The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-16
NEGRO B0LDIN'S CASE
Two Very Different Versions of
His Treatment.
WAS IT MUTiNY OR CRUELTY7
The ships OGicsrs Give the Accuser
\ Bad Nano-Lucchesi's Bond Re-
duced-Yssicr Test Case.

-Hn stores OF cow LOUIS bJ2LlD, the
negro sailor on the Chilean ship Atacaaaa,
received serious injuries 20 ms wrists
.srs told In the Federal court yesterday.
E0ldin Ehelcd the snip and had Capt Jen-
sec and ]. n Mclean, alleged 10 be one
~ tie owners oE the vessel, arrested on
.sba charge OF gross cruelty, Gaining &c.
~ damages. he claimed that ne had
hssn beaten on the head with q Delaying
,iu put Ia irons, and then strung up By
his thumbs in g deep. dark cell. Jensen
ana Mclean deny all the charges of cru
ETY. and say that BoIdin inflicted his in
sar.es on himself while trying 70 free him
self from Imprisonment, INTO which he had
been put for mutiny.
The evidence vas taken before the coll
iector at Port Townsend, and Giis over
Al pages Of typewriter matter The case
came up yesterday for argument, and was
taken under adyisement by Judge Han
ford.
Tao iibeilant. Louis Boldin, charges that
while be was a seaman on the Atacama
wa.ch was on its way to Puget sound he
sas tfaced up by the thumbs by Jensen
end Mclean. and left hanging in that po-
Gtion for hours without food, and that
the resulting injuries to his wrists were
80 severe that upon reaching Port Towns
end he feared his hands would have to be
amputatsd He also charges that, while
be vas engaged IN q fight with Boat
sza.n Kelly, the acting mate. Capt. Jen-
sen. came up and beat him on the head
xith Delaying pin.
Boldin's testimony was seconded by that
o. a Greek, Michael Mazello. who Joined
lie skip Al Iquique. Chile, not In any reg
AIR capacity. bat who helped the stew
ard p payment for his passage 10 Puget
sound. According to the Greek. the first
s,oube came up waen the boatswaln who
szs then acting mate, ordered Eoidin
"a ri TrT
tame up and asked why 1t took so long
10 take sail down. The boatswaln said
Tat It was because Bold.n was not ready.
* claimed that Mclean then ordered
he b0atsBain 10 go aloft and Anock the
negro of the yard. 1t seems that both
the boatswain and Eoldin then INDUCED
IN considerable ornamental swearing and
few minutes later the two started TO
light Boldin had a knife. but II was taxi
en- away from him. lie then got the
hoatswan down and was beating him
when Mclean and Jensen came up Ma
cello said that Mclean grabbed Boldin by
the throat and tried TO pull him off. and
then Capt. Jensen mingled in the fray
and struck the negro three times on the
head with great force with a Delaying
pin He said that Boldin was then taken
below, confined in a dark room, put In
irons, strung up. and allowed only bread
and water for food; that he was kept in
this room for twenty-six hours, and that
the irons cut into his wrists so that the
blood flowed from them.
This testimony was contradicted by
Capt Jensen, Mclean, the ships Carpen-
ter Spanish sailor. the boatswain and
two women. who were aboard. Their tes-
timoRy tended 70 show that there was no
tullring or other means In the room In
which Boldin was confined by which he
could have been strung up. The iibeliant
vas said 70 be disobedient. insuboriinate,
troublesome and loud and vulgar. lie had
previously deserted an English ship. and
another man who had deserted with him
ana who had sailed on the Atacama had to
De put OF the ship at "A Chilean Tort be-
cause OF mutinous conduct. He 1efied au-
thority aud had no regard for his SUI
perior officers or anybody else. One day
be was ordered by the acting mate. Boat
swain Kelly. TO the yards, and consumed
az hour in doing work that SHOULD have
been done IN n few minutes. She boat
swain spoke 10 him about 81. and the ne
gro followed him up and attacked him
With a knife. Capt Jensen then came up
and took the knife away from him, A
Ltile later Boldin approached the boat
swain again. threw him down on the
deck and Was beating him severely. Capt.
Jensen again came up. and called upon
Mclean TO help put Boldln In irons and
fas;en him In the cabin for the night. Me-
Lean gave his assistance, and after much
difficulty Boldin was ironsd and put IN
the cabin. Here ne was tied 10 the bunk
with an eighteen inch rope, so that no had
Plenty OF room TO stand up or lie down on
the bunk If he wanted 10. Boldin had his
mad up" however. and spent the night
IN bowling. curslng. kicking and trying
70 break out OF his confinement. He tore
or al his clothing. and kept up hts strife
against fate all night. The next morning
be was liberated from his confinement.
but was left In irons until the eollowina
morning. lie was then released, and Il
was found that IN his frantic efforts 70
ret loose he had mangled HIS wrists by
ire Irons. his injuries were attended 20,
Noieen and Mrs. Mclean furnishing
what medicine the ship did not have.
Capt Jensen claims that all OF Boldlns
Injuries We're caused by himself. that he
vas not triced up. but was simply put in
irons and confined in a stateroom. Me-
Lean Claims that ne had nothing what
ever 70 do with the ship. but was travel
ne simply as a passenger, snd that IL
was only q the request ~ Can't. Jensen
Yer assistance that he helped in putting
the sailor in irons.
. Attorney Coleman. FOR the lihellant. said
tAat according - the testimony Of Act
lnE Chilean Consul John Rarneson. az
Fow Townsend, Mclean had stated that
n wss one Of the owners or the ship: that
Mclean had borrowed money or the ships
credit ana that he had made contracts
tar steye80ri0E lie also said II was on
'seoTd thar Mclean had gone 20 the ma
fne hospital atport Townsend and tried 10
rave EQ3dsu taken out of the country