Lord Gough to Mr.
Olney.
British
Embassy,
Newport, R.
I., September 26,
1895.
My Dear Mr. Olney: On the 10th of last month
you were good enough to give me an opportunity of bringing before you,
in a friendly and unofficial manner, the distressing situation of Mr.
James Bain, formerly purser of the steamship Engineer, with a view to his obtaining, if possible, a
voluntary grant of compensation.
In further explanation of the above case, I am requested by Her Majesty’s
ambassador, who is just leaving for Canada, to inclose papers just
received from the foreign office, viz: (1) Certificate of Dr. F. F.
Paul, an eminent Liverpool surgeon, under whose care Mr. Bain was [Page 688] placed at the Liverpool Royal
Infirmary; (2) certificate of Messrs. Richard Bulman, & Co., brokers
of the Harrison Line steamers, in whose employ Mr. Bain had been for
fourteen years; (3) personal affidavit made before the United States
consul at Liverpool.
I am also to suggest that, under all the circumstances of the case, £500
would be a reasonable amount as compensation to Mr. Bain for the
injuries he has received.
Believe me, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Statement of Richard Bulman & Co.
Liverpool, W., September 6,
1895.
This is to certify that Mr. James H. Bain has been employed for the
past fourteen years as purser in the steamers of the Harrison Line,
trading between Liverpool, West Indies, Mexico, and New Orleans.
During the said period Mr. Bain was under our inspection, and was in
good health.
On the 12th March, 1895, Mr. James H. Bain was shot on the wharves at
New Orleans while in the performance of his duties as purser of the
Harrison Line steamer Engineer (steamship).
He was immediately taken to the Torro Infirmary, New Orleans, where
his wounds were attended to, and on the 21st March he was sent to
Liverpool in the steamer Orion, and arrived
on the 11th April.
Under medical advice he went into the Royal Infirmary, Liverpool, and
underwent a surgical operation.
On the 8th June, 1895, Mr. James H. Bain, although not sufficiently
recovered from his injuries to resume his duties as purser, made a
voyage in the Harrison Line steamer Astronomer to West Indies and Pensacola, rather than
submit to permanent loss of employment. Mr. Bain returned to
Liverpool on the 3d September and is still in impaired health and
unable to discharge his duty as purser as efficiently as he did
previous to being shot.
On this 6th day of September, 1895, personally came and appeared
before me, Richard Bulman, a member of the firm of Richard
Bulman & Co., of Liverpool, and made oath to the truth of
the foregoing statement.
Given under my hand and seal this 6th
September, 1895.
[
seal.]
W. J. Sulis,
Vice and Deputy Consul of the United States of America
at Liverpool.
[Inclosure 2.]
Certificate of Surg. F. F. Paul.
Liverpool, September 5,
1895.
This is to certify that Mr. James H. Bain, aged 36, came under my
care at the Liverpool Royal Infirmary on April 17, 1895, complaining
of pains in the head and some interference with the sight of the
right eye, the result of gunshot injuries sustained in New Orleans
on March 12, 1895.
On admission I found marks of four shot on the scalp, one near the
right eye, one in the neck, and one in the right arm.
Careful examination under chloroform only enabled me to discover one
shot in the scalp, which I removed. The others were deeply placed
and concealed in the tissues, and I considered it best not to cut in
search of them. At the present time he is in good general health.
Most of the injuries are painless, and will probably not cause any
future trouble; but the shot in the right orbit is probably near the
base of the brain, and is, in my judgment, the cause of the pains in
the head from which he sunders and of the difficulty he experiences
in using the right eye.
He is likely in consequence of this to suffer from some slight
permanent disablement.
F. F. Paul, F. R. C. S.,
Surgeon to the Royal Infirmary and Professor
in Medical Jurisprudence, Victoria University.
[Page 689]
[Inclosure 3.]
Affidavit of James H. Bain.
Liverpool, September 7,
1895.
I, James H. Bain, of Liverpool, England, do solemnly swear that I was
purser of the Harrison Line steamer Engineer,
which steamer left Liverpool on the 19th January last, calling at
Mexican ports and New Orleans, at which latter port she arrived on
the 2d March, 1895, to load cotton, etc., for Liverpool.
That on the 12th March, shortly after 7 o’clock a.m., whilst stepping
off the steamer on to the wharf in the discharge of my duties as
purser, I was shot and wounded in several parts of my head and in my
right arm by a body of men armed with rifles, shotguns, and
revolvers, who, without provocation or warning, came up the wharves
and attacked me and the laborers at work at said steamship.
I was unconscious and sent to the hospital, where I have been under
treatment of the doctors, and suffered much from my wounds.
Oh the 21st March I was sent to Liverpool in the steamship Orion, and arrived on the 11th April,
1895.
On the 17th April, 1895, I went into the Royal Infirmary for further
treatment of my wounds, and underwent a slight operation in the
scalp. The shot in the orbit remaining in me cause much pain and
interference in the use of my sight.
I am 36 years of age and married. My salary when serving on board the
steamship Engineer as purser was £72 per
year, and in addition to said sum as said purser I was enabled to
make about £80 per year. I have been put to considerable expense in
the payment of hospital expenses, medical and surgical attendance,
and other incidental expenses amounting to about £11. I am
permanently injured, I fear, and my pains are always with me, and
was unable to follow my calling as a purser or do anything else for
the space of three months after being shot.
Subscribed and sworn to by the aforenamed James H. Bain, at the
United States consulate, 26 Chapel street, Liverpool, England,
this 7th day of September, 1895, before me.
[
seal.]
James E. Neal,
Consul of the United States, Liverpool,
England.
