The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-03-25 00:00:00

THE " LENNIE."

At the Bow-street Police-court, in London, on
Friday (the 17th), Matte° Cargalis, Paraschos Leonsis,
Pascale Caludis, Giovanni &wog Moros, Giovanni
Carcaris, George Kaicla, Georgios Angelos, Giuseppe
Lettes, Giovanni Canessa, Peter Petersen, and Charles
Renken were again placed before Sir Thomas Henry,
for further examination en the charges of mutiny and
murdering the Captain and mates of the English vessel
Lennie, on the high seas,

Mr. Poland prosecuted at the instance of the
Treasury; Mr. Sydney Woolf, on behalf of the Greek
Consulate, defended the Greek prisoners; and Mr. T.
Beard, on behalf of the Ottoman Consulate, defended
the Turks.—The following aocount of the proceedings
is taken from The Times :
Mr. Poland said it had been found necessary to call some
of the prisoners as witnesses. At present e was not lii i
position to mention more than one—the Austrtan, Lettee—
for much consideration was required in such an important.
matter.

Sir Thomas Henry said that it was most important that the
Treasury should decide correctly, and time should be given
them to make full inquiries.
Mr. Poland, with the assent of Sir Thomas Henry, called
Lettes, who was, of course, discharged.
Mr. Woolf said that, since the last hearing, Angelo's, who
was described as a Turk, was discovered to be a (reek, and
Calndia, who was supposed to be a Ureek, was in reality a
Turk. Therefore, he would appear for Angelo, and not
Calndia.

Mr. Beard said that he had received no further instruc-
tions from the Ottoman Consulate, but he could still watch
the case for Calndia.

Lettes preferred to have his evidence taken in Italian, but
in a little while he abandoned that tied gave it very intel-
ligibly in English, and in, apparently, a very straightforward
manner. He said: I am an Austrian, acted 22, and have
been seven years at sea. In October last! went from London
to Antwerp, and there joined the British shl.p Leunie I
went there with the prisoners now in court. Mr. Long, the
ship's agent, took recover. I signed the ship's articite as an
able seaman. I was in the chief mate's watch. Jill went
well for a considerable length of time after leaving Antwerp.
On the mprning of the aist of October I was in the chief
mate's watch from twelve to four o'clock. The captain and
the second mate came on deck during that watch. The
second mate's watch came on about half•past three. The
men in the chief mate's watch were the boatswain (Ca-
nesse), Charles Renken, Heide, and Angelo& Mores that
night was ill in his bunk, otherwise, under ordinary circum-
stances, he would have been in our watch. Maros did not
come up when the second mate's watch came. All the others
came up in the second mate's watela They cares up before
their time in order to put the ship about. The captain was
giving orders to that effeet, He was swearing because the
men could not pull the braces well. French Peter ;Oargalls),
Joe the cook (Carcaris), Big Harry (Caludis), Nicholas
(Leonsis), and I were pulling at the main braces on the
quarter-deck. The captain swore at us, and said, "Pull
those braces well." Big Harry then put his knife into the
captain's stomach. The captain was standing Close to the
cabin door. I was two feet from the captain. Big Harry
(Caludis) was talking Greek, so I did not understand what
he said. The second mate was at the poop. The capt iin
went to the poop and was stopped by French Peter (Cargalis)
who put his knife in front of the captain's head and stabbed
him backhanded. I did not see the knife, as it was dark

Sir Thomas Henry: Yon bad better clear that up, Mr.
Polond, for the witness sidd the captain was struck with the
knife.

Witness: I could not see what sort of a knife it was. The
captain stooping, French Peter stabbed him in the ribs. and
Big Harry caught hold of him and " heaved " him down on
deck, and took off his long boots and threff them on the deck.
I saw the captain's head all over blood, ad—d. blood was on the
desk.

By Sir Thomas Henry: The captain was still alive when
the boots were pulled off.

Examination resumed: I saw blood on the captain's head,
but I did not seen any on the captain's side or stomach I
then saw Cargalls. Carcaris, Leonsis, Caludis, and Kaida on
the main deck. They went down the stens to it. I saw the
second mate come towards the captain. He was crying, and,
putting his hands on the boatswain's neck, said, "Save my
life." The second mate tried to take the captain to the cabin,
and I saw Big Harry put a knife into him twice.

By Sir Thomas Henry I cannot say where he was stabbed.
I could not see.
Examination resumed: The second mate went forward
and called to the boatswain to save his life. He pushed him
away. Big Harry again stabbed him several times. The second
mate fell upon the deck. Some of the men took his boots off.
Ido not know who was at the wheel Kehl was there when
cue captain tem cue men to put the ship about. When the
second mate had fallen on dr ck the first mute had gone aloft
and was sitting on the middle of th,J foreyard. I did not
hear him give any orders. Lips (Kaida) followed the mate
up the rigging and fired four times at him. Alter the first
shot the mate said "Ha I" I ceuld not see whether Kaida
hit the first mate. He pointed the revolver at him. The chief
mate, after being fired at, lowered himself to the deck; and
when he got there, Joe the Cook (Career's) put the knife
through him many times—about 20 times. He stabbed him
all over the breast I could not see what sort of knife Career's
had. The chief mate, after being stabbed, fell on deck. I saw
blood on deck. French Peter then put his foot on the mate's
stomach and halt cut his head off Big Harry was quite close,
and so were the rest of the first five prisoners. They
then got ten fathoms of chain and fastened it on to the chief
mate's leg. I can't say who fastened it on, but no others
were there except the first five priseners They then "heaved"
him overboard. All his clothes were on, except his cap and
boots. Joe the Cook made fast the "cat block "to the leg of
the second mate, who was then dead I think Charley
Renken, the Englishman, was then at the wheel. I did not
see what beeanie of the captain. When the second mate was
thrown overboard I went down into the cabin. Nicholas
(Leong's) fastened the deors of the staircase leading up from
the cabin with rope, so that the persons below could not open
them. Peterson the Dane all this time was on the look out
forward. He went with Rentren to the coal locker. The
boatswain called them twice after the bodies had been
thrown overboard. He called to Peterson to go on the look-
out and Renken to go to the wheel I saw them then come
from the coal locker. All of us then went down into the
cabin. Moros was already down in his own bunk sick. Little
George (Angelos) also went down into the cabin. I relieved
Charley Reuken and took charge of the wheel. Renken gave
me the cour4e to sail—namely, sotth by east. Before the
morning on which the officers were killed I heard something
of this kind was to be done. All the first five prisoners talked
about the knife and the captain. I cannot understand Greek
but I heard them mention knife and captain in Greek,
which I understood. They were swearing in Greek about a
cuckold captain. I just understood that. I did not gee
who washed the blood off Moe deck. I saw Joe the Cook,
and Lips, take off the name of the ship by painting over
it. I was relieved from the wheel at about eight o'clock.
After this the steward had charge of the vessel, and the
boatswain waaofficer of our watch. Joe the Cook told me
in Italian the men wanted to go to a Greek place He said
" They would then make a hole in the vessel, and let her
go down in the water." Canessa told me in the French
prison that he had put some iron in the compass to dis-
arrange it. I do not know whether he did so or not. He
said it was to prevent the ship going to Greece. -The boat-
swain in the French prison and also on board said that when
the ship got to Greece the Greek prisoners wolold kill the
remainder of the men. The boatswain spoke Italian, English,
and Greek. I remember the French pilot coming alongside,
and saw six men leave in the boat They were dressed in
oilskin. They took a lot of things with them in the boat.
I obeyed the orders given to me on hoard as to my share of
work. The day alter the six men left in the boat a Frew%
man-of war came, and I helped to lower the boat for the
steward, and I was afterwards taken Into custody. I did
not take or touch any of the things belonging to the captain
or officers. I occup:ed the same mink. The pistol used was
a revclver, with five chambers. Tne barrel was broken. '
Joe the Cook had said it belonged to him. The knife pro-
duced, marked with the initials "J. S. K.," belonged to Joe
the Cook.

Mr. Woolf asked for permission to reserve his cross-exa-
mination. He said that the evidence given was very im-
portant, and he was unprepared to cross-examine. He felt
that it would be better that the evidence should be inlet-
preted first, and then that they should have the boy Trona-
Belot examined.

Mr. Poland said it would be more convenient to examine
the boy at a later period.

_
Sir Thomas Henry said that Mr. Woolf might reserve his
questions under the circumstanees.

The prisoner Caludls, through Mr. Cartwright, said that he
should like to make a statement. He would speak the truth;
all the witness had said was "lies."

As the prisoner's nationality waa not yet certain, neither
Jr. Woolf nor Mr. Beard could undertake to defend him.

Sir Thomas Henry said it would be much better for .the
prisoner to make no statement until all the evidence had
been completed.
his advice was conveyed to Caludis, who adopted it.

yr. Cartwrieht, the interpreter, proceeded to Interpret the
depositirn of the witness in Greek as it was being read over
by Mr. Ilatnphries, the chief clerk.
- -

The prisoners were again remanded.