Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-10-03

ON ISTHMUS
Ship Load of Laborers Brought From
Martinique to Colon Refuse to
Land Until Force is Used.
CLUBS ARE FREELY USED
Men Bare Their Breasts and Say They
Prefer Death to Landing on
the lsthmus.

Colon, Oct. Six hundred and fifty
laborers from Martinique, brought
here Friday on the French steamer
Versailles, under contract to work on
the canal, refused to disembark or to
submit to vaccination, which is i'm
perative under the American sanitary
regulations. They clamored to be TAX
en- back TO Martinique, asserting that
they had been misinformed as to the
conditions here before they embarked,
and that later they learned these con-
ditions were intolerable and deadly.
Yesterday morning, however, 500 of
them were with difficulty persuaded
to land and these were sent to points
along the line of the canal One hun
dred and fifty remained on board and
declined to leave the ship under any
consideration. These were forcibly
elected from the vessel this afternoon
by Panaman and canal zone police
men, but not until nearly every one
OF them had been clubbed, and sew
eral were bleeding from nasty
wounds.
All of yesterday and last night the
Versailles was guarded by Panaman
policemen. Early this morning the
French consul at Colon, M. Bohenry,
appealed to the men to listen to rea-
son, explaining to the men that they
had left Martinique under contract
with the canal zone emigration ag-
ent guaranteeing them a payment of
their hero and that Whi1o
working on the canal they would have
in addition to their wages the guaran-
te OF free quarters, and free medical
attendance. The men, however, were
not answerable to this reasoning. Not
| withStanuing the efforts of the con-
! sui, OF the Panama and American Of
| ficials, and despite the information
given them by several of their coun-
trymen, that health and other cOndi-
! tons on the isthmuS We're satisfactory,
and that the terms of their employ
ment would enable them to save mon
| ey, they persistently refused to leave
the ship, bearing their breasts and in
voling death in preference to going
ashore.
Captain is Patient.
The captain of the vessel displayed
an extraordinary amount of patience
and told the men that he was ready
to take back to Martinique all those
who were able to pay their passage,
but the men argued that the French
government would be willing to re-
imburse the steamship company, and
that they were pennileSs.
Before noon, at the instance of M.
Raver, the agent of. the company, the
French consul, with squad of IL Do
| 1icnman hnorH tho
told the men that force would be used
if 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 preferred death rather than
to be taken ashore. Governor Melen-
deZ, Mayor Aldron, the chief of police
and others argued with the men, but
again without effect.
Ten additional policemen arrived at
the wharf, but the governor, wishing
to avoid bloodshed and considering
that the police force was Insufficient
telegraphed to President Amador, ask
ing permission to use the canal zone
police, to which the president con-
sented. Meantime IL policemen from
the zone had arrived at the dock and
were being held in readiness.
At IL o'clock the labOrers were in-
formed that they would be given two
hours to reconsider their decision, and
at 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 refusal to quit the ship
began to club them right and left.
The zone police, a few minutes lat
er. assisted in the clubbing, but with
better judgment and less indiscrimi-
nately. About so of the laborers leap
ed 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 we're bleed
Ing from ugly wounds.
Seeing that resistance was useless,
the men yielded, came ashore and be-
gan to eat food that had ben placed
on the dock in sight of them for sew
eral hours. Many Of them had not eat
en- since Saturday. At o'clock ali
of the laborers, who were in a pitiable
condition, were placed on board train
which left for Corozal, where they
were put to work.
The Gambling Cases.