The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-07-09

hit him over the head with the butt
end of an oar. He fell back and sank.
Chas. Zebra, a Frenchman expressed
himself as thoroughly ashamed of his
countrymen. This man is one of the
most unfortunate. He had his two
motherless boys, five and seven years
old, with him. He put them in a boat,
but was prevented from entering him.
self. He could not get any boat, and
went down with the ship, but he came
to the surface and at once looked for
the boat with his boys. They were
nowhere to be seen, and he mourns
them as lost. He tioa.ed along before
a boat. He tried TO get in, but was as
sailed with oars. Mr.. Liebra showed
your correspondent his arms and body.
His arms are black and blue, and his
body is terribly bruised from the
blows he received. After this boat
went off he was in the water eight
hours.
The Murder of an American.
Patrick McKeown is an intelligent
young Irishman from Wilmington,
Del. He is indignant at the brutal
crew. He was more fortunate than
most of his fellow passengers, and got
on a raft when the Bourgogne was
sinking. One of the worst sights he
said, he ever saw was the murder of an
American with whom he had become
acquainted on board the steamer. This
man, whose name he cannot recall,
was from Philadelphia, where he has a
wife and family. The Phiiadelphian
was trying to get on a raft not far dis.
tant from the one McKeown was on.
A French sailor grabbed half an oar
and peat him over the forehead.
Chas. Duttweiler, a German, managed,
by an interpreter, to tell his story. 1t
is this:
Showed Him Away with Boat Hooks.
He got in a boat which was tied to
the ship and stayed in it until he saw
it was certain death to remain longer.
He jumped, but vas carried down in the
whirlpool made by the sinking steam
er. He vas in the water half an hour,
when a boat came within reach and he
attempted to enter it, but the wretches
in it showed him away with boat hooks.
His left eye is badly cut with the jabs
he received. He saw women showed
away from boats with oars and boat
hooks when clinging to the life lines
of the RATS and life boats. He also
says the crew assaulted many passen-
gers with any implement that came
handy, and if no instrument was to be
had, they punched the men and wom-
en-, helpless in the water, with their
fists.
Saw His Mother Thrown Into the Sea.
One of the most important witnesses
will be John Burgi, who got into a
boat with his mother before the ship
sank. The sailors in the boat held
him and threw his poor mother into
the water. The sailors threw him out,
beat him with oars and showed him IN
der the boat. He was in the water
nine hours before he was saved by a
boat from the Cromartyshire.
Five Women Cut Loose to Drown.
Charles Liebra, who lost his two
children, also said that he saw five
women, who were evidendly exhausted,
clinging t. the life line of a boat. The
French sailors cut the lines and the
women sank.
Corroborated by a French Passenger.
Custave CrimauX, a French passenger,
c~orroborated the passengers in their
statements about the crew. They did
not attempt to cut any boats loose ex-
cept tohse which they needed them
selves. He saw women showed away
from boats with oars-not only showed
away. but pushed deep into the water.
The officers of the Grecian say the
passengers and sailors presented a
sorry spectacle when they were taken
ON board from the CrOma-tyshire. They
had not eaten for nearly twenty-four
hours. Some were still dazed, and did
not know where they were or what
they were doing.
Made a Meal from His Life Belt.
The third officer of the Cromarty-
shire said that one half-drowned
wretch whom he pulled over the side
some hours after the collision seized
his life belt and asked the steward for
his knife. He cut a piece off the life
belt and started to eat it saying it was
all he wanted.
Comments of the Cromartyshire's Crew.
The crew of the Cromartyshire COM
ment freely upon the fact hat only