Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-30
BY NE GREW
Terrible Story Of Human Depravity
Told by Survivors Of the
Scotsman.
Helpless Passengers Of the Wrecked
Steamer Robbed by Drunken
Crew.
Women Insulted and Outraged
Some Starved and Their
Clothes Stolen.

rascally story Of mans humanity to-
man was never. perhaps, related than
that told of members of the ships com
pany by many of the survivors of the
Scotsman disaster. Owing to the strike
of the seamen and stokers in England,
it would seem that the late crew OF the
steamer consisted largely of the scum
of the docks.
From almost the very moment that
the ship struck many of these men gave,
themselves up to a carnival of shameful
crime. They looted the cabins OF the
passengers and the steerage apartments
like SO many demons. They reveled in
the best Of eating and drinking on the
barren rocks of the desert island, while
the passengers were put upon starva-i
ton rations. Some of them crowded in
under the tarpaulin that was raised one
night over the cabin passengers. and
did not hesitate to throw themselves
down to sleep among the women of the
party
I. Stephens, of London, member of
the Sign of the Cross Dramatic Com
pany. which is engaged to perform In
Montreal next week, tells that after his
cabin had been looted he found his over
coat on the back of one of the ships
cooks. He says that very few of the
passengers saved more than the clothes
they stood in. The second night after
the wreck. he said, the seamen had a
perfect orgy on the rocks. They drank
till they were drunk; they sang comic
songs and even blasphemous songs and
ribald jests.
L. NJ. Touzeau, of London, corrobo-
rated all that was said by Mr.. Stephens.
He added that he was given four ounces
of bread for twenty-four hours, and
when he asked for more was told that
he had as much as the others, though
he declared that the sailors had every
thing that they wanted.
A woman member of the Sign of the
Cross Company told the same story of
the brutally selfish and callous conduct
of the crew. Her cabin was robbed of
all she had. She escaped with only one
overskirt. and on returning to Ter cabin
it was found to have been completely
sacked.
w. T. Davis, Of London. steerage
passenger, on his way to Gravenhurst,
Ontario, while on deck a short time
after the vessel struck, had his valise
stolen from his bunk with EGO in gold
and his watch that it contained. j. r..
,rhurston, of Toronto. Ontario, had his
portmanteau cut open and all his
clothing and valuables stolen there
from, excepting his camera. Mr. Stick
ney of Boston, rehearsed how he had
been similarly robbed and what a
drunken carousal had been kept up on
shore since the wreck by many of the
ships company.
All those whose names have been
mentioned and many others interviewed
are indignant at the conduct of the pet
ty officers who We're in charge of the
provisions on the island. They treated
the passengers with the utmost tyran-
ny, and dealt out liquor and provisions
with free hand to the ships company,
while almost starving the passengers.
Messrs. Thurston and Stickney were
given quantity of provisions on the
ship by the captain and told to share
| them with other passengers. AS soon
as they had landed there the steward
on shore in charge of the supplies took
| forcible possession of the provisions
/
them by the captain simply cursed the
Halter.
Professor Stockley of Fredericton, N
/ B., says that the manner In which the
/ passengers baggage was rifed was dis
| graceful, and that when he returned u
the wreck the day after the disaster hi
i found that quantities of goods of vari
Gus descriptions had been carried of
i the vessel and hidden.
i William Brown, a young man from
Liverpool. says that when Capt
Shrimpshire called for men to lowe
one of the boats many of those stand
ing by refused to obey him and wen
below and carried on a carnival o
i crime instead Two women who wer
| placed in tent for shelter from tn
wind and rain were driven from 1T b.
members of the crew, and again whel
4 the first boat filled with women wa
swamped and the captain called for as
sistance for the women who wer
struggling In the water. many of tn
& crew, instead of lending helping hand
Went on with their work of plumber.
a There Is also some fear of the vesse
being attacked as she lies by wreckers
} in which case the small force of me-
who are standing by her could offer blu
little resistance. In order to provid
for such contingency a British wa
ship has started from Newfoundlan
: for the scene of the disaster.
The first authentic news of III
wrecking of the Scotsman was obtaine
yesterday, when the passengers VIII
! had been picked up by the Elder Demr
: ster steamship Montfort arrived at ri
mouski on their way to Montreal. Tn
Scotsman, which left Liverpool on Sep
IA, bound for Montreal, went on tn
rocks in dense fog on the southeas
. coast of Change islands. eight mile
2 southeast of Belle Isle lighthouse,
] 40 on the morning of Friday, Sept.
g The passengers were all below In the
J hunks at the time, and were awakene
] suddenly from their sleep by the sigma
. | fog horn, followed few moments late
!, by a terrible crash as the ship went O
I the rocks. The passengers rushed
. deck, men, women and children wit
G hardly stitch of clothing on them,
: find the ship rocking to and fro on II
: rocks. The night was pitch dark, the
d was a high wind, which amounted
: almost gale. and the sea was runnir
terrifically high.
Capt. Senkler, who remained on u
scotsman's bridge, fearing that u
r vessel would topple over and sink WI
: all on board, at once gave orders