The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-06-07
FISHERMEN TELL STORY
OF CAPTURE BY MEXICO

]
their homes this afternoon at 3
o'clock.
The captain of the Pensacola boat
and his crew were kept in jail for "a
/ hours. they being the only crew
| thrown in prison outright. However.
| the other men we're inhumanly treat
ed for no offense whatever, as Will De
| presently seen. Their cargo OF nsh
was sold by the Mexicans at 10 cents
fish. The smack, after being bad
ly smashed by another vessel while
| lying at anchor in the harbor, was
taken to Vera Cruz. The other two
boats are doubtless there by this
time. as arrangements were being
made to remove them to that harbor
when the Americans departed.
The captain and crew of the
schooner D. L. Taft of Mobile were
arrested on April II, their capture
being affected in the same manner as
was the other seizures. This boat
was u miles from the reef and was
v est of the position occupied by the
other vessels when they were taken
in. Capt. Reax Lynbarg was in COM
mand of the Mobile boat, and he
brought six of his crew of seven men
here to-day. Manager Mum wired
the Mobile firm about transportation
for the men and they will all doubt
less leave for their homes tonight.
Altogether the American sailors
are glad to once more put foot on
soil in this country after the hardsnips
through which the most of them have
gone since being arrested in the open
sea and compelled to face charges Of
which they were not in the least way
guilty. Stories of the most inhuman
treatment at the hands of the Mexi-
cans are told by the fishermen.
First Mate Joseph Weeks of the
Gulf Fisheries boat Lizzie B. Adams
related to the Tribune reporter in
stances of suffering and mistreat-
ment by the Mexican officials and
the jailors of that country which are
as cruel and sickening as the most
hrOrible outrages ever perpetrated by
the Spaniards during their regime
in Cuba, save that none of the
Americans were murdered.
After We had been taken before
the custom house men," said Weeks,
and the American consul had fur
nished bail for our release, we were
followed about the streets by police
men who carried a large club on one |
side and a pistol big enough to kill |
Texas steer a mile away on the |
other, and whenever one of US were
seen to laugh or began talking among |
ourselves We were rearrested and |
thrown into the most horrible den
imaginable. Nine Of the Adams crew
were locked up in this manner for
no offense at all, and our suffering |
for the Is days to which they SEN
fenced us was almost uncomfortable. /
But for aid from friends on the out /
side We would not have lived two
weeks"
The mate said that the Mexicans
were only given one day in Jail for
even for cutting af- !,
trays, but for laughing or talking on
the streets they were sentenced to /
serve Is days in a jail built Of solid |
rock. with but one door and q small |
window to furnish ventilation. This |
building is 80 by Is feet and from 40
TO so men were kept in there at a
time. Negroes, drunken men and /
every imaginable character were
kept in the lOathsome place where /
ne AulClACduo were LOICCu 10 SIdA-
I'VE were given bracKish water to
drink" continued the mate, and had
we not been able to get friends from
the outside 70 bring us money with
which we could buy water We would
have persisted. The water sold for
IL cents a bucket and I saw several
poor fellows in the prison where we
were kept suffering with fever
brought on by having to drink the
sloppy salt water furnished them. The
American consul finally had us re-
leased after we had been In prison
for nine days"
The men were furnished with hard
boards TO sleep on. unless they pre-
ferred to lie on the rock floor. Every
where vermin could be seen crawling
and the stencil from improper toilet
almost drove the
men crazy. They had 70 take their
from their bodies and by
holding their nostrils close to the
Ears across the small window they
,Ould get a breath Of fresh air and
Keep from smothering. Food was
furnished them by Americans on the
The Americans had but one change {
If clothing during the FIVE weeks
hey were held in Progresso; this /
vas furnished by the American con. I
sui They were not allowed to get {
heir clothing from the boats until (
he day before sailing, and then it {
vas discovered that almost every ,
hing had' been stolen by the guards '
EFT on the ships.
A letter written by the American