The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-12-05 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

ILL-TREATMENT OF STuWAWAYS.  Afew months ago we had to record a ea.e of cruelty so shocking as to be almost incredible (remarks the Daily News). The captain of a vessel bound from Greenock to Quebec, was accused of having forced five half-naked boys to leave his ship when imbedded in the ice off the coast of Newfoundland, and to make the beet of their way to the shore. Two of these lads died —one by drowning, the other from exposure. The survivors were rescued with difficulty by some persons who put off from the shore in a boat. On returning to this country the survivors told their piteous tale, the result being that the captain and mate of the vessel were taken into custody. Since then they have been put on their trial, have made their defence, have been found guilty, and received their sentence. Stated in the simplest manner the bare facts are enough to excite sympathy with the sufferers and detestation for the accused. During the trial, however, the offences of Robert Watt, the captain, and James Kerr, the mate of the ship Arran, were shown to be even more aggravated than wuld have been supposed. The circumstances of the case, as uarratedin open court, are these :—Five lads, of whom the eldest was 16 and the youngest II years of age, stowed themselves on board the Arran on the 7th of teat April. After the vessel was fairly on her way they came forth from their hiding-place. For four days they gave but little trouble to any on board, being prostrated with sickness. On recovering they became blowy, but could get little to eat. One of them having been uncleanly was flogged by the mate with a lead-line half an inch thick. After the mate had ended the flogging, the captain ordered bucketsful of cold water to be thrown over him, after which he scrubbed his naked body with a hard broom. This brutal punishment was afterwards repeated. At last, when the ship was surrounded with ice, two of the lads thought it better to face the danger of walking over the ice to the shore than to remain on board and be flogged and starved. The others declined to join them. As farm as the project became known, Captain Watt ordered them to execute it, compelling the whole to go in a body, saying to one "that he might as well die on the ice as on the vessel, as he would get no meat till they came to Quebec." Two of the lads were barefooted. All were scantily clad. One biscuit was given to each. No one on board the vessel could see the shore, while all could see that the ice was broken and intersected with wide fissures. The open water soon claimed a victim, for Hugh M 'Ewan, aged eleven, after falling twice and getting out again, fell in a third time, and was seen no more. It was known that this lad was feeble, as he spat blood while on board the vessel. Two or three hours afterwards another, named M`Ginnes. aged twelve, sat down; his comrades tried to induce him to move, but failed, as his strength was gone, and they had to leave loin to his fate seated on the ice, ant crying bitterly. It was between eight and nine o'clock in the morning that the lads were thrust forth by Captain Watt ; at seven o'clock in the evening they reached a channel, a mile broad, on the opposite side of which they saw land , and houses. A woman perceived them, gave the ' alarm, and in a short time afterwards they were rescued by five men who put off in a boat. One was blind for a week after; the toes of the others were I frostbitten. The marvel is that any of them escaped to tell the story of their sufferings. If we (continues the Wily News) had to guess the defence of the captain and Use mate, we should suppose that they would have endeavoured to convince the jury that they were temporarily irreaponsilde for their actions. Very different was their conduct. Witnesses were summoned to prove that they were kind and tender-hearted men, and incapable of acting with cruelty. A clergyman vouched for the piety of Captain Watt. The verdict of the jury was that Captain Watt had not committed an assault, but that , the mats was guilty of so doing' that the captain was guilty of culpable homicide, and of compelling the boys