Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-09-10
LIFE ON A CONVICT SHIP.
AN OLD SAILORS STORY OF AN
EvENTF'UL VOYAGE.
FlORRing an IncOfrixable Man-Not .
Pretty Sight, hut the Prisoner
stood IL Like . Spartan
A Break for Liberty.
From the New York Recorder.

From the New York Recorder.
Where here are you going. my pretty maid'
I'm going a-milking. sir" she said.
Way Way. DOWN low on the Rio Grande."
Fare you well. my pretty young girl,
For I'm bound for the Rio Grande."
II never sing that song" said the old
seados. as he flung out the way Rio in
voice like a foghorn. that 1t doesn't
bring back the day We left London docks
for Gibraltar with a load of soldiers and
convicts. That was one of the most in
teresting voyages / ever made. / was an
officer on an East Indiaman which was
chartered by the English government to
take out these convicts to work in the
stcne ouarries at Gibraltar. We left the
Victoria docks and were towed down the
river Of Gravesend, where We took on
beard a hundred of the Seventy-first High
laEGers as guard. also some of the Twen-
some of the military train. Many Of the
Seventy-first Highlanders had been at
Lucknow: There was one. great char
an anchor tattooed in the center of mis-
forehead. He was very proud Of this or
nament. and when he went into Lucknow
made in the wall he cried out: Here I
go, boys. Don't let them take my anchor
Though a brave fellow. Anchor Jack was vas
time in the guardhouse.
THE Twenty-eighsh was famous also. be-
ing the only regiment in the English army
privileged to wear the numerals both in
front and rear of their shakos. You see.
the Twenty-eighth was at Waterloo and,
neing CHARGED in front and rear by reg
faced about and fought back to back with
the front rank.
They made a brave display as they came
aboard. 1 can see them now. and can
hear the sailors singing. Way Rio, Oh Rio!
Fare you we'll. my pretty girl. for I'm
bound for the Rio Grande.' as they pull
eat Sheerness.' continued the ex-sailor,
1--WE took on board fifty convicts who came
from Chatham. hundred at Portland and
go in ALL I tell you. there were stories.
The wife of one of the convicts came down
IN carriage and pair to see him on He
Another convict had been a lords jockey,
and, instigated' by rival of his master,
had injured his horse SO that he could not
little trick. Another man had been a sailor
on the ship Hibernia. 1t was the brutal
custom of the mate aboard thar ship to
Delaying pin. The man had been so struck
one day. when. in fury, he drew his knife
and stabbed the mate. Then there was
Dan Gretorex, the great Scotch forger.
sent out for twenty years. He was an
educated man and wrote a poem on board
on the death Of a sailor who was lost over
board during big storm we had crossing
the Bay of Biscay. There was another
convict. Porter by name, who was the first
man man In the boat to 60 to the rescue of
this young sailor. These men were al
and I became well acquainted with them
and found in their cases, as IN many 9th.
ers. that the devil is not SO black as he =
The whole ship was for the time being
transformed Into a military camp. The
front part OF the ship before the main
head crossing the deck. Here the convicts
we're quartered. On each side were doors
that were guarded by sentries. Sentries
hatchways. Abaft this bulkhead were the
quarters Of the soldiers and their families
on one side Of the deck. and those of the
course. were quartered in the cabin. Every
fine day the convicts were turned up on
deck In front of this barricade for an air
the convtcts would plsy % ali kinds s of tricSs cl
stealing everything within reach, Just to
keep their hands in. Of course. One ac-
for what earthly purpose no one knsw, for
he could not eat 1t until 1t was cooked and
of course the convicts were not allowed to
and W got tWo dozen for .s Ills sausns psins win
hogging is not a pretty sight. It was
while lying in the roadstead at Portland
twenty-year man-had made threat to DO
out. He was sentenced to forty-eight
captain. officers. crew and all. were at
once subordinated to the stan surgeon Of
the Royal navy, who took charge of the
Was @ eompeiied to i Wines the sn sfPalr. ISaH
sturgis. the convict. was a hardened fell
fiossinE he casually @ remarked t that he he had sas
pity If he couldn't take the sixth one. He
taking the forty-eight blows His nerve
was superb. He counted every stroke. and
MhsR he ESs to SSSy ,se
stood BY with dark suilen faces set up
sternly silenced by the surgeon. who threat
fense was repeated. There were two other
Roads. I was q youngster then, and I
couldn't get used to them.
The convicts were permitted to amuse
ond dog watch. from to O'clock. the
ans as ii IN
would take the blankets on their hunks
and rig themselves up in them for robes.
Of chairs and tables. The sailors would
eagerly crowd around to witness these
trials. where the fun was often Of the
widest and broadcast character. After the
entertainment was over the convicts would
demand tobacco from the sailors as q re-
WARD. ThfS would De gwen them on tne
sly, as 1t was quite against the rules.
The convicts were well fed. having good
food and q gill of the best sherry every
day. while the soldiers got only pint OF
porter with their rations.
1.-THE morning We reached Gibraltar the
checkered flag was flying. A convict had
escaped. He had scaled the fortifcations
and got over the neutral ground into Spain.
1t was the first time convict had ever
accomplished the feat. which was almost
q miracle. The governor Of Gibraltar him
self went over to visit the fellow In the
hospital at Lena, where he took refuge.
1--WE landed our convicts on the long
mole at Gibraltar. and in a few days turned
our faces toward England Then 1t was
the sailors sang another song:
"'When we arrive in the London dock1c
Good-by, fare you well.
Good-by. fare you well;
Well see the girls come down In hockS-
Hurrah, we're homeward boundv
Fare you WE'LL"
And the old seadog thrust his hands in
his pockets and sighed mournfully, as he
unused upon the girls that came down In
nocks to welcome Jack ashore.
Formidable Arctic Mosquitoes.
From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Some OF the men who have gone to Alas.
10 how ad IN In n the hard