The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-10-03
CANAL HANDS CLUBBED
Laborers From Martinique Forcibly
Elected From Ship at Colon.
PREFERRED DEATH TO LANDING
Panaman Police clubbed the Men
Right and Left, Many Receiving
Uqly Wounds - Fifty Jumped Into
Sea, But All Could Swim.

Colon. oct. Six hundred and nifty
laborers from Martinique, brought
here Friday on the French steam n
Versailles. under contract to work Oh
the canal. refused to disembark or to
submit to vaccination. which Is IN
perative under the American sanitary
regulations. They clamOred TO De
taken back to Martinique. asserting
that they had been misinformed as "
the conditions here before they EN-
barked and that later they learned
these conditions were intolerable ara
deadly.
Saturday morning however. 5NO oil
them we're with difficulty persuaded 10
land. and these were sent 10 points
along the line of the canal one hun
dred and fifty remained on board ana
declined TO leave the ship under any
consideration. These were iorcibly
elected from the vessel by Panaman
and canal zone policemen. but not
until nearly every enc of them had
been dubbed and several were bleed
ing from nasty wounds.
NJ Bonhenry. the French consul ap-
pealed to the men to listen 10 reason.
explaining that they had left Mar
tiuioue under contract with the canal
zone emigration agent guaranteeing
the payment OF their passage here ana
that while working on the canal they
would have in addition 10 their wages
the guarantee Of free quarters and free
medical attention. The men. however.
were not amenable TO this reasoning.
Despite the information given them by
several of their countrymen that
health and other conditions on the
Isthmus were satisfactory and that
the terms of their employment would
enable them to save money they per
sistently refused TO leave the ship,
barring their breasts and invoking
death in preference to going ashore.
At theinstance of VI. Raven. the
agent OF the company. and OF the
French consul. a squad of y Panaman
police went on board the vessel and
told the men that force would be used
if they persisted in their refusal To
disembaIk. Seeing that the police we're
armed with bayOnets and guns, the
men again barred their breasts and
said they preferred death rather than
be taken ashore.
They were given two hours to re-
consider their decision. and two OF
them consented to disembark. the
others still holding out. Then the Pan
aman police. armed with clubs. ap-
preached the laborers, and o ntheir
refusing 70 leave the ship, began 10
club them right and left. The zone
police a few minutes later assisted in
the clubbing. but with better judgment
and less unfortunately About 30 Of
the laborers leaped into the sea. but
all Of the men were able 10 swim. The
captain. however. lowered a boat
which picked up the men. Nearly
every man had received blows, and
several of them were bleeding from
ugly wounds
Seeing that resistance was useless.
the me 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. All the IA
borers. who we're in a pitiable condi-
ton. were placed on board a train,
which left for Corozal, where they Will
l -