The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-10-05
FORCED LABORERS
TO go TO WORK
w Gsonpeiled
Land BY Policemen At
Colon. II
DISTRESSING SCENE
Six Hundred and Fifty Worknien
Brought to work on the Canal
Changed Their Minds and
Clamored TO Go Back.

Colon, Oct. 3.-Six hundred and hfb
laborers from Martinique, brought here
Friday on the French steamer Ver
sailies nna.sfSc ontract$toSsWor on thu
canal, refused to disembarls Or toSsubsas
NIT to vaccination, which Is imperative
under the American sanitary regula-s
tons. They clamored to be taken back
tic Martinique, asserting that they had
been misinformed as to h conditions
here before they embarked, and that
later they learned that these conditions
were intolerable and deadly. Saturday
morning, however, 800 OF them We're
with difficulty persuaded to land, and
these We're sent to points along the
line of the canal. One hundred and fifty
remained on board and declined to
leave the ship under any considerations.
These were forcibly elected from the
vessel this afternoon by Panama and
canal zone policemen, but not until
nearly everyone of them had been
dubbed and several We're bleeding from
nasty wounds. All Of yesterday and
last night the Versailles We're guarded
by Panama policemen.
EARLY yesterday morning h French
consul at Colon, M. Bonhenry, appealed
to the men to listen to reason, explain
ing that they had left Martinique under
contract with the canal zone emigra-
ton agent, guaranteeing the payment
of their passage here, and that while
working on the canal they would have.
in additionato their wages, the guaran-
tee of free quarters and free medical
attention.
The men, however, We're not an
swerable to this reasoning. NotWith-
standing the efforts Of the onsul and
others, and despite the information
given them by several of their country
men hat health and other conditions
on the isthmus We're satisfactory and
that the terms of their employment
would enable them to save money, h e
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
themselves We're penniless. Before noon,
at the instance of M. Raven, the agent
of the company, and the French con-
sui, a squad of twelve police went
aboard the vessel and old the men
that force would be used il they per-
sisted in their refusal to disembark.
Seeing that the police We're armed with
bayonets n guns the men again barred
their breasts and said they preferred
death rather than to be taken ashore.
Governor Melendez, Mayor Aldron, the
chief Of police and others argued with
the men, but Without avail. Ten more
policemen arrived at the wharf, but
the governor, wishing to avoid blood
shed and considering that the police
force was insufficient, wired President
Anlador asking permission to use the
canal zone police, to which the presi-
dent consented. In the meantime twelve
policemen from the one had arrived
at the dock and were being held in
readiness.
At 2 o'clock the laborers We're in
formed that they would be given two
hours to reconsider their decision, and
at 4 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 q few minutes later
assisted in the clubbing, but with bet
ter Judgment and less indiscriminately.
About fifty Of the laborers leaped into
the sea, but all of the men were able to
swim. The captain, however, lowered
q boat, which picked them up. Nearly
every man had received blows and sew
| eral Of them were bleeding from ugly
Wounds. :
Seeing hat resistance was useless
they then yielded, came ashore and be-
gan to eat the food which lac been
placed on the dock in sight of them for
several hours. Many Of them had not
eaten since Saturday.
At s o'clock all the laborers, who
were in a pitiable condition, were
placed on a train which left for Coro-
zal, where they will be put to work.