New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-12
WE'RE THE SAILORS ABUSED
A STORY OF HARDSHIP TOLD BY THREE
DESERTERS.
THE. stFTvCETsS OF THEIR VESSEL, THE BAEK
SCOTLAND, DENY THE CHARGES-A IoNG
AND STORMY VOYAGE A SAILOR
KILLED BY FALLING FROM
\ YARDA VI.

The Nova Scotia bark Scotland, Captain William
Munro. of Windsor \. S.. sailed from Antwerp ion
this port on January l3, with crew of thirteen
men According to supersttiol.s people, these two
thirtecns together should be unuclly, and this
voyage Of the Scotland exceedingly unfortn-
nate in some respects. The bad luck began Tor
some OF the crew on the day on which they Jolncd
the vessel. and when they reached tins por'
on Monday three of them deser'c"
A Tribune reporter saw these men last night ao
No Al Oak-st. a sailors clearinghouse Ihey
arc Herman Reutcrcromc A. Anderson and b.
Oleson.
According to their account Olesorf was the one
most brutally treated Said he: When |
shippcd in Antwerp it was for the round trip,
but won't 60 back. | couldn't stand 1t. "heh
! went aboard trippcd on the gane-planK ana
fell overheard. The boatSwain pulled me ouc
and went below in the forccastlc to change my
clothes. | was not quick enough about IL. ana
when I went deck the first mate. MT Will
hanson. knocked me down. WGcn was
through with my job | went below LOT
was wet and cod and soon the
mate came below and threw me on the deck
and kicked in the face side ana on 'h'
arm. 50 hard that he split my lip. BACKED my
eyes and knocked my arm out of JOINT. AFTER
ward asked the captain to LET me go ashore TO a
hospital but he wouldn't. To-day doctor told
ne | would have to 20 to a hospital to get my
arm fixed | had to work the whole voyage Of
ffty-six days with one hand"
Olcson has placed n complaint for assault and
battery against the chief officer Williamson. in
the hands Of his lawyers the firm of Wing. Shoudy
a Putnam of No. &. William-st The other mrn
told tales Of how the mate knocked down men
on the slightest provocation They said that
the food for the voyage was mainly bread and
water the former full of weevils. Little meat
ard potatoes which they could not eat were
given To the crew.
Captain William Munro. of the Scotland. which
is living at Boards Stores. Erie Basin. South
BROOKLYN, had gone 10 Whtcstone when re-
porter boarded the vessel last night. Chief Officer
Williamson and Second Officer Hansen were there,
however. and they laughed heartily at the story
of cruelty as told by the three dcseriers. Sad
MI williamson: have not been any way
brutal with the men, and he looked too KIND
hearted 10 hurt q hy. When this Oeson came
aboard he WAS drunk and went into the fore
castle aud shrkcd The only force | used to hlu,
on the entire VOYAGE was when went down anu
hauled him on deck. did aot strike or klck
him and | saw only one man struck on the whoie
voyacr and that was when one of the men cut
opcn tie head of the steward with TIN can
We put the fellow in irons. hn' III" ho' "o"''
him.
Both officers and men reported that the weather
VS. fearful. that The rig ing was frozen par'
Of the tlmc and oftcnumss the ship was sur
rounded 10y ice in contrary winds. II was III
I the midst Of such weather that The order was
given 10 lay aloft ana take reef IN tlf main
+ u-san and while doing this Frank Scheikc' /:
fnrrnast hand lost hi, balance while on the yard
arm and fell on one Of the hackstays. from whiGrI
Le houn,.,I ~ the main deck was frightfnlll
crushed and died three hours later. lie wa
haired A. sca ON the next DAY. The Scotland
Is the iifsi Of a sugar fleet t"arrlvc from Antwerp