The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-01-18 00:00:00

INHUMAN (X)NDTrOT ON BOARD THE
"LIGHTNING," OFF BR A NICSEA
CASTLE, NEAR POoLE.

On iff° adjourned inquest touching the cause
of desth:liZsi the Nt right, whose body was faced on the
shore of Poole Harbour, near *erns. on the Nth day of Sep-
tember late, was held before G. Braxton Aldridge, Eaq., hot=
coroner, and a respectable Jury, at the Britannia Inn.
none. The following genen were on the Jury :—Meesra.
.1. James (foreman), J. Rat, W. Ford, H. Knight, B. Barnes,
R. Cooper, V. Villiaa, J. Hibberd, (1. Kendall, C. Hammott.
T. Roos, F. Morrie, G. ()us:iceman, and J. Sweetland.
The Coronee (Mr. AlDidge) in addreseing the Jury, said that
their thanks were due to the Superintendent of Police for the
exertions be had made in the matter. It wse entirely owing
In the abllhty be had displayed that the witness Aldenley was
found in BM port.
George AWerthey was then sworn, and he gave the following
important evidence in a very clear and explicit manner :—I
am • Kaman. I lately belonged to the three-maated schooner
" Lightning," bound on • voyage from London to Cape Coast
Castle, laden with a general cargo. The crew consisted of the
captain (Mr. Henderson), the mate (Nicholas Lear), the boat-
swain (Wm. Mack), and four men. We proceeded down Channel.
and put into Poole Harbour us account of etre-a of weather;
we brought up of &asthma In Poole Harbour. I have seen
the clothes at the polkethation—a striped shirt, another alert.
• pair of fustian trowels, • pair of Blucher loofas, a sheath
and • knife. I recognise the things as belonging to William
Wright, an ordinal-, mama on board the vemel " Lightning."
I more particularly method the trousers, there being a patch
on one of the legs. The clothes produced belonged to Wright,
I shipped at Orareeend, and found William Wright oti board
the vessel. I saw the bantam-sin smite William Wright veral
times whilst on the loran-yard with hit it. Ile struck him
Is. the tam, and had I sot caught him be would have fr.tiec.
told the boatswain that it was too had, and he replied, "You
—, I will serve you the tame." I sew the boatswain etrike
Wright eeveral time. I,IIIVIOUS to that occasion. The boat-
swain mewed to have taken a dislike to him from the fine
He was always willing to do his work. On Saturday after-
noon we anchored of Waltham; this was the 111th of Septem-
ber. Wright's watch wvi on deck from twelve to four o'clock
on Sunday morning. My watch was below during that time.
At two o'clock I had OCCSAMI to ge over the to.. I saw
Wright flitting on the end of the windier; he was on the look-
out. I did not speak to him. Whilst i was there the mate
(Lent) came forward, and struck Wright in the thee, saying,
"You —, is that the way you keep &lookout?* The blow
knocked him oft the +lndian. Whilst there the mate kicked
him, when Wright said " ENNA kick um, Al," Wllliiam Meek
(the second mate and boatswain) then came up and caught hold
of William Wright (the deemed) by the collar and struck him
on the lace and Neveral parte of the body. He (Mack) also
threw him on to the oyposite side of the deck, where be kicked
him several times The mate (Lew) was looking on. Every
time the man was kicked he cried out. I cannot my if Mack
kicked him on the head. I then weet below, and remained
about eve minutes. Whilst I was there Wright screamed
.10 OM. int nen. 'wenn in POW I
called Ihmbar (a seaman) and '.id " tney we memorise
poor Wht on deck." Dunbar nor I did not go on deck. I
was altd to go, for fear of being lll.tomied, having been pre-
viously ill-heated by the mate. I did not go en deck until
four o'clock, when it was my watch. Imw Wright en deck.
He appeared very ill; hiatus was motion. 1 saw blood on the
deck ao half.past riven o'clock. There we a pre .1 deaf qf
blood where I sew Wright ill-tued blood was also oo the ted-
weeks. During the same morning Wright was ordered, m a
punishment, to grew down the fovenieat. He appeared more
St to be in bed. Wright told me on the Sunday that be should
like to get on there. He said " George, I should like to go on
shore ; they ore killing awe here." He tithed me (the witnea)
if I thought he could get ashore with the ladder. I asked him
It he could trim, and he answered "No" and I replied "Then
I should not like to risk the ladder." Wright was mimed OD the
Monday morning, at tour o'clock, when the watch was com-
menced on thick. When the boatswain went on deck I went
below. I hod been below shout five minutes, when the mate
celled below" Rill," meaning Wright. I answered, "He is on
deck." They continued to call out "Rill," and search was
made for him. One of the tiesimen &led "Dan," said the
life-buoy wa. gone. This was the Daman who saw Wright
ill-meal on the Sunday morning. We (Wright and witness)
mpathiaed with each other, for we were both 111-used, and
badly treated. Wright me or gave Hie mate any provocation.
In answer to the foreman (Mr. James) the witness said he was
allowed to go on shore when the captain came on board.

In reply Co Mr. Words (a Juror) Uic idiom add It was ab,nt
ire minute. after the wean= oenlC on deck that the boetanntin
ealkd out fir Wright.
. . . . . .

In answer to lb. Coroner, Aide/slay said that If the deceased
had gone down by the gangway ladder. he could bare got down
Into the water without making a splash.
By the Foreman I left two days after the man was mimed.
Capt. Hendereon was on shore when the man was mimed.
A juror (Mr. Morrls)sald that It was a calm morning, and •
man could bare been heard swimming ashore. Upon the
man being mimed. they should have got out • boat.
The witness said that when he went mhore he made the re-
mark that Wright had been ill.titied like himself; he believed
that the deceased left the noel for the purpose of escaping ill-
treatrwmt Both the mate and the boatewela were violent-
tempered men. .

P.V.-11-eak-s-Miii that thing" produced were those which
he had taken from the dead body of Wright.
The Coroner carefully summed up the evidence of the dif-
ferent witnesses. He read the evidence of Dr. Ellis, which
explained the nature of the marks on the body of the deceased.
The Jury returned • verdict of "Fund drowned," and added
that marks of violence were on the body, but how the deceased
came to Ma Otati; then was no evidence in show. The Jury
also requested the following statetnent to be aided to their
verdict :—"The Jury are of opinion that the minding of the
mate of the "Lightning" (Nichol'a le"ar) end the boatswain
Militant 'bet) to the timemed (William Wright) Were lie left
the veriml was tine nwe cruel and inhuman, and they deters
that it may he brought underth. notice oldie Board Trade."
This mad the enquiry.

THE NEW RECORDER OF POOLE.
Mr. J. P. Collier, of the Western Circuit, bee
been appointed Recorder of Poole.