Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-03-20

New York, March 19.-The sorriest
looking crew that ever sailed into the
harbor of New York came in on the
British bark Ancyra, 125 days from
Hong Kong, bruised, blackened, weak
from lack of food. some having broken
bones and others touched by scurvy,
they tell story of hardship and bru
tality. They charge even worse
against the captain Of the craft, |. B.
Morris, and say that as soon as they
reach land they will make afndavits
of the fact to the British consul.
A reporter who went on board the
vessel found several berths in the fore
castle occupied by men who called
pteously for doctor. Most of them
we're covered with unhealed wounds
and running sores, and several with
the sailors signs of scurvy. The men
charge this state of affairs to Captain
Morris, the first mate, P. c. Robinson;
the second mate, n. Cuno, and the
boatswain Edward Shellnur. Alexan-
der McCausland said: From the day
that we left Hong Kong we have been
strapped and beaten. / have, without
provocation, been struck again and
again by the captain and second mate.
We have had no fresh vegetables, our
daily rations being two sea biscuits
and a little meat. If we asked for bet
ter food, we were dubbed | have seen
every sailor in the ship struck by one
officer or another.
THE IMPLEMENTS USED
were a chain, long bamboo club, a
bucket, an oak club, the handle of a
mop or broom. | have seen as many
as five men with black eyes at the
same time. We did not dare to strike
back, lest we be shot
Edward Simpson said: Peter Han
sen was killed by brutality and star
walton. The second mate seemed to
have particular grudge against him
and so did the captain. They used to
take turs.s knocking him about Then
they would do it together. Hansen
finally got sick and feyerish. He was
covered with black and blue marks and
was weak from lack of food. The
officers said that Hansen was sham
ming. They went to his bunk and
called him, but he was too weak to
get up. So the captain picked him up.
You're sick, are you? calling him vile
names. D you, I'll make you sicker.
When | speak to you, move, and move
quick
Then the captain slammed him
down on the deck again This he re-
peated three times, cursing violently
all the while. Hansen groaned, but
made no answer In half an hour he
loo t Sunday -
The truthfulness of this narrative
was vouchsafed by Sailors VIM. Smith,
Ed. Thompson, Pierre Daniel, Fred
Landstrom, and Fritz Streecy, all OF
whom declared that they would swear
to the facts as soon as they had an OPP
portunity. Fred. Landstrom who was
also one of the bed-ridden men, and
whose right arm was in a splint, said:
Il have got three broken ribs and
THINK MY ARM IS USELESS.
I have been to sea for forty years, and
l never saw officers SO brutal as those
on this ship. We have just been bull
lied and starved the entire voyage.
Il have seen scurvy before, and |
know that Thompson has it. The
Frenchman, Pierre Daniel, and Nc
SduoIduu, HdNC CNCiJ oyAAp'ohi - -.
First Mate Robinson, who was in
charge of the bark, the captain being
absent, when asked what he had to
say about the charges made by the
men, said it was true he had been
forced to strike the Frenchman and
others, but never when they did not
need it. The crew was quarrelsome
lot and continually fighting among
themselves
Glow about the charge that they
did not get enough to eat?'
81 have nothing to say to that" said
Mr. Robinson, evasively.
III ~ hn