The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-04-13 00:00:00

PAMIOULARS LIONCERXING THE MURDERER,

The Chinaman, who goes by the name of John Low,
or Jackalow, as he is more frequently called, is well
known in New York, and has sailed with. Capt. Leete
for the past four years. Something over a year ago he
stole considerable money from Capt. Leete, and
ran away to New Haven, where he was captured
by the police and brought back to New York. Such was
Capt. Leete's attachment to Jackalow that he refused
to press the prosecution, and, on his discharge, imme-
diately restored him to his position as cook on board
the Spray. Ile is reported to be a very revengeful
fellow, and, when excited, stops at nothing, how-
ever desßarate, in order to gratify his revenge.
He says that he came to this country seven years
ago in the United States steamer Mississippi, and
that he is now twenty-six years old. When picked up
by the French, and during his continuance on board, he
persistently refused to converse with any one, pretending
that he did not understand the English langnage,
although, when the questions vi-ere not too direct, he
evidently understood well enough, and was able to laugh
and joke with the crew about the women ; but when
anything was said about the Spray, he was not so lively
or communicative. When asked why he did not take the
captain's money with him, he said that it was locked up
in a box and he could not get it. His stories concerning
the manner of the captain's death are very conflicting.
He first said that the captain was thrown overboard by
being struck by the main sheet ; then he said that at the
time of the collision the captain was standing on the
bowsprit, and was knocked off by the concussion, and
finally that he was sick in the cabin ylci unable to get
on deck.

The latter story is highly improbable, for the Spray
left New York the same day the accident happened, and
when she sailed both the captain and his brother were
known to be in excellent health. In regard to the story
about the captain of the Spray being on the bowsprit, the
captain of the Lucinda declares that there was no person
visible about the Spray excepting the ChA'naman. When
picked up he had on a coat belonging to Capt. Leete, in
the pockets of which vas found a memoranda m book,
upon the fly leaf of which was written iu pencil "J.
F. Leete, Guilford, Ct." The book contained various
memorandums concerning the sale or purchase of hay,
onions, and potatoes. In one of the pockets of the coat
was found a letter written to Capt. Leete, by Calvin M.
Leete, dated Guilford, Dec. 12, 1859, and relating to
the disposition of a cargo of onions. Besides these, he
had with him in the boat a hatchet, a compass, and a
quantity of provisions, showing that he at least had
abundant time to leave the sloop before she sank.
Jackalow manifested considerable uneasiness while on
board the French ; when Captain Webb left his vessel
in the harbour to go on shore, he jumped into the boat
and iAsisted upon accompanying him, which he did. As
soon as a landing had been effected he sprang ashore and
disappeared in the crowd, since which time he has not
been seen. He had little or no money with him, and
beyond the articles already mentioned, it is not known
that he took anything from the vessel.

ARR/VAL OF THE WR,EPC..
Early on Sunday morning 'MAC VAPpiVed
by trenry it. _Barnes, that the pilot
boat, George-Steers, was making fast to the wreck of
the Spray, then lying on her beam ends a little to the
north of Barnegat, for the purpose of towing her to the
city, and that with the next tide she would be up with
the wreck. About four o'clock the George Steers
arrived, and anchored, with her prize in the stream,
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS BY TTI GEOIICtE riEERS.
At 2 p.m. on Wednesday last, when of Barnegat,
saw two small sloops come in collision, one of which
sank soon after. The smaller of the two vessels, which
was bound to the northward, had her bowsprit carried
away, while the other ran in near the beach and
anchored. Saw but one man on board the one that
anchored, and he in the act of lowering away the yawl,
and the vessel apparently sinking.
Several vessels were quite near at that time, some
standing south and some to the north. Should have gone
to her but supposed that she would receive assistance
from those nearer by. We then proceeded to the city ;
went to sea again the following day, and on the 24th
inst., at noon, four miles off Barnegat, came upon a sloop
anchored and sunk, lying upon her beam ends, and
completely stripped of her rigging.
Immediately resolved to make an effort to get her into
port, and made fast to the mast, which came out, and the
vessel righted, Set the mast adrift ; took the vessel in
tow and brought her to the city. Could not ascertain
her name, as her stern was under water ; but upon
examining the wreck saw something floating in the cabin,
which proved to be a portion of a table, under which was
a large burgee with the name Spray upon it, leaving no
doubt as to the identity of the wreck.
The Spray is a sloop of about thirty tons, painted a
flesh colour outside, with yellow and red streaks ; bul-
warks, inside painted green, and the deck a light lead
colour. Has a flush deck with centre board, and has
had her port quarter stove and patched. About half of
a man's shirt was clinging to the side, stained with
something having the appearance of blood or iron rust.

EXCITING} SCENE

Early on Monday a large and excited crowd assembled
upon the Battery, in the vicinity of where the wreck lay,
and, notwithstanding the keen and chilling wind that
came up from the bay, maintained their position with
remarkable constancy throughout the day, awaiting
anxiously but patiently the result of the investigation
then being made, and watching with almost breathless
anxiety each article as it was fished out of the cabins
and brought on to the deck, momentarily expecting to
see a bloated and mangled corpse come up ; for the

general opinion among the crowd was strong that Capt.
Leete and his brother had been murdered, and that their
bodies were then in the cabin.

A NEW PHASE IN THE MYSTERY.

At the time the Chinaman was picked up by the Tho-
mas E. French, he stated to Captain Webb that the
Spray was bound to Virginia for a cargo of oysters, and
that she left New York on the day that the collision
with the Lucinda took place. It turns out, however,
that the Spray left New York for Q4ilf9rd on Thursday
week, in company with the sloop Gem, Captain Bennett,
and that the two vessels kept together until off the Nor-
walk Islands, when they parted company, and the
Spray put into Norwalk.
From that time (Thursday) until the following Sun-
day nothing is known concerning the movements of the
Spray; but on Sunday she was seen by several pilots
passing through Hellgate, bound towards New York,
and apparently in charge of a single man. This con-
duns the statement of captair4 Pf the PiciAda, Ihat

at the time of the collision no person was seen on board
the Spray excepting the Cninaman. The next that is
known of the Spray is her collision with the Lucinda
on Wednesday, 21st inst., seven days after she sailed
from New York for Guilford. This gives the affair an
entirely new phase, and tends to strengthen the convic-
tiou that Jackalow is the murderer.
APPEARANCE OF THE CABIN.

From the position in which the sloop lay—her side to
the beach—it was impossible to haul her up high
enough to leave the cabin entirely free from water, and
the officers, therefore, laboured under serious disadvan-
tage in prosecuting the search. By means of boat-
hooks, however, they succeeded in getting out a great
variety of articles, including several articles of wearing
apparel belonging to the missing men. As the tide con-
tinued to fall, a chest of drawers was discovered, near
the companion way, which had evidently been rifled, as
the contents were found in a very disordered state, and
two of them were half drawn out, showing that whoever
had opened them last had left them hurriedly, and
neglected to shut them. The depth of the water pre-
vented the officers from going into the cabin, and it is
therefore impossible to arrive at its precise condition.
ARTICLES TAKEN FROM THE CABIN.

Among the first articles fished up was the captain's
bed. Upon the sheet, and on the tick near the head
of the bed, were several large stains of blood, and
the woodwork around was bespattered with blood in
several places. In the captain's berth was also found
a heavy three-cornered scraper, which is proba-
bly the instrument with which the bloody deed was

committed; for there is no longer a doubt that a murder
has been committed on board the Spray. A daguer-

xeotype of a young lady, supposed to be a sister of the
murdered man, was found in the bureau; a pair of heavy
navy pistols, belonging to the captain, neither of
which were loaded, but one of them had evidently
been recently discharged ; a pocketbook was found open
and empty, and a small pine box, veneered in imitation

of mahogany, was brought up, which upon examination
was found to have been broken open and its contents
removed. This is supposed to have been the captain's
money box. A telegraphic despatch, dated Guilford,
Nov. 8, 1859, and directed to F. J. Leete, New York,
which read as follows :—"Wait, and I will come down
to-night.--E. J. Leete." This is supposed to have come
from his brother, who was murdered with him.
In the captain's berth was found a card of a Seamans'
Bethel, inviting seamen to attend divine worship at 47,
Almon-street—the place not mentioned. At the top of
the card were these words—" Are you ready for death,
judgment and eternity ;" and at the bottom—" Friend,
Jesus invites you to heaven; will you go ?"

STATEIgENT OF A FAIEND OF CAPTAIN LEPTE.
A friend of Captain Leete informs us that both the
murdered men have been repeatedly warned to beware
of the Chinaman, and that since his theft of the money,
something over a year ago, the friends of Captain Leete
have earnntly entreated him to have nothing further to
do with Jackalow, who was known to be a sharp,
'shrewd and revengeful fellow, whose cupidity was not
restrained by any conscientious regard for right and
wrong. In fact, it seems to have been the settled con-
viction among all who knew the parties, that sooner or
later one or both of the Leetes wonld fall victims to
either the malice or cupidity of the treacherous
Chinaman.

Elijah, the youngest son of the two brothers, was the
general kusiness man, and attended to the financial part
of their business, and had, it seems, often expressed
himself anxious to get rid of Jackalow ; but his brother
always insisted upon keeping him, because he was a
a good cook, and a handy man about the vessel. Elijah
yielded to his brother, because the latter had most to do
with the sloop, and was on her most of the time. The
Spray was an old vessel, and had been owned by the
Leetes about one year. It was their intention to make
but one more trip, and then sell her.

Our informant gives it as his opinion that the two
men were murdered soon after leaving Norwalk, on the
15thinstant, that the bodies were then thrown over-
board, and that it was Jukelow's intention to sail to
the coast of Virginia, abandon the vessel, and then
escape with the money. From the memorandum book
belongitit to Captain Leete, which was found upon the
person of the Chinaman, it is supposed that he had
only about three or four hundred dollars with him when
he left New York, and it is the opinion of those best
acquainted with him that the most of tlAis motley was
in specie, as it is known that he exchanged a small
amount in bills for gold the day hefare he sailed from
New York.

the precaution to place upon his ankles a pair of
shackles.

Jackalow is about five feet four inches in height, and
rather slender built. He appeared to be in good spirits,
smiled when he conversed, but his countenance indi-
cated treachery.

He had on a brown sack overcoat, said to belong to
Captain Leete, a monkey jacket, new overalls over his
pants, and a new cap.

*arting

LATEST BETTING.
MANCHESTER.

CITY AND SUBURBAN : 11 to 2 agst Confectioner, taken ' • 10 tl
1 agst Yoicks, taken ; 12 to 1 agst Homeward Bound, taken;
14 to 1 asst Comforter, taken; 20 to 1 agst Bentinck, taken.
CHESTER Cue : 20 to 1 agst Promised Land, offered ; 25 to 1
agst Satellite, wanted; 40 to 1 agst The Brewer, taken.
2,000 GurNrAs : 3to 1 agst The 'Wizard, taken ; 16 to 1 agst
Richmond, offered.
THE DhRBY : oto 1 agst Umpire, taken; 11 to 1 twat Nut-
bourne, taken ; 40 to 1 agst Blue Ruin, taken ; 49 to 1 agst
Confectioner, taken.

NEWMARKET RACES.—YEsTsaDAs•,

Tyrant ....
Blue Jack

Richmond
Loiterer ~