The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-21
4 sonnY LooISING CREW.
sailors ON nm English Bnrl< Brutally
Mnltrentcd.

SOttOrS ON I'M EuHttNn UNrk HrOt0Ny
Mnltreutcd.
New York. March i9.--Tho World says
The sorriest looking crew that ever called
into the harbor of New York came yester-
day In the British bark Ancyria. 126 days
from Hong Kong, bruised. blackencd weak
from lack of food. seine having scurvy
They tell story Of hardship and brutality,
They charge l. II. Morris, captain Of the
craft. with being inhuman, ana say as soon
as they reach land they will make am
davi,s OF tho facts to the British consul
8 a reporter who went ON board the yes-
sci found several berths in the forecas,le
occupied by men who called pitcousfy for
q doctor. Most OF them were covered with
urhcaled wounds and running sores AMI
several With signs of scuryy. The men
charge Captain Morris, the lrgt mate, T..
G. Robins, tho second mate. n. Cuno. and
the boatswain, Edward Shcllnur. Alex
arder MeCaustlSnd said:
From the day we left Hong Kong we
have been starved and beaten. have,
without prcvocation, been struck again
AMI again by the captain and second
mate. We have had 40 fresh vegetables,
our rations being two sSl biscuits and n
little meat IL we asked for bstter food
we Were dubbed. | have seen avery sail
or on tho ship struck by one officer or an
other.
"The implements used were chain. Il
large bamboo club, bucket, an oak CLUB
the handle of a mop or broom have
seen as many rs Ave men with black eyes
at tho same time. We did not dare 10
strike back lest we be shot"
Edward Sampson snid Peter Hansen
was killed by brutality and starvation
The second mate seemed TO have IA partic-
ular grudge against him aud so did the
captain They used to take turns knocking
him about. Then they would do 1t to-
gether Hansen finally got sick and fever
ish. He was covered with black and blue
marks and was weak from lack OF food.
'trhe officers said that Hansen was play
ing sick. They called him, but he was
too weak to get up, SO that the captain
yanked him out Of bed and dragged him
out on deck In the presence OF the secrnd
mate and boatswain. Then the captain
picked him up. Then you're sick. are you ?
he said. calling him vile names. Damn
you, III make you sickcr! When ! speak
to YOU move, and that quicki' Then the
captain slammed him down on the deck
again. This he repeated three times, ours
ing violently I'LL the while. Hansen groancd
but made no answer. In half an hour ne
was dead This was last sunday"
The truthfulness OF this narrative was
youched for by Sailors William Smith. Ed
strom and Fritz Streecy, all OF whom DE-.
clared that they would swear to tho facts
as soon as they han an opportunity.
Fred LaDdstrom, who was also one Of the
heridden men and whose right arm was in
n splint. said: I have got three broken
ribs, ! think and my arm Is useless. /
have been to sea forty years and never
saw officers so brutal as those on this ship.
We hnve Just been bullied. beaten and
starved the entire voyage. have seen
scnrvy before and | know that THOMPSON
has Il. The Frenrh,nan. Pierre Daniel and
Landstrom have every symptom of it,"
First Mate Robinson, who was In charge
the captain being absent. when asked what
he had to say about the charges made by
the men, said II was true that he had been
forced to strike the Frenchman and others
but never when they did not need t. No
particular violence, he said, was done 10
the man who died. The crow We're
quarrelsome lot and continuously fighting
among themselves
How about tho charge that they did not
get enough to eat?" asked the reporter.
II have nothing to say as to that" said
Robinson. eyasiyely
Captain Morris could not be found.