The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-05
SAILORS STARVED AND BEATEN.
Crew of British Ship Governor wiimot
Allege Outrageous Treatment.

PoRr townsend Dec. 4-lSpecial six sail
ors arrived in the city today from the British
ship Governor wilmot now at Port Angeles, ia
command OF Captain Morris, and II their story
be truo they suffered some of the most horrible
outrages at the hands of the captain. These
men are pale and emaciated and suffering with
scurvy. They were turned out upon the world
without dollar, among strangers, thousands OF
miles from home, and in such a condition ply
sicaly that they are unable to work
and must be sent to the hospital as
the public expense These sailors are
Verbea, David Galloway, Robert Gillespie and
Albert Meinhold, all British subjects except
Meinhold, who is an American, and Verbea,
who il spaniard. The Governor Wilmot ar
rived at Port Angeles Thursday, forty-two days
out from Acapulco, and is going thence to
Manila to load sugar for New York. Most of
these men, with four Others shipped last July
at Newcastle, England, for three years. verbea
and another spaniard shipped at Acapulco in
October The latter were promised $50 upon
reaching San Francisco, and Verbea holds
written agreement to that effect, but upon
learning that the ship was not going to san
Francisco at all Verbea's partner deserted. and
Verbea is here among strangers without dollar.
According to these mems story they were
treated worse than brutes, were half starved
and subjected to kicks, cuffs and curses by the
captain from the time they shipped until they
left They were fed on old salt meat, and kicked
and cursed when they begged the captain for
bread. The allowance of water was insufficient,
and the men were forced TO go thirsty and were
suffering for water when there was an abund-
ance aboard, and when the captains wife had
enough fresh water TO use Tor washing her
clothes. In their hunger the men would pick up
potato parings that were thrown from the cap
tains table and eat them. There were ten
men in the crew, and while suffering with
nd har ahl IN sfa hay
PEELED to get out of the hunks and work some
of the men have large running sores, their limbs
are swollen and their looks show that their con-
dition is truly pitable.
Albert Meinhold is now very Ill in the hospital
here, and his companions say he has been
starved until he is too weak TO leave his bed.
Richard Bolter, also an American, wss too Ill 70
leave the ship. When the ship reached Port An
geles he begged the captain TO get him doctor,
but was answered with a blow in the face.
Three OF the men who were able for duty de-
serted from the Governor Wimot and shipped
on the Fred b. Taylor for England. The second
mate also left the ship. He is an American and
was brutally treated By the captain at Acapulco.
He appealed to the British port captain there,
but was told that nothing could be done be
cause he was a citizen OF the United States. Tho
mate, who is still aboard the ship, sided with
the sailors in their appeals for relief, and was
beaten and kicked, and while at Port Angeles
head with a clew-iron, splitting one OF his ears.
aud threatened 10 kill him because he made
complaint before the British vice consul here.
The sailors say they are afraid that Mate Richard
Roberts will be killed by the euraged captain.
The mate Is an old man with family in Eng
land and as there is considerable money duo
him from the ship he will not desert
Shortly after the ship reached Port Angeles
two boarding house runners went aboard the
ship, gave the crew whisky and asked them 70
go ashore. The captain let them take the boat
aud go ashore, then denounced them desert
ers aud refused to pay them or take them back.
Believing this was a scheme 20 ge, rid OF them
because OF their diseased and helpless coudi-
ton, the men cornered the boarding house run
ners and forced them to admit going aboard and
taxing them ashore by the captains directions.
The Governor wilmot is owned by Captain
Morris and Scanned Bros, OF ST. John, y. b
These sailors intend going before the United
states comm issioner today for the purpose Of
libeniag the ship, and they threaten To have the
captain arrested for assaultiug Mate Roberts at
Port Angeles. The whole story told BY these
men reads like q romance aud would seem in
credible but for their famisnei condition aud
terrible scurvy sores exhibited. Their com
plants may be exaggerated, but there seems TO
be good grounds for an Official investigation.