Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-10-16
BUTCHERED BY BLACKS.

Survivors Tell tho Story of the Insurroc-
tlon on the Island Of Navassa-Desperate
Negroes Attempt the determination ol
tho Whttes-Four Of the Latter Killed
with Massacre Staring Them In the
Face, Those Still Remaining Are Saved
by British War-ghip.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct n.-Dr c. D. Smith.
o. W. Roby, H. A. Jones, Fl. N. Vail, John
O'Kourke and John Jacobson, survivors of
the negro uprising on the island OF Ma
vassa arrived here Wednesday night on the
British steamer Dorian, accompanied by
three of the friendly negroes who saved
their lives.
c. W. Roby is an elderly man of robust
physique, who was the first one of the Of
hcers OF the company assaulted by the
rioters. He was hrutally hit on the
head with clubs and left for dead
In ditch whore the negroes were working
at the time. He has thirty stitches In
his scalp where it was torn open by the
blows. The fact that he is alive seems al
most miracle. H. A. Jones has his face
Scared with cuts and bruises, and his
scalp has likewise been sowed Up in many
places. He Is young man about 81,
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 stamped upon, kicked and
beaten and nearly dubbed to death DR..
Smith, In giving his account OF the riot,
said:
I'VE had no warning Of the outbreak what
eyer; we did not even suspect it. There
are 1M darkies employed in the phos-
phate 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 sen: there by the United
States Shipping Commissioner. The house
we took refuge in when the attack was made
was no protection whatever from bullets.
The doors were only made Of mosquito net
ting, and the walls were mere shell
or thin boards. Before we got into the
house fired into the mob that had Jones on
the ground and hit one OF them They con-
cea!ed themselves behind trees and stones,
SO that our fire had little effect
on them. The dynamite bombs thev
threw weighed pound apiece. There were
eleven OF us, comprising the white
officers OF the phosphate company. When we
were compelled 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 NJ Fos-
ter, Joseph Fales and William T. Shea
The blacks literally butchered them with
knives and clubs. Mr.. Foster was the super.
intendent. We reached a small house, in
which we hid for safety for the time, and in the
interval the negroes ransacked and pillaged
the superintendents house, in which we first
took shelter.
1.-THE shooting Of James Malone was one of
the most bloodthirsty acts OF the day. The ne.
groes came to our hiding place and promised US
SAFETY from attack IL we came to supper. We
came out and found that some Of the darlies
were disposed to intercede for us. We marched
along IN Indian file, when one of the villainous
blacks knows as George S. Key stopped
and fired revolver within six inches OF
Mahones face, the ball going through
his cheek. AS he fell the fend fred
another bullet into Mahone's back,
which pierced his heart. With the smoke
curling from the barrel of the weapon Kew
then stepped up to Jones and said: 1 settled
that -. Jones felt that his time had come,
shoot Jones, something caused him to hesitate
and the mans life was spared.
The British brig Amorette was lying off the
coast. l got note TO the captain and he
sailed to Jamaica and sent the British man-of-
war to our assistance. The captain of the
Forward got his gatling guns ready
for service and threatened to shell the
Island unless every man OF us was turned
over in safety. We were taken aboard
the vessel on Thursday after being in immi-
nent peril of our lives since the previous Satur-
day, when the instruction took place. AS we
assembled the steps up the side OF the vessel the
officers paid US the compliment of han ging the
American flag over the side. We were treated
royalty by the officers OF the man-of-war."