The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-14 00:00:00

TER CHANG!! OP SCUTTLING A SHIP.

Joseph John Mitcheson White and Robert Sutton
were again placed at the bar of the Mansion.boose, is
custody of Detective Sergeant Aloes, before Sir Robert
Carden, to undergo a farther examination upon the charge
that they, being respectively the captain and mate of a
vessel called the Snowdrop, did on the 4th of October, on
the high seas, out of the body of any county of the realm,
and within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty of England,
unlawfully arid maliciotedy destroy the VirlOi called the snow-
drop, with intent thereby to prejudice divers persons who
bad underwritten certain policies of insurance upon the
rid ship.

Mr. l win jun., spin appeared to prosecute, and Mr.
Sleigh, barrister, instructed by Mr. Mullen., appeared for
White, and Mr. Beard appeared for Sutton.
Detective Sergeant Moss was the tint witness examined
yeeterday, and said be apprehended White at the railway
station in Sunderland, and M'Leod apprehended Sutton.
They were both about to sail in the queen a Own. He told
Captain White that he would be charged with scuttling •
vcael called the Snowdrop. He said it was • most un-
founded charge, and asked who charged him. Witness
said he did not know, but be had • warrant for his al:Pre-
bendal, and mu.t bring hint to London. He found • letter
on Captain White, addressed to Captain White by the pri-
soner Sutton, asking for payment of some money due to
Lim, and for which he had applied elsewhere without sae-
sees, and concluding with the remark that he had omitted
to mention many little circumstances to which he could
e:+l attention. \Vitae.' then went in search of Sutton, and
met M•Lecd, another officer, with him in custody. He was
taken to the police-dation, and he reed the warrant to
Lim and said he would have to go to London, and he said
very well, he supposed be must go.
Deiced', Sergeant M'Leod said he accompanied Sergeant
/km to Snoded.od and apprehended Sutton on board
the tt.een'e Own. He told him he was an officer, and must
apprel.eod him on a warrant, and he would be charged
wlth being camerned with Captain White to mottling a
slip. The prisoner said that was a very curious charge
to make. lie was put in a cab, and on the way to the
station he said it was dome from • malicious, spiteful feeling
oc " that mitu'a part," without mentioning any name.
Mr. Lewis said that was his case as far as he thee pro-
posed t.. Can, it, tot he gave Mr. Sleigh and Mr. Beard
notice that be should at the trial produce evidence from
Newcastle relative to certain policies. He thought he had
produced sufficient evidence to show the destruction of We
vessel.

Mr. Sleigh certainly did not see that the case was at all
Cleary made out. When the ship struck all was done that
pr 'silly could be done to save her; and Mr. Lewis, to his
openiog, admitted that the striking of the vessel was acci-
dental, but endeavoured to show that the vessel being in-
sured for total loss, the destruction of the vessel was
effected in order to make the claim for the insurance • and
it was clearly shown that neither of the prisoners had any
haterest in the matter beyond the capmin • brother being a
part owner of the vessel. The only evidence of the scuttling
wits that gathered from the uncorroborated statement of the
carpenter, who, if his story were true, must be himself an
accomplice, and his evidence was to the effect that, noon
being told uy the captain to go down and bore holes in the
slim without one weed of remonstrance be obeyed,
which Mr. Sleigh thought was rather improbable,
Some of the minor facts had certainly been corroborated,
which might be made to St io ; but in the main points he
ventured to sunsuit there had not been tbe 'lightest corn-
borerine, had, moreover, the carpenter bad made no men.
Con whatever of the cirtumstences in the protest he had
made, and in fact never breathed one word of what he hail
said with regard to thew uttliog until he reached England,
and then not for 'trend days after his arrival. The &leo-
dant White was well IMAM sod well connected, and was
much real:acted and bore a moat irreproachable character.
He certainly thought that a remand was granted fur the pur-
pose of pruouciez some important evidence, whereas the
only witoesies called were the detective sergeants, who
moved their apprehension, and whose evidence did not in
the last strt!.gtbcn the case, but, on the coutrary, what
they had said with regard to the observations unde by the
prisoners had tended to give a more favourable aspect
to the case as far as the prim:men were concerned. lu con.
chilies, he hoped Sir Robert would think that the case was
not entli,•'ently clear to to sect for trial.
Mr. Domini on the part of Sutton, said, after what
Mr. Slor,h had a-iid there reumined very little for
him to aay, but he hoped if Sir Robert thought the evi-
dence against the captain was uocorroborated, he would he
of opinion that there really was co evidenceat all against
the nailer, who bed acted throughout as any other of the
eh p's compeer, and at the time the ship was about to
strike he did all an his power to prevent it.
Sir Robert tianleu said—Not having been present at the
pievimis esamimition, he WU incompetent to form an
opinion, but be should judge that the Lord Mayor, who wan
obliged to be elsewhere, was of opiniora that the case would
have been again reulautied. Ile suggested that a further
r,-m should lie takes.

Mr. Sleigh said he should wake no objection to that
Course, and ustde an application for bail.
Sir IZubert said Le was eitseted precowly the ram* with
respect to the neatest of hail, and could not take upon biro.
wa the I t•spoudibiiity to accede to the application, as there
bad been already ouch evideoce as to induce the Lord Mayor
b. refuse bail, and although no more evidence hod beet
tokluoe,l. the facts .till remained the Bann as when brought
before the Lord Meyer.

Th.• ilefen.lant...,:roeventually remanded, to be brought
up “ future d. r, in order that the Lord Mayor, before
u boa the t 1,.,4 Leen previously head, might give Lis
deasiou upon the cam.