decided to
go to Australia. / was his only child.
and he was oy Aomeans burdened with
.smeney. de was q master plumber,
and he set out for Sidney under con-
tract. Ihr ZEE months after our arrival
he marrl' ID again, and it was not six.
weeks oefore my step-mother pushed
me irlto the street. Iwas under-sized
and. sickly, but | never. gave her the
Slightest cause for even harsh word.
ehe simply took an aversion to ME,
and somehow her hatred came to be
reelected in p3afather. He sew me
thrown out on the world with hardly a
protest, and two days later, when he
met me in the street, he gave me about
{ eight shillings in money and advised
me to set up as a bGotblack and news
boy. should probably have followed
his suggestions had L not on that same
day CHANGED to fall in with two or
three lads who we're planning to stow
themselves away aboard of an English
brig called the Charles FL. Churchill.
they were boys who had run away
from home or been thrown over like
myself, and the idea was that they
could do better in England. I was
invited to join, and when our plans
mad been laid there were four of us of
about the same age. We looked the
brig over, found that we could get
aboard, and made our arrangements.
One night, when the brig was nearly
ready for see, stole aboard, carrying
with me about two quarts of water and
four pounds of bread and meat. This
was the share was to furnish. was
70 De tirst aboard, slip down the mid
snip hatch, and the others were to fol-
low at brief intervals. a fire on board
ship few hundred feet away COL
1ected the crewsof the brig aft, and l
got aboard without risk. The hold
vas nearly full of bags, barrels and
boxes, and after waiting few minutes
imade my way over these toward the
DOW and found very comfortable place
oh lot of dry hides. remained
awake and alert for two hours. and
then fell asleep, without realizing that
vas bit sleepy. It was morning
When awoke, and as the sailors were
a work below dared not move or call
out. | figured that my companions
we're in hiding around me, and so
rested easy through the day. sleeping
most OF the time. At about sundown
y ielt the ship under motion, and an
nour later the matches were closed and
was in midnight darkness. l had
matches and stub of candle, and,
after striking light, / moved around
ana Whistled and called to nv com
panlons. could make my way over
me freight pretty easily in any direc-
stoni and | would not give up that I
3 was alone until I had searched for a
saA hour. Then was positive that l
vas alonei the others had either backed
oat or had been baf1ed in their attempt
y get aboard. / was much upset at
sne discovery, and crawled back to my
sea and cried myself to sleep.
ishad been agreed among us bows
s0as we should keep secreted three
uays alter sailing. None of us antici-
lsaseQ any trouble when we should
make our presence known. I had no
wsg o. computing time, as IL was night
~ sne time in the hold, but after nv
sreaa and water had been used up ana
s@as hungry and thirsty, / decided
s 10y we three days were up. Crawl
% the cover of the hatch I knocked
s. = ana shouted, and after little it
e opened and | was helped out. It
= aaae o'clock on the morning of the
s .saseh aay. The first word from the
sapa sap.a'n was curse. and his arst aot
sWsag ne about The deck py