Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-10-08
JACK TAR'S PUNISHMENTS,
REGULATIONS THAT GOVERN THE
AMERICAN SAILOR.
Confinement in the Ships Prison on
Bread and Water-Tricks Played
OH Observation-Disclosures Drink.

the muzzle-loading gun, and the reou
lations issued by the Navy Department
say just how far an officer may go il
the punishment of an enlisted man.
In order that no man can plead igno
rance when he has broken any regula
ton the articles for the government
of the navy, called by sailors the riot
act, are read on deck with all hands al
muster on the first Sunday of eacl
month.
1t is not infrequent for a Captain tc
make all OF his crew study the regula
tions, and when any sailor has been
caught doing wrong he sometimes
makes the crew pronounce sentence.
1t is quite amusing at such times to
see how man can mistake ten for five
wh :! it relates to days of confine.
| uent.
One of the most severe punishments
known to sailors in the navy is to be
put in the "brig," which Is n small
room below decks used as ship S
prison, where culprits usually wear
what are called double irons and the
diet is restricted to bread and water.
A slight case of intoxication or an
omission of the word "sir" in speaking
to an officer will send the offender be.
low for from two to ten days. When
sailors come ashore sixteen or twenty
hours liberty is given them, but if
they should happen to overstay that
time, even by an hour, their punish
ment will be swift and sure, and if
one overstays his leave ten days he is
entered in the books as deserter and
Is subject to court martial if caught.
All men are told this as soon as they
enlist, and it serves to keep many from
breaking their liberty, as it is called.
| But an ingenious trick of Jack Tars to
have week or SO ashore, and to evade
court martial, is to break his liberty
about nine days and twelve hours, and
then to report aboard. In this man
ner he has good vacation and only
receives some such sentence as five
days solitary confinement in the brig.
For though this punishment may seem
severe enough to landsmen, it is moth
ing to your hardened salt who has done
thirty days on bread and water and
felt no lasting Inconvenience from it.
Another thing which serves to re-
move the terror from q bread and
water confinement is that the friends
ofan imprisoned man can always man
age to pass some food to him without
being seen by the marine who is on
guard outside the door.
On great many ships in the navy
the sailors have bored holes in the top
Of the brig, and through these they
pass tobacco, food and sometimes rum
from the deck above to the confined
shipmate.
Whatever in the way of comfort that
is passed to a prisoner must be by
stealth, for marine is always on
guard ut the door, and according to
the sailors code n marine would no
more help sailor than he would at
tempt to fly, and consequentlya sailor
has no love for marine.
Many tricks are played on the ma
rine guard by sailors, and it is not an
unusual occurrence for marine to
find his gun and bayonet smeared
with molasses just before inspection,
as memento from some young sailor
whom he has reported for punishment
Whenever sailor returns from
shore he is met Mt the gangway by n
sentry, who searches him carefully to
see that he has not brought any intox-
icating liquor aboard with him. This
is an indignity which Jack dislikes
| but has to submit to, and great deal
of his spare time is occupied in think
ing up schemes for bringing liquor
aboard, despite marines and regula-
tions. Among the best of these SNUG
CLING schemes is the one known as the
molasses jug game, which is worked in
| this manner
The man who wishes to smuggle
takes an ordinary stone molasses Jug
to saloon and gets it filed with rum,
then he provides paper tube just the
size of the jugs neck, and closes one
end of it. This tube is put into the
jugs neck and secured there with mu-
cilage. The sailor fills the tube with
molasses and marches aboard the ship.
At the gangway the marine sergeant
makes him halt, takes the jug from
him and draws out the stopper. He
smells the cork and tips the jug up,
and some of the molasses in the tube
flows out of the jug. The sergeant re-
ports to the officer of the deck that
the man is all right, and Jack is al,
lowed to go forward.
When he gets forward of the fore
mast he receives hearty greeting
from his fellows, and the blockade
runner Sits the tube with his knife,
allowing the molasses to fall into the
jug, and then rum and molasses is
served to the thirsty sailors who can.
not get ashore.
The drink tastes good to the sailors,
but if the jug contained only ink and
it was contraband Jacks satisfaction
at having fooled the marines and
broken regulations at one time would
make it seem like nectar.
Another trick which is worked a
great deal in the countries around the
equator is to bore hole in a cocoa
! mt draw ont tha milk and after ii l.