The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-06
CREW OF NELLIE TROOP
BEFORE BRITISH CONSUL.
Their stories of Cruel Treatment In
vestigatcd.

vestigatcd.
The crew of the British bark Nellie
Troop, fifteen all told, which arrived in
port Wednesday from Celeta Buena,
Chilli, in distress. her sails having been
blown away during the eventful voy-
age of 14O days, were discharged yes
terday and left the vessel, and are now
in the city. They will be paid off to-
day.
Before being discharged they were
taken before British Vice Consul Hark-
ness and examined by him relative to
the death of John Richards, a negro
seaman, who died on the trip to this
port and whose death some of the crew
had stated was due to i'll treatment by
Capt Sutlis. The hearing was private
and none of the details were Civ
en- out by Mr. Hardness. except that
he was satisfied the man had not died
from abuse.
Capt SutIis stated emphatically that
he had not been unnecessarily hard on
the men, but admitted that at times
he had to use strenuous measures to
keep them under discipline. He was
much incensed that members of the
crew should have made such a report
against him and denied any treatment
to the men other than what he had TO
give for the safe navigation and ham
ding of the vessel.
In regard to the negro seaman, he
said that he had had trouble with him
as he was surly and would not obey
orders. He was a West Indian and not
used toscold climates. He had very lit
tie clothing and would not buy any.
In rounding the horn Richards would
x,<.fa owl for. hn N M
suffered from cold. the result
being that he was taxi
en- with pneumonia and died. Richards
gave a good deal of trouble at the
wheel, and one day when he was call
ed for his trick" refused to stand it.
Words ensued and the captain said he
was assaulted. He and the negro had
a fight but il was stopped, he said,
before any damage was done to either.
The report had been spread by two
seamen, Capt. Suits said, who had it
in for him He did not deny that the
report had been circulated by the men
or that they told it to members of the
tug Cynthia, but denied that it was
true
Jack Mahoney known on the Nellie
Troop as Gunner White" the pugilist,
stated that he had been in several for
eign voya ges and had seen harder
masters than Capt. Sutlis. He said
that in rounding the horn the men
refused to work several times. owing
to the cold and exposure, and that at
one time. when men were needed on
deck, and in the rigging, but two re-
sponded. The captain had to use meas
ures to make them work in order to
save the ship and their lives. Mahoney
said that two men had been in irons
during the voyage. one of them. the
second mate. and the other a seaman.
They We're not kept in irons long, and
were not abused otherwise.
Several other members of the crew
stated in substance the same. They
said that the captain had not abused
the negro seaman. and that when the
pinch came for food he divided his pri-
vate supply with them.
Capt. A. f. Mobiles, representing
Troop & Sons. of st. Johns, N. B.,
owners of the vessel. who has been
here six weeks waiting to go in her as
master, said that he will take charge
to-day after Capt. Sutlis has straight
ened out his papers and accounts and
will pay the crew off.
Capt MOBILES said that the men had
several months wages due them, and
quite a neat sum will be divided
amongst them. When asked why the
men wanted to leave the vessel, Capt.
Mobiles said: The most of these men
signed for three years aboard the Nell
lie Troop for voyages foreign, the re-
turn to be to a point in the United
Kingdom or provinces, but as they had
been in the ship a long time and were
dissatisfied, he thought it best to let
them break the contract, though ne
contended that he could hold them to
their agreements" He will secure an
other crew, and will take the bark
North from here.
The Troop sailed from New York for
Sidney, Australia, a year ago last
July. From Sydney she went to New
Castle and thence to Valparaiso, Chilli.
Capt. Utley, her master, died when
100 days out from New York, and while
the vessel was rounding Cape Good
Hope. Capt. Sutlis was then first mate
and succeeded to the command of the
ship.