The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-02
UNFORTUNATES PARED
 BREASTS REFERRING ID
 DIE RATHER THAN LAND
When All Were Finally Ashore in PitiabIe Condition They Were Loaded on Train for Coro- sal, Where They Will
 Be Put to Work.

Colon, October 1-six hundred and fifty laborers from Martinique, brought here Friday on the French steamer Versailles under contract to work on the canal, re- fused to disembark and to submit to vac cination, which is imperative under the American sanitary regulations. They clamored to be taken back to Martinique. asserting that they had been misnform- ed as to the conditions here before they embarked and that later they learned the conditions were ntolerable and dead- ly.
 Yesterday morning, however 300 of them were with difficulty persuaded to land, and these were sent to points along the line of the canal One hundred and fifty remained on board and declined to leave the ship under any consideration. These were forcibly ejected from the vessel this afternoon by Panamian and canal zone policemen, but not until nearly every one
 of them had been clubbed and several
 were bleeding from nasty wounds.
 Guarded by Policemen. l All of yesterday and last night the Ver- sailles was guarded by Panamian police men. Early this morning the French consul at Colon, M. Bonhenry, appealed to the men to listen to reason, explain ing that they had left Martinique under rO Opt acf wit bp raj milf agent guaranteeing the payment of their passage here. and that while working on the canal they would have in addition to their wages, the guarantee of free quar- ters and free medical attention. The men, however, were not amenable to this reas-
 oning. Notwithstanding the efforts of the consul and of the Panamian and American officials and despite the information 1 given them by several of their country men, that health and other conditions on | the isthmus were satisfactory and that | the terms of their employment would en-
 able them to save money, they persistent l ly refused to leave the ship, invoking
 death in preference to going ashore, Displayed Great Patience. l The captain of the Versailles, who all | through the trouble displayed an extra
 ordinary amount of patience, told the
 men that he was ready to take back to 1 Martinique all those who were able to l pay their passage, but the men argued
 that the French government would be l willing to reimburse the steamship com l pany and that they themselves were pen ! niless Before noon, at the instance of
 M Raven, the agent of the company, and l a French consul, d squad of twelve po- I lice went on board the vessel and told the
 men that force would be used if they per
 sisted in their refusal to disembark. See
 ing that the police were armed with bay
 onets and guns. the men again barred their breasts and said they preferred death rather than be taken ashore. Gov
 ernor Melendez, Mayor Aldron, the chief
 of police and others argued with the
 men, but again without effect.
 Canal Zone Police Are Used. l Ten additional policemen arrived at tho
 wharf, but the governor. wishing to avoid
 bloodshed and considering that the police
 force was insufficient, telegraphed to
 President Amador, asking permission to
 use the canal zone police, to which the
 
 | policemen from the zone had arrived at
 the dock and were being held in readi-
 ness.
 Two Hours to Consider. At o'clock the loborers were informed | that they would be given two hours to
 reconsider their decision and at o'clock three of them consented to dsembark. the others still holding out. Then the | Panamian police, armed with clubs, ap- | preached the laborers. and on their re- fusing to quit the snip began to club | them right and left. The zone police | few minutes later assisted in the clubbing, I but with better judgment and less indis- l crlminately About fifty of the laborers leaped into the sea, but all of the men were able to swim. The captain how ever, lowered boat, which picked them up. Nearly every man had received | blows and several of them were bleeding | from ugly wounds. Seeing that resist. | ance was useless. the men yielded. came | ashore and began to eat the food which
 had been placed on the dock in sight of | them for several hours Many of them | had not eaten since Saturday. At 5 o'clock all the laborers. who were in a pitiable condition. were placed on board | a train which left for Corosal. where | they will be put to work