The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-07
Passengers Stabbed Clubbed and Left to
Their Fate by the Murderous Crew.
But One Woman Permitted to Escape, and She Was
Rescued by Her Husband-Many Americans
Among the Lost-A Gallant Officer

launched by the brave second officer He
was last seen standing on the deck with his
hand on the rigging going resignedly to GER
tain death.
Christopher Brunini. a passenger. was
thrown into the water and swan for two
hours before he found boat He chung to
this as his last hope After some time an
other man got hold Of the same boat, and
together they managed to right 1t. Under
the seats they found the dead bodies Of four
men and three women. who had evidently
been drowned by the capsizing of the boat.
Brunini said the crew were cruel IN their
conduct toward the passengers. He was un-
able to get in the steamers boat when he
came on deck. being showed away by the
sailors. He saw many of his friends he.ng
prevented from getting into the boats by
the sailors. He lost everything but what
he stood in.
Mehelini Secondo. an italian, steerage pas
senger, is among the saved. When he got
on deck he found raft with five men on
it. The raft, however, was tied and chained
let it loose. None of the five men had
knives. The ship sank rapidly ard they
We're all precipitated into the water He
was in the water twenty minutes and alone.
the other five sinking before his eyes. He
came across boat which he tried to get
into. He eventually succeeded, but not be-
fore a desperate fight with her crew. He
was battered with oars and showed away
with boat hooks. He managed to seize an
oar, however, and pulled himself to the boat
and climbed in.
SAW HIS MOTHER MURDERED. =
August Pourgi was eager to give your cor
respondent an account of his experience He
was in the water about half an hour and
attempted to get into boat. He was seized
when he managed to get half in and thrown
back into the water. Again he tried to en-
ter the boat. but the savages who manned it
were determined to keep him out. He man
aged at last to get in and to stay in Cling
he saw his mother and he was compelled to
watch man force her into the ocean with
an oar. She never rose He said the man
was saved and he was almost sure he could
recognize him.
Fred Niftier, a Swiss, was the most jovIal
and contented of all the unfortunate passen-
gers. He lost all his money and clothes,
with the exception of pair of pants and a
shirt, but he laughed and now and again
cursed the French sailors with passionate
earnestness. Niffler got into a lifeboat with
some others and remained there until he
reached the water, when he thought it was
time to leave. None of the sailors ever
attempted to let the boat loose. He swan
for long time before ne was picked UP.
He saw an Englishman attempt to get into
a boat, but the men in the boat who were
sailors of the Bourgogne, hit him over the
head with the butt end of an oar. He fell
back and sank.
Charles Liebra, a Frenchman, expressed
himself as thoroughly ashamed Of his coun-
tryrnen's conduct. This man is one of the
most unfortunate. He had his two mother
less boys, five and seven years DID, with
him. He Put them in boat but was rre-
vented from entering it himself. He could
not get in 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. lie foated long time be-
fore boat came along He tried to get
in but was assaied with oars and boat
hooks Mr.. Liebra showed your correspond
ent 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. Liebra also said he saw five women,
who were evidently exhausted. ollnging TO
the life line of a boat The French sailors
cut the lines and the women sank.
AMERICAN BEATEN BACK.
Patrick McKeown is en- intelligent young
Irishman from Wilmington DEL He is In
dignant at the brutal crew He was more
fortunate than most of his fellow -passen-
gers and got on raft when the Bourgogne
was sinking. One or the worst sights. he
said. he ever saw was the murder OF an
American with whom he has sea0xAa ac-