The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-02
CLUBBED TO
 A STANDSTILL Strenuous Times on the
 Versailles. POLICEMEN vS. LAB0RERS Martinique Men Refused to
 DiSembark. Were Under Contract to work on Panama Canal, But Baked at Vaccination Upon Reach

Colon, oct. 1-Six hundred and fifty laborers from Martinique, brought here Friday on the French steamer Versail- les under contract to work on the canal, refused to disembark to submit to vac- cination which Is imperative under the American sanitary regulations. They ciamored to be taken back to Martin ique, asserting that they had been mis- informed as to the conditions here be- fore they embarked and that later they learned the conditions were intolerable and deadly.
 Yesterday morning, however. 800 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 Panama and Canal Zone policemen,
 but not until nearly every one of them
 had been clubbed and several were
 bleeding from nasty wounds. All of yesterday and last night the Versailles was guarded by Panaman policemen.
 Early this morning the French Con sul at Colon. M. Bonhenry, appealed to the men to listen to reason. explaining
 that they had left Martinique under contract with the canal zone emigra- ton agent guaranteeing the payment
 
 working on the canal they would have in addition to their wages, the guaran- tee of free quarters and free medical attention. Notwithstanding the efforts of the Consul and of the Panaman and American officials. and despite the in- formation given them by several of their countrymen that health and other conditions on the Isthmus were satis- factory and that the terms of their em-
 ployment would enable them to save money, they persistently 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 extra
 ordinary amount of patience. told the
 men that he was ready to take back
 to Martinique all those who were able
 to pay their passage, but the men ar-
 gued that the French Government
 would be willing to reimburse the steamship company and that they them selves were pennifess.
 Men Preferred Death.
 Just before noon, at the instance of M. Raven, the agent of the company and the French consul a squad of twelve police went on board the ves- sel and told the men that force would be used if they persisted in their re- fusal to disembark. Seeing that the pOIICc WSTc WltH pdyOHelS anu guns, the men again barred their breasts
 and said they preferred death rather than be taken ashore. Governor Me- lendez, Mayor Aldron, the chief of po- lice 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, tele-
 graphed to President Amador, asking
 permission to use the canal zone po- lice, to which the President consented Meantime twelve policemen 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 decision and
 disembark, the others still holding out.
 Then the Panama policemen armed with clubs, approached the laborers and on their refusing to quite the ship began to club them right and left The zone policemen a few minutes later | assisted in the clubbing. but with bet ter judgment and less indiscrimina- | tion. About fifty of the laborers leap
 ed into the sea, but all of the men
 were able to swim. The captain, how ever. lowered a boat, which picked them up. Nearly every man had re- ceived blows and several of them were l bleeding from ugly wounds. Seeing
 that resistance 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 o'clock all of the laborers. who were in a pitiable con- dition, were placed on board a tram
 which left for Corozal, where they will be put to work.