The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-01
LASH GAVE THEM FORTUNE.
SOME MEN OWE THEIR PRosPERI-
TY To FLoGGINGs THEY GOT.

main WIS ~ NostiS Artch-N UuNc
Him "a Concession From which
He Made MiIIions-Rage of sea
Captain Nearly Precipitsted In
ternational Trouble.
From the New York Press.
Nothing is more interesting than the
history of the genesis of great fortunes,
and of all the ways in which the founda-
tions of fortunes have been laid the mos,
curious is probably the receiving of a
sound logging by the founder. There re-
Gently died in San Francisco John Magee,
one of the wealthiest residents OF that
city OF millonaires. John Magee's inn
mense fortune came originally as a result
of fogging which he received in San
Jose, Guatemala, in 1874. In that year
Magee was a British consular agent in
San Jose. He fell out with the military
commander there. one Col. Gonzales. Con-
zales threatened and stormed, but Ma
gee defied him. Thereupon the Colonel
took Magee from his consulate. ignoring
the protection of the British flag. and or
dered him to be logged for his contum-
acy. He got sixty lashes on his bare
back and then was thrown into prison.
A British man-of-war came steaming
into the harbor of San Jose, and a wrath
full man was her commander. He de-
handled that Magee be delivered over 20
him Immediately, under penalty of blow
ing the town sky high. Magee was given
up, but that did not close the incident
Unless an apology for the insult to the
British flag was made Immediately by
lao raE La AF1N "A
saluted and an indemnity paid to Magee
the British government threatened dire
full things, Guatemala appealed to the
United States, but this country reptile
that the Monroe doctrine did not protect
little Central American republics in COM
hitting such outrages as that perpetrat-
ed by Col. Gonzales, and Guatemala was
advised to comply with the just British
demands. Thereupon the government Of
fered to pay to Magee 100000, 5000 for
every lash he had received. The apology
and the salute of the British flag were
also forthcoming.
Made a Compromise.
Now, this amount cannot be found ev-
eryday in the treasury of Central
American republic, and while the govern
ment of Guatemala might agree to pay
the amount the collecting of it would
probably be delayed and attended with
trouble and complications. Magee was
wise in his generation. He knew the peo-
pie among whom he lived and he knew
also the value of certain concessions up
on which he had long had h $ eye SO he
said to the Guatemalan government that
he really could not distress it financially
by accepting such a large amount of
money, but would be content to call 1t
square for certain concessions which
would cost it nothing. Magee got his con-
cessions at once, and they included the
right to establish a bank in San Jose
and the building of wharves in that port.
The government was so grateful to him
because he had not insisted on cash that
he was protected ipl his monopolies l.
every possible way, and thus he laid the
foundation of his enormous fortune.
Another California family, now pos
sessed of great wealth, can trace the be-
ginning of it's fortune to an almost sim
liar occurrence In the time Of the Tae-
Ping rebellion Patrick O'Brien was O
missionary in China. He was arrested
by the Governor Of Yeh on a trumped-up
charge of corresponding with the rebels
and publ c'y fog ed with bamboo rods.
Then he was put In cage and exposed
to the jeers and insults of the popuiace.
Finally he was allowed to escape to the
coast. He thereupon came to this country
and laid his case before the authorities
manded from China that to the reverend
gentleman be pa an indemnity of $780,
co., After considerable delay and much
haggling the Chinese government paid the
amount and thus another fortune was
started
A Sea Captains Rage.
Early in the nineteenth century Robert
Jemery was a sailor on board q British
Inan-of-war Now, Robert was thirsty
soul and had a weakness for beer. Capt
w. Lake, the commander of the man
of-war, had a barrel of beer on board
which he had designed to drink himself
but Robert slyly tapped the barrel and
had a still on" for several days, much
to the wonder of the officers of the ship
who could not imagine how he got it
Finally the captain examined his barre
of beer and found that large portion o.
its contents was missing. He did not
wait to go through the Formally of a
court-martial, but Immediately ordered
Jeffery to be f1ogged. Jeffrey took the
fogging. but threatened to report the
matter to the naval authorities-as was
his legal right.
Capt. Lakes 6nger having cooled, he
perceived he had got himself into u
scrape. II Jeffery reported the matter the
captain was in for a court-martial. lie
fooliShly determined to make bad mat
ter worse by getting rid of Jeffery. The
ship was then cruising in the West In
dies. AS soon as she was ordered home
The captain sailed to the uninhabited ISL
and of Sombrero, one of the small outIy-
ing islands Of the Lesser Antilles ana
there "marooned" the thirsty sailor. AZ
ter undergoing fearful privations on Som
blero Jeffrey was rescued by an Ameri-
can trading vessel which saw his signals
and taken TO the United States From
New York he worked his way back 10
England and laid his case before the ma
val authorities. His cause was taken up
by sin Francis Burdett. father OF Baron
ess Burdett-Coutts. capt. Lake was made
to pay TO Jeffery 5000 damages and was,
moreover, tried by court-martial and dis
missed from the service. The 5000 was
small fortune to the saiiorman Jeffery
but IL is not. recorded that II grew to any
such giant proportions as the compensa-
tons of Magee and O'Brien.
Lash Broke His Heart.
In 1864 william Henry Barber, a Lon
don lawyer, was convicted of forgery and
sentenced to a long term in one of the
British penal settlements. While under
going his sentence he was logged for
some trihing infraction of discipline. He
never held up his head again. ana though
after four years his innocence of the crime
for which he had been transported was
established, 1t was but the wreck OF a
man who returned TO England TO receive
the congratula tons OF his friends IL