The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-12-06 00:00:00

THE INQUIRY INTO THE LOSS OF THE

MAGGIE WALKER.

. .
The inquiry fen's of th 4 above i?esael Wag ft=
sumed in the Grown Court, George'sp-h,alk yestprday
morning, before Mr. T. :'.:Ettiffres,. stipendiary magis-
trate, assisted by Captain Harris, .YasestVr a the Board
of Trade.
The-first mate, George Sewell, was re-called by gr.
Tyndall, and, in reply -to a queStiOn put threugh.the
bench; said he had a second mate's certificate of cOm-
fetenEf Oen he joined the lea Walker.
•., John, then eaile and elamlued.by Mr.
Tyndall. He dni market, and ieined the
Ottila at Quebec; but our mate' left ?is flt. 81: John's,
add kiVe Could not get another at the time, I tinder-
took to f.:.4 place, lam no navigator myself.
When we first saW; Pl'agrit-Walker it was my watch
beloW, bait on; beard at,trie tide' rOairing a main-
sail:- oThe wey.ther,Was, yery thick,i, 44 •,'W, ferthr,..
The Maggie Walker was ahout half a mile t.; WindWaid
when We ffret siavi heri to' frpsben
at the time.. I sheuld,s4y witignyt9Arat saw the'Maggie
Walker it would be ahout,three o'cloot Shealtered
her course ,towards us, and came , close under offi' stern.
At the time she „passed, under our.stern we were hailed
by doift6 offek .vtlja , said they .were in a sinking state.
Our captain was leg-. eabipi sgering from rheumatism:
but Lcalled him and he cdtid OR 119:ita When the
vessel came under our stern she rotted- iStsr,
In my own opinion there was a great deal cf *aid in
La., I saw the men were ready to leave her; one of
an axe, and was going to cane griper of the
lorig,hdat. Dekko geing the Maggie Walker, we had
the, Viind pretty hediily in .the VlM:in from W.N.W.,
Vat tel?4/44V.t,Ire. e'fierifdo'n Moderdted; We were feel-
isg Qur way iif QValiVel When we let on the Maggie
Ny.4lkpr.,the time utter out stern there
was a very heaVY, sea, Iktt rather d boat
to fljeln; • ,lir preT Ipft,ttle Maggie Walkef, I
should. say, the/ ',;?i,ete ti,lAekt,a. mile pea-half from us,
and we wore our ship aoWit,tewtrrds.thp boat. • I was
about ,the. last. man that saw the Maggie Walker. It
was growing dim at, the time. It was then my watch
err deck. The,captain of the Maggie Walker came on
deck at tie tn' I. last saw the vessel. It would be
about an. hour after th6.4eit 1540% pitt our vessel. I did
qot notice anything particUlar about iaMagtip•Walker
'hen the crew left, but after they came on tie.i,rid,t.
observed her particularly, and •in about an hour after- '
wards I noticed she was settling down very fast,. When
we. gat the, .crow on board, we proceeded on our
, the Maggie Walker,—but
were tinder very •' , the Jim and
were making very little way agarnst be sea,, When,
the crew came on board they said their vessel vigs in a '
sinking state. I marked the slate, and we got a yotittg ,
man to 'mark the log-book. I heard some of the crew
say there were about four feet of Water in the vessel
When they abandoned her. The captain said nothing
Wiiii,e,or board; hilt I saw him shedding tears. If any
of the Cilei were drunk ,when they came on board, it
was the' second rime.` 17.0 411 d tent take the boat in,
so it was let adrift by one of cut ere*, „/ hate never
seen Captain Sewell or the mates since I cariVe'h'Oing, I
saw Captain O'Flaherty at my house on Saturday night
last.

Mr, Tyndall—Were you in conversation about the
Maggie Walker ?
` Mr: Hull—No ; tobject to any conversation between
the Witness and Captain.Ceilaherty,
Mr. Tyndall-4 d riot going to ask him to do so.
Elt4ll-74 doyi't pfetettcl to acquainted
With the profteding of. the S-o, soft of inquiries f but
saf•ihai .It, th:ere•liads been any: charge made;
should ho.eohfe.4ed td. 404 e-fourths. of the evidence.
As therethap not,, I canna.,:, '
, Mr: Raffles--4ani not aWare,',,go tar go, that any
questions have beep ptit down that pre not evi'den'ce.
Mr. Tyndall—lt is fiery diffl'cult
,otillact thes,e
inquiries so as to elicit the wildlo. facts otherW:iSe ,thap'
calling all the witnesses. If it could be'dene I would
not adduce half the.evidence I do.
The witness was 'then cross-tiamined' by Mr. Hull.
He said-'-LThe tonnage 'of the Ottila is 900 and some
odd. After we picked up• the crew of the Maggie
Walker on the Monday we had.tine. weather.
By Mr. Ratiles-2Whert the captain, came on board
our'`cssel 'wagAnite sober; the second matt was
0A opeoilthp'eret."touched.'
Edward O'Pla 'erty was then called and eXamitted
by Mr. Tyndall.• He said--4 know the late
captain of the Maggie Walker, don't knoW his
name. ,He was at my house last night. I don't_ktiovi:
our position on the day we first saw the Maggie Walker;
I was looking for the abstract of my log to see where
we were at twelve on the Monday, .but I found the
sheet was torn out. I think I was to the westward of
Tramore Bay.' The abstract of our passage home was
burnt, but I cannot say who did it,--probably the ser-
Yant girl lit the fire with it. The book I was searching
last night is .at, home; 8y,.. Captain Harris: I did not
report when I arrived at .Dub'lin that I had picked up
the crew of the Maggie Walker.
Examination resumed—l was With the broker *hen
he'reported the arrival of our vessels. I was sitting in
'the: cabin when I was informed of the Maggie Walker
being in sight. I did not go on deck then. Another
report was brought me that the vessel was bearing down
towards us. I went on board about five minutes afterwards.
The vessel ifehild be about a mile from us. She came
under our stern, and the Captain hailed us, and said his
ship was sinking. I did not look Timcii at . the vessel,
because I was ill. I remained on deck until the crew
came on board.. I did not notice the crew to be the
worse for liquor. I took the captain and first mate into
the cabih with me, but the second mate did not come in
Until: some time after—late in the evening. They
messed in my eabin together until we arrived in Kings-
town: The Mastef did not, to my knowledge,—as I
Was in pain', and had to mach to do with my own
iesgel;--=say anything abbot the, state his vessel was in
Wheti he left her: I was bad all the tinie, and had to
leave the vessel at Dublin, told Was ill for three weeks
after. I don't think I ever asked the captain why he
left his ship. I cannot say that the master of the
Maggie Walker said anything to me about having an
interest in the vessel—l don't recollect anything about it.
[From the manner in which this witness gave his
evidence, he appeared to wish to. evade every question
pa to Lim] ,
Mr. Hallobseried that it was a great pity the captain
did not recollect.
Mr. Raffles—He is evidently an unwilling witness.
Mr. Hull--I hope your worship does not consider that
I have anything to do with him ?
Mr. Raffles—Oh no, not at all. Witness-,--I suppose
if I tell lies I will be right. .
Mr. Raffles—We don't want you to tell lies, sir.
Captain O' Flaherty, let me tell you, sir,, that we are
riot ill the habits Hi English courts of justice, of getting
witnesses to perjure thentseMs,
Mr. Tyndall--After that I shall ask him nothing
more. .
'Mr. Raffles--Have you any question to ask him, Mr.
Hull ? . • • •

Mr. ull--:No;
Captain Harris—Welli the only, question I will ask
will he who his owners de.
.
Witness—My owners are M. J. Wilson, of 0, "fork,
buildings, Dale-street. I am not • employed by 'them
now, nor any other firm in Liverpool, because .I am
very unwell. I have a certificate of service, but not of
competency. To the best of my belief, I picked the
*oss.el up thirty-five miles south of Dundalk.
The fdistradt Which ,the captain said had been
destroyed was produced, frchit which 3t appeared that the
book had been torn, but an entry had not peen Made.
• Hugli Nennedy, a clerk in the empley. of Messrs.
I3otoe
• tt and Kidd, was then-called and exanttned by Mr.
Tyndall. He said : I recollect Thompson, the second
mate of the Marie Walker, coming to our office. It
was atter tne crew had been paid IA- lie.aked me for
Captain Sewell. I said he was not, in at present. I
asked him what he wanted the captain for. He refused
to tell Me at'thut time. He again asked for the captain,
;hid ktiid he *odld rtdt bd humbugged in. Walking after
him any mOit:
Mr. Raffles said he supposed this' witness Atii called to
discredit the statement of the conversation of the Witness
Thompson. ,
Mr. Tyndall said no, he was called just to give a
version of the affair..

Mt. Raffles femarkecl that if he was not going to
bonttadidt it *fis not eVidena,

Mr. Tyndall said he should ask him ttoilting more
then at that time.

Cross-examined by Mr. Hull—He then asked if the
vessel was insured, and I said I did not think it proper
to tell him. He said he would find means to know. I
afterwards told him. He said the captain had promised
him a month's advance, and pay for the clothes he had
loft. In answet to mei ho replied that the sum he
wanted was XIS, and ie the captain would not pay him
that aniount he would find others that would: Mr. Burnett
came into the office at that time. I told Mr. Burnett
the dernands he had been making upon the captain. Mr.
Burnett said he had not much time then, but if he
would come in the morning he would bring the captain
and him face to face. Mr. Burnett then went into his
office. Thompson again said, after Mr. Burnet had
gone, if he did not get the £l5, he would make it cost
him more another way. I never paid Thompson any-
thing after this occurence.
Re-examined by Mr. Tyndall—Two or three days
before this time Thompson came to the office twice in
one day. I did not
,say to him " Will not a £lO note
satisfy you." lib said he had lost several valuable
instrument,,, which the caytain afterwards told me were
not worth Ms. The day before Thompson was at the
office the chief mate came to see the captain; and I then
told who the underwriters were.
James Burnet said; in answer to Mr. Tyndall—l
acted as one of the agents for the owner of the Maggie
Walker—Alexander Walker, a gentleman residing at
Freetown. The Maggie Walker was insured on her
last -voyage for £l,OOO on the ship and stores. The
captain had no interest in her at all that I know of;
all charges were made to Alexander Walker, he only
being accountable to us. I found out at the time of
the vessel sailing that the captain owned some spars
and oars on board. The crew were paid ios. each in
addition to the amount of their advance notes. I was
present one day when Thompson and the captain met in
my, office. The meeting was appointed for the purpose
of inquiring into the demands made by Thompson
against the captain.
Mr. Raffles inquired if the witness was going to cor-
roborate the witness Thqmpson's statement as to the
conversation. _ _ _

Mr. Tyndall said he was.
Mr: Raffles thought that under these circumstances
his testimony could not be admitted as evidence on his part.
Mr. Tyndall then withdrew.
Cross-examined by Mr. 111411---T did not pay the 10s.
to the crew in consequence of any threat being made to
me. I did not pay the boatswain anything. I was not.
aware that there • were any kegs of- butter on board.
The insurance of £l,OOO was not an excessive insurance.
It has been insured for that amount ever since I had
anything to do with her. I have been one of the
agents for her since she came to this country in the
latter part of 1858. Sewell, the captain, of the vessel,
first entered as mate on board in April, 1859, and
returned in November as master. • Ile has made five
passages with the vessel altogether. I have seen him
at my office several times, and also on board his vessel
at various times during the day, and he was always
sober and conducted himself properly. He always went
to Sierra Leone.

Mr. Raffles—Then that is your case.
Mr. Tyndall—Well, sir, I might call the captain, but
Mr. Hull says he's his witness, but I think the exclusive
right of producing evidence lies with me.
Mr. Raffles—But it will not be evidence.
swear him.

We (1011'

Mr. Tyndall—Then his statement will go for what
is worth.

Mr. Raffies--Yes, Mr. Hull can call liim,iand he will