Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-03-08
SAILOR WALKER.
He Tells a Connected Story OK
McCalla's Brutality.
The Captains Fiendish Malice In Cutting
Down n Chained Man-His Gun
ming to Make Him de-
sert.

NEW YORK, March "a news leauor
In the World this morning gives the
sworn statement Of Fireman John E.'
Walker, Of the Enterprise, relative to-
alleged indignities inflicted by Com
mander McCalla The story begins in
July, 1883, when the Enterprise, repre- D
senting the navy OF the United States,
was in the harbor Of Christiana.
Walker states that he had been put on
in place Of man who was drunk ana
who had been making big rumpus be-
low. Lieutenant Millen approached
him and asked him who his mate was.
Having learned it was drunken sailor,
the officer said he would make charge
of drunkenness against both the drunk e
en- man. whose name was Swoglosh,
and against Walker. Walker protested
that he was not drunk, whereupon Lieu
tenant Millen charged him with in
science and had him double ironed and
chained him to a gun. Meantime
Commander McCalla had come on board
from ball ashore. There was much
excitement aboard and the Captain in
quired the cause.
Walkers statement as printed then
runs: II was trying to explain all this
to Captain McCalla, but he paid no at
tention to what said, but ordered the
officer of the watch to cut me down. His
order was not obeyed and Captain Nc
Gala sent his orderly for his sword. At
this time was chained hand and foot
to nine-inch gun in the starboard gang
way, near the starboard ladder.
"The irons were the latest pattern OF
prison shackles, with spring locks, three
pairs Of them being on me-one pair on
my legs, another on my hands and an
other claiming me to the gun. Captain.
McCalla shouted: Stand clear while
cut him down. He then walked behind
me. was chained in such a position
that l could not turn to see what he was
doing. He dealt me terrible blow on
the back OF the head. My cap had fallen.
of and the blow cut deep into my head.
Blood instantly began to flow in tor
rent down the back Of my neck. You
should be proud of this / said after he
had struck me; you are splitting the
blood Of q good Southerner.' AS said
this, Captain McCalla ordered the ma
rines standing by to gag me and one Of
them put his bayonet in my mouth and
tied it behind with o piece OF hemp. l
did not curse McCalla, but after / was
gagged he struck me second and third
blow. As he struck the second time,
First Lieutenant Ingersoll called outs.
For Gods sake, don't kill the man, and
turned his head away so as not to see.
AS Captain McCalla struck again and
brought me to my knees heard some
of my mates forward shout, Now you
have done it, to the Captain. Yes,
sung out McCalla. Then he added
speaking to the watch, Get that mar
and Ill do him the same way The Of
ficer of the watch ran forward to get the
man, but he had got away. Before l be-
came unconscious the Captain ordered
the master at arms to bail up salt water.
As the buckets were drawn up and
placed on deck, Captain McCalla himself
took them and threw the water on me
BY the time he finished with this the
loss of blood and the shock of the cold
water had driven me entirely out Of my
head. After that / remember nothing
until two days later. The men told me
that after lost consciousness the ships.
doctor was ordered to give me
something to quiet me. The men also
showed me the bloody tarpaulin, which
had been put under me after the Captain
had cut me down, and told me that the
ships deck looked like slaughter
house. After l became conscious the
first thing remember, was the doctor
pumping beef tea into my stomach. I
was so weak from loss of blood and not
having been able to take food that had
hardly got to the top gallant forecastle
before had q spasm and tainted. Then
Captain McCalla or the first officer, i
don't know which, ordered canvas.
straight jacket for me and ! was put in.
it. / was in this for thirty nights. Every
day was released, and though still had
fits / was forced to do my work. At.
night the jacket was put on me and tied
up so tight could not sleep. About the
end of the thirteenth night when was
going to work one Sunday morning l
was put to scrubbing the fronts OF boil
ers and being very nearly dead from loss
Of sleep crawled up into the coal
bunker. / had been there about two
hours, fast asleep, when was discov--
cred, dragged out and brought on deck
Commander McCalla then called me a
dirty hog and told the master at arms
to take me out and scrub me.
I was put in irons from sixty to
seventy nights and was made to sleep
under the top forecastle without any
thing to cover myself and during all
that time was not permitted to rest in
my hammock. took nearly three
months to recover from the cutting
down. When got straight the officers.
were all against me. 1t looked to me
as II they had all been set upon and au-