BRUTALITY AT SEA.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2848, 11 May 1882, Page 2

BRUTALITY AT SEA.

“Jacob Terry ’’ writes! to the “Otago Daily Times ” from Sun Francisco -r“ A trial is in progress, in the United States Circuit Court here, which discloses a measure’ of brutality to seamen, utterly unparalleled. Captain Sparks, of the American barque Gatherer, is now on trial, and he is with difficulty protected from tho indignation of the spectators daily. The brutality on shipboard drove one maU to commit suicide; another either fell or jumped into tire, sea, and others have been permanently disabled. The unfortunate wretches were also subjected to outrages upon tho deck which would have put Sodom and Gomorrah to tho blush. The chief actors were tho chief mate, Mr Walts, who escaped on arriving ar Wilmington, in this State, and is on hoard a grain ship for England, and the second mate, Cornelius Curtis, who is in custody. The victims are mostly Dutch and Scandinavians, and their consuls have got tho matter in hand. Two other cases of cruelty to seamen have been brought before the United States authorities since tho Gatherer arrived, one being on. a sister vessel, also from Antwerp to Wilmington. An

English ship captain has likewise been charged with cruelty by his seamen. Nothing, in fact, can exceed the brutality of these officers, allround. The disposition in the United States Courts here, at all events, is to deny protection to sailors, but the newspapers got these cases in hand and compel the authorities to act. Wholesale crimping is practised at this port, and sailors are robbed in the most barefaced manner, but the United States Shipping Commissioner does not take any effectual steps to protect them. There is more money in shielding the sailor boarding-house-keepers, I suppose. Complaints of the English consular establishment have also found their way into print. There are 26 grain laden vessels in the stream waiting crews, and the captains are apparently at the mercy of the boardinghouse ring. The majority of these are British ships.