The morning call., 1892-12-03

these friends around the lad and that they
will insist upon full investigation Of the
affair and the punishment of the persons
who ordered him tortured.
1t was on March % Of the present year
that young August Motzick was transferred
from the receiving ship Independence at
Mare Island to the cruiser Adams then
fitting out for patrol duty in Beriug Sea.
When a CALL reporter visited the indie
pendence yesterday to hunt up the record
OF the lad on board the ship, ii was stated
that four punishments had been entered
against his name. but all of them were for
trItling breaches of discipline such as all
boys are guilty of. and it was freely ad-
mitted that there was nothing against his
character worse than frolicsome spirit
One of the punishments was for throwing
a slice OF bread at a comrade at the mess
table. or course notice had to be taken of
the matter. but the punishment was as light
as the offense.
Lieutenant Phelps has many scores of
these sportiye youngsters under his charge,
and he maintains discipline kindly but
firmly.
When August Mo'zick got on board the
Adams and that vessel had reached Boring
Sea he found that the life of an apprentice
was not ''al beer and skittles," as Tom
Brown aptly put 1t. The discipline on the
Independence was decidedly milder than
that OF a warsbip at sea.
In the early part of September the youth
got into serious trouble.
One Of the requirements of every Ameri-
can ship Is a daily inspection of the sesmen
and apprentices as to personal cleanliness.
1t developed in this inspection that the lad
was afflicted with vermin. He urged that
1t was impossible for him to keep himself
clean as the supply of fresh water was quite
insufficient for washing purposes, aud he was
unable TO bear the irritation OF sea water
and the salt water soap" supplied for use
with il. This soap will make lather with
brine which ordinary soap will not Asa
matter of fact this briny emulsion is mostly
used for washing clothes, and apprentice
boys are accustomed TO beg. borrow or steal
enough fresh water for toilet purposes
When young Motzick made his request
for fresh water he was gruffly told he could
get all the water he wanted ''over the side"
Precisely what followed cannot be learned
till the Adams returns. which will be in the
next eight or nine days. as she left Coma
laska for this port on the last day of No
vember.
IL
felled TO the deck, and that by order OF
Master-at-arms Heating. and in presence of
First Officer Adams, the lad was forcibly
scrubbed with pieces Of hard canvas, sand
and brine till the blood flowed from his
skin In q number OF places, and the first
lieutenant abruptly ordered the tormentors
to cease.
There are number of apprentices from
the ship Mohiean on the Inde pendenee, and
two Of these freely stated yesterday that
when the ship was at Oonalaska the brutal
treatment OF young MolZick on the Adams
was matter of common talk there. They
added that there are over fifty appreciates
on the Adams. and that when that ship at
riyes here number OF them will certainly
desert. as they are full of complaints about
the treatment they experienced from Cap
tain Nelson and the officers of the Adams.
Edward b. Mcguire, a cockswain and petty
officer OF the Adams, was an eyewitness of
the outrage, and was interviewed by a
CALL reporter at the hospital on Mare
Island yesterday. Mcguire is convalescent
and expects TO go East in few days, his
time having expired.
He spoke quite plainly about the matter
and declared that young Motzick had been
shamefulIy tortured.
He said that the lad asked for fresh
water TO clean himself, as he could not bear
the salt water on his skin. Mcguire here
stated that the washing the skin with brine
and saltwater soap does irritate the skin
greatly. Eats it up was the expression
he used. There was an insufficient supply
of fresh water on the ship anyhow. and
the boys were lucky enough if they got
enough TO wash their clothes once in ten
days. Mcguire saw the boy felled to the
deck. Heating and two or three Of the
sailors rubbed his bare flesh with sand and
brine, applied with hard canvas, till the
skin was all raw and bleeding and the first
lieutenant called out "Stop thatT Young
Motzick was sick and sore for several DAYS
afterward.
Being asked IL Captain Nelson was aware
of what had been done, Mcguire answered
that he certainly must have been; that
neither Heating nor any one else would
have dared TO infiict punishment without
the captains orders.
The apprentices on the Mohican said that
the boys on the Adams had complained
bitterly of being punished for tho most
trifling offenses. and of being mastheaded,
after long spell Of duty. on the slightest
provocation.
Admiral Brown was seen by the reporter
and the circumstances Of the case were fully
detailed to him. He expressed surprise
that no report had boen made, and said that
all punishments are supposed to be
promptly reported to him from ships on the
North Pacific station.
Il make point Of looking int every one