The Topeka state journal., 1898-03-19
Crew is Beaten and Starved for
Four Months.
SCURVY BREAKS OUT.
Men Dared Not Resist For Fear
of Their Lives.
One Man Killed by Starvation
and Beating.

New York, March 19.-The sorriest
looking crew that ever sailed into the
harbor of New York, came in on the
British bark Ancyra, 126 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-
taIity.
They charge even worse against the
captain of the craft, L B. Morris, and
say that as soon as they reach land
the British consul
A reporter, who went on board the
vessel found several berths in the
fOrecaStle occupied by men who called
piteously for a doctor Most of them
were covered with unheaied wounds
and running sores, and several with
the signs of Scurvy. The men charge
this state of affairs to Capt. Morris. the
mate, n. CunO, and the bOatsWain, Ed
ward Shellnur.
Alexander 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 vegeta-
bleS, our daily ratiOnS being two bis
cults and little meat. If we asked for
better food we We're dubbed. I have
seen every sailor on the ship struck by
one officer or another.
The implements used were a chain
a. long bamboo club. q bucket, an oak
club, the handle of a mop or broom. I
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 starva-
tiOn. The second mate seemed to have
a particular grudge against him, and
so did the captain. They used to take
turns knocking him about. Then would
do it together. Hansen finally got sick
and feverish. He was covered with
black and blue marks and weak from
lack of food. The officers said that
Hansen was shamming. 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. III make you
sicker. When speak to you, move, and
move quick.
on the deck again. This he repeated
three times, cursing violently all the
while. Hansen grOaned, but made no
answer. In half an hour ne was dead.
This was last Sunday"
The truthfulnesS of this narrative was
vOuched for by Sailors VIM Smith,
Edward Thompson, Pierre Daniel, Fred
Landstrom and Fritz Streicy. all of
whom declared that they would swear
to the facts as soon as they had an op-
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 20 years, and never saw Of
ficers so brutal as those on this ship.
We have just been buIlied and starved
the entire voyage.
4 have seen scurvy before. and
know that Thompson has it. The
Frenchman, Pierre Daniel, and Nc
Causland have every symptom of it,
First Mate Robinson, who was in
charge of the bark, when asked what he
had to say about the charges made by
the men, said it was true that he had
been forced to strike the Frenchman
and others, but never when they did
not need il. The crew were a quarrel
some lot and continually fighting among
themselves.
How about the charge that they did
not get enough to eat?'' asked the re-
porter.
t have nothing to say as to that,
said Mr. Robinson evasively.
Capt Morris could not be found.