The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-16
TURNED THE TABLES.
The Story Of a Hunted Fugitive
from the Jersey Prison
Ship.

petals from the fragrant blossoms over
head dropped upon her; the blue bird,
perched upon the hollow stump hard by,
sang to her a song of spring and SUM-
shine; the fresh morning breeze, that
made ripples all across the golden sur
face of Flushing bay to mark its prog
ress, anne to lift caressingly the soft
brown curls on her temples. Before her,
on an upturned pail, rested a gaunt old
man, with white hair, and long, bony
fingers that were interlocked over his
knobby knee.
"Indeed, spoke Mistress Suydam, con-
~tinuing her conversation, sit is hard
that Abner should be SO long away from
his home and in peril of his life, but he
would be no true American did he lag
at his wife's apron string when his coun-
try has need of him. And, of a truth,
instead of repining, / should rejoice
daily that he is still alive and at liberty.
/ think I would rather hear that he had
fallen on the field than that he was a
prisoner in the cruel hands of the Brit
ish"-
Gin that Jersey prison ship. Verify,
1t is wondrous that men endure to live
in that hell upon earth if the half that
is told of it be true"
"The half Of its horrors hath not been
toldf" exclaimed a suppressed but dis
tinct voice from the clump of lilac bushes
behind Mistress Suydam. The good dame
gave a little jump and an exclamation
of alarm, while the gaunt man sprang
to his feet. Peering in the direction Of
the voice, they saw under the bushes,
close to the ground, the haggard, yellow
face of a man with great, wild eyes and
tangled hair and beard.
"Who are you, and what want you
here?" demanded Mistress Suydam,
stoutly.
Robert Jameson; a fugitive from the
Jersey prison ship am /, and sorein need
of all that man may need to live"
"Come forth, man; come forth. You
shall need no longer here" responded
the old man, earnestly, going toward
him.
"Back-back! Keep your distance,
man! There is death in my garments
the poison of the prison fever. Stand
aloof; but I pray you lay some food
where I may get it without coming
anigh you"
While he spoke Mistress Suydam re-
lected, and when he had ceased, quickly
took the ordering of affairs in her hands.
Giving to the old man-who was zone
other than the patriot parson Egbert
Elisa suit Of her soldier husbands
clothing, she instructed him to see that
the fugitive, after casting away his in
fected garments, bathed in the creek at
the foot of the garden, and then put on
the clean raiment, by which time she
would have a good breakfast ready for
him-and with the clothing she sent a
generous glass of rum to keep him warm
in his bath.
When Jameson's hunger had been APP
peased, he told his story:
81 was taken prisoner through the run-
ming down of the boat I was in on the
Hudson, and was put aboard the prison
ship three months ago. The night be-
fore last I sprang overheard, being will
ing rather to die than live longer there;
but coming ashore a little below the tide
mill, I managed to make my way into
the country, and since then, hiding when
/ could, and running when I dared, I
have fled thus far, eating nothing until
now. How anxiously I listened to your
speech, to learn if ye were friends or
foes !"
SIS life on the prison ship indeed so
terrible as men say p asked Mistress Suy-
dam.
"On1y the dead have learned all its
horrors, but the living there know
enough to madden them. Twelve hun
dred men are crowded in a space that
would not suffice for the healthful keep
ing of one-fourth so many. They are
scantily fed upon tainted meat and YER
min infested bread, SO that violent and
fatal disorders are rife among them.
The dreaded fever hath broken out, and
SO RACES that at times as many as two
hundred die Of 1t in a night. Through
sheer m~alignity the British officers re-
fuse water even to those parched with
the fever, and find sport in seeing their
burning thirst drive them mad. Often
in the inky darkness of the lower gun
deck, where they are confined at night,
the startling cry is heard, Look to your
selvesi One here hath gone mad and he
hath a knife And the mailman, know
ing not what he does, slashes right and
left with his weapon. until in self de-
Tense they must kill him-and all that in
the dark. And that much amuses the
British officers"
Lord, let death seize upon them, and
let them go down quick into hell" ejac-
ulated the pastor, in fervent quotation of
the psalmist.
"Amenl' responded Jameson between
his clinched teeth. continuing his nara
tive. sit is a common sport with them
to cast apples among the prisoners to set
them fighting. The wretched men, whose
minds are weakened by their sufferings,
seem maddened at sight of the tempting
fruit, and will beat and tear each other,
with claws and teeth, like starving, raw
enous beasts, to get possession of it."
Lord, let burning Goals fail upon
them: let them be cast into the fire, into
deep pits, that they rise not up again."
broke forth the parson.
'Men are shot down like dogs by the
sentries, excuse therefor being found in
A. .f.-d.x..k --l n as-s-l:.o