Year: 1871

Tho HOrrsxs Of tho Ship Neptune.


The dreadful story of the cruel treatment Of
q number of sailors on board the ship Neptuna
by the captain and his mates, ON the voyage
from Liverpool, to this port excites at this
moment great interest," and naturally great
indignation. The vessel and its captain enjoy
most unenviable reputation with regard to
the savage treatment which the crew and pas
sengers have been subjected to on previous
voyages. Captain Peabody has once before
been charged in our courts with brutal treat
ment to his crew, and, if we mistake not, with
charges of worse treatment to the deck pas
sengers, and yet has escaped punishment by
some legal flaw. We hope that justice will be
done in this case fully and without favor be-
cause of the position of the criminal or the
company which employs him. 1t is truly a
horrible story, as already published in our news
columns. Six seameR, frost-bitten in the hands
and feet, and rendered wholly incapable Of doing
ordinary seaman's service, were forced to 60
aloft. Their swollen hands refused to keep
grip upon spar or rope. With the intensest
agony they endeavored to perform the duty
allotted to them, although they had besought
the officers not to send them to work which
their poor frozen limbs could not accomplish.
Their remonstrances were met with blows
from marlinspikes, kicks and cuffs from the
captain and the mates and other brutal treat
ment The result was that when the ship
came into this port, at the foot of Beekman
street, these six unfortunate wretches were
found by the police in most abject condition
hustled together in a dark hole in the FORE
castle of the vessel without ventilation or light,
suffering terrible torments and crying piteously
for help. The captain and his officers had
meantime gone coolly ashore without paying
any attention to the unhappy seamen. For
tunately in this case there is the evidence OF
the police officers to prove the facts. 1t too
often happens that in cases of this kind the
only evidence is that of the seamen them
selves, which can be easily set aside by the
influence of the parties interested on the side
of the shipowner. Here is different case;
we have the positive evidence of the police
records, and Of the officers employed in con-
veying the victims to the hospital, so that
there can be no mistake as to the cruelty exer-
cised by Captain Peabody and the officers act.
ing under his authority. If they can clear
themselves from the charges SO much the bet
ter for them and for the reputation of the line
which employs them.


Regarding this simply as an isolated case Of
brutality on the part of commanders of ships
it is bad enough but we know that it is not.
Singular instances Of cruelty or barbarity are
common in the merchant service, and therefore
it is necessary that some measures should be
adopted to put stop to this hideous reign of
terror which rules the decks of our merchant
ships, making life torture to all who have
the misfortune to be on board of them. The
case against Captain Peabody appears to be
clear enough. The District Attorney has evil
dence in his hands sufficient to make case for
indictment, we have no doubt. We want
good, strong example to prove to captains Of
vessels that although they are despots at sea,
and can indulge in all kinds of brutality, they
are amenable to the law when they put their
feet on land.