Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-10-05

Laborers From Martinique Refuse
to Land at Colon.
STARVED and CLUBDED OFF The SHIP
'vvhen They Discovered the COndH-
lions ON the ISthmuS They
Asked to BE Returned to
Their Homes.

Colon, Oct. 2.--Laborers from Mar
ainiuue who arrived here on the French
Zine steamer Versailles are giving muci
trouble. They refused to disembarl
or to submit to vaccination which II
imperative under the American SAM
tary regulations and clamored to d.
taken back to Martinique, contendine
that they had been misinformed as tc
the conditions here, which they saio
were intolerable and deadly. Five
hundred Of them were with difficulty
persuaded to disembark Saturday
morning 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 elected from the vessel Sunday
afternoon, by Panaman and canal zone
policemen, but not until nearly every
one Of them had been dubbed and
several were bleeding from nasty
wounds. All of Saturday and Saturday
night the Versailles was guarded by
Panaman policemen.
Early Sunday morning the French
consul at Colon, NJ Bonhenry, appealed
to the men to listen to reason, explain
ing that they had left Martinique under
contract with the canal zone emigra-
tion agent guaranteeing the payment
of their passage here and that while
working on the canal they would have
in addition to their wages a guarantee
of free quarters and free medical at
tendance.
The men, however, were not answer
able to this reasoning, Notwithstand.
ing the efforts of the consul and of
the Penaman and American officials
and despite the information given them
by several of their countrymen that
health and other conditions on the
isthmus were satisfactorily and that
the terms of their employment would
enable them to save money, they pre-
sistently refused to leave the ship,
barring their breasts and invoking
death in preference to going ashore.
The captain of the Versailles who
all through the trouble displayed an eK-
traordinary amount of patience, told
the men that he was ready to take
back to Martinique all these who
were able to pay their passage, but the
men argued that the French govern
ment would be willing to reimburse the
steamship company, and that they
themselves were penniless
Before noon, at the instance of NJ
Raven, the agent of the company, and
q French consul, squad Of IL police
went on board the vessel and told the
men that force would be used II they
persisted In their refusal to disembark.
Seeing that the police were armed
with bayonets and guns the men again
barred their breasts and said they pre-
ferred death father than be taken
ashore Gov Melendez, Mayor Aldron
the chief Of police and others argued
with the men, but again without effect.
Ten additional policemen arrived
ct the wharf, but the governor, wish.
ing to avoid bloodshed, and consid.
ering that the police force was insult.
ihcient, telegraphed to President Am.
ador, asking permission to use the
canal zone police, to which the pres.
ident consented. Meantime 10 DO.
hcemen from the zone had arrived
at the dock and were being held In |
readiness.
At 2 o'clock the laborers were in,
formed that they would be given
two hours to reconsider their decls. |
Ion, and vt o'clock three of them
consented to disembark, the others
still holding out. Then the Panama
police, armed with clubs, approached
the laborers, and on their refusing to |
quit the ship, began to club them
right and left
The zone police few minutes later
assisted in the clubbing, but with bet.
ter judgment and less indiscriminate.
~. About so Of the laborers leaped |
into the sea, but all Of the men were
able to swim. The captain, however,
lowered a boat which picked them
mp, Nearly every man had received
blows and several of them were bleed.
ing from ugly wounds.
Seeing that resistance was useless,
the men yielded, came ashore and be.
gan 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 81
O'Clock all the laborers, who were in
. pitiable condition, were placed on
board train which left for Corozal
where they will be put to work.
Arbitrator Decides for Carpenters.
Boston, Oct monday 5000 union
l..