Bridlington and Quay Gazette. — 1885-12-12 (Bridlington, Humberside, England)

TERRIBLE STORY OF MUTINY.  A Dublin correspondent telegraphs the substance of a letter received there from the steward of a steamer in China, which was chartered by the Chinese 10overnment for the conveyance of troops; but as levery effort was made to hush the affair up, he desires that the name of the vessel should not be given. The correepondent, in. ,ever, says that the writer LI I a highly respectable man, well known, and that there is no reason to doubt his statement. He says the steamer was chartered at Amoy to carry to Hankow 2,500 Black Flag troops who had been disbanded from the Tonquin war. On their march to Amoy they had committed fearful murders and atrocities, and the Government were very anxious to get them I cad of the place. At the embarkation about 1,000 of I them were disarmed, but the rest crowded on board too fast, and the idea of disarming them all had to I be abandoned. Many of them were drunk and I carried liquor with them, and were fit for any mi.- , chief. The ships were crowded to excess, every foot I of space both on deck and below being packed. After the steamer got outside, the Black Flags commenced I gambling among themselves as usual, and acme of I them appeared to have plenty of money about them. All night long they were quarrelling, fighting, and murdering each other. Numbers of bodies were thrown overboard alive or dead. Some were slabbed, others were strangled, and none of the ship's crew I could interfere. The writer himself saw three I murdered men pitched overboard during the night. ' When morning came dozens of dead bodies were thrown overboard, aome of them having been smothered, squeezed to death, or died from want of water. A party of the Black Flags seized the water on board, and, guarding it, refused any to the crew. A fearful struggle followed on the Mbar Black Flags trying togot near the eraser. The heat was fearful, and may died from thirst. The Bleak Flags destroyed all the food, threw the riot overboard, and I the cooking apparatus, and threatened to kal the I rooks. They eventually began to drink sea-weave, and resorted to other means to satiate their %kb*. I The sailors, who were fearfully parched, crawlsel I down to the engine-room, and got condensed water Ito drink. After a while things became still more I serious, and the Black Flags threatened to kill the crew, drawing knives across their at throats to convey their meaning. They srucee,eded in getting hold , of the captain by the beard, and held a knife to his , throat. Eventually, however, the vessel was put back to Annoy, where a British wax vessel was I anchored. The commander of the latter prepared to sweep the steamer's deck with his Gatlings, and eventually boarded her. A number of soldiers were then standing on deck, with black flags hoisted on spears. Tv, Chinese gunboats subsequently arrived and to k off the Black Flags, those refusing to leave being thrown overboard and left to get to land as they could. Six of the leading Black Flags were at once beheaded, and 100 badinadoed. Fiveballes of the soldiers were afterwards found in the lower hold, they having been crushed to death.