The Express.
London, England, 1862-08-27 00:00:00

ALLEGED WILFUL DESTRUCTION OP SHIPS.

Our readers may remember that about a week
ago a person named Jamieson was committed for trial for
ludo(' written a letter to • merchant named Buxton, in
which he stated that he would expose their " joint vii/any"
in connexion with the destruction of some ships, unless
Buxton paid him • certain sum of money. The case excited
considerable interest, u it was thought important disclo-
suree would be made when the trial came off at the arises.
Yesterday the case came on for trial before the Hon. Mr.
Liddell, Q.C., in the second Crown Court of the Liverpool
Assizes. Mr. Bliss, Q.C. (attorney-general for the
county), together with Mr. Ddghton, prosecuted
.; and
Mr. &'s Q.C. and Mr. Potter, defended the prisoner.
It appeared that the prisoner and prosecutor in the
year 1857 were the,joint owners of a ship called the Roscoe,
and that this vessel was lest during a voyage from Liver-
pool to Smyrna ; after which they purchased another vessel,
the Merino, which was soon afterwards lost in the Torres
Straits. The prisoner held a mortgage deed upon the
Merino, which, after the loss of the vessel, the prisoner
should have given up, but refused to do so, and actuallytook
proceedings in the courts at Westminster to recover money
upon it from Buxton, but failed. After the loss of the
Merino Buxton had no further dealings with the privatise ;
but the • ner called upon him several times, and en-
dear to obtain money by threats and otherwise. Upon
Buxton refusing to give the prisoner money on one occa-
sion, the prisoner said, "I will waylay you if I lose my head
for it." After this the prisoner called several times at
Buxton's office, but, failing to obtain any money,
he did not again make his appearance until the
12th of August in the present year. On the 11th of this
month he sent a letter to Mr. Buxton, in which be enclosed
an advertisement cut from the Liverpool papers, which
stated that 2001. would be paid and a free pardon given so
any person or persons who should give such information es '
would lead to the conviction of fraudulent shipowners and
others connected with the wilful destruction of ships, and
in the letter be said, "Now, my intentions are that I must
either have • settlement or I cannot lose the opportunity it
(the advertisement) gives me of exposing oar villas y when
you reaped all the reward." On the following day the
prisoner called with another letter, which was as follows :
" It is no use to mince matters : I am determined to proceed ' •
therefore if you do not think it necessary to reply to this
I will put it out'of my bands by 3 o'clock to-day." When
Mr. Buxton received the first letter, he consulted hie soli-
citors, and the prisoner was requested to give an apology,
but he refused to do cc, and, addressing Mr. Rextoc, he
said, " By Buxton, unless you give me 150/. I will go
to Major Creig (the chief constable of Liverpool) and swear
you burnt the Roscoe." Mr. Buxton then gave the pri-
sooer into custody. When at the polioe-office he said he
wished to see Mr. Kehoe, the chief superintendent, and
when Mr. Kehoe came he made a statement
to the effect that Buxton bad told him that if
anything happened to the Roscoe not to bring her into
port as it would be ruination to them, and that in previous
voyages he had been ordered to bring the vessel in safe, as
she was not sufficiently insured ; that Buxton had told
him to " knock out the beams " of the ROllOO6, and if he
could not do that to set her on fire ; and that for the pur-
pose of enabling him (Jamieson) to set the Roscoe on tire
he had a quantity of turpentine put on board. He bad
also been told by Buxton to " knock the beams out" of the
Merino, and had been spoken to relative to obtaining
good insurances. Mr. Buxton underwent • severe exa-
mination by Mr. Brett. He said that since 1858
he bad owned about eight ships, six of which had been lost,
but were insured. He was a bankrupt in 1858, and had only
paid his creditors 2s. in the pound. He had given a man
named Bettie, the commander of a ship called the Howe,
' which was lost, 2001., but lie gave him the money because
he had promised to insure some of his effects and had not
done so, and also owed him souse commissions. Bertie
bad never told him that he (Bertie) had a letter
which be (witness) would not like anyone to
see. The prisoner had always claimed money from
him in respect to the mortgage upon the Merino, and
had brought an action upon the covenant of the mortgage
deed. He had five ships about a week ago, but since then
he bad mortgaged three of them to his son. In answer to
Mr. Bliss as to the reason why he mortgaged the ships, the
witnees said he did so to secure his son against lose, as
be was security for him in some business transactions. He be-
lievedthe Roscoe had &chronometer belonging tothe prisoner
on board when she went to sea, and that the psi.
sour had received insurance upon it. In examina-
tion by Mr. Bliss the witness said he had never
given Bertie instructions to cant away the Howe, and the
2001. was not given as • reward for destroying the vessel.
He had never given instructions to the captains to lose any
of the ships.
John Patrick, detective police officer, described Mr. Bar-
ton coming to the police station and laying the charge
against Jamieson. He (the officer) went to Duke-street,
and there charged Jamieson witbltaving scuttle° threatening
letters. Jamieson replied, " Yee, I did send the two letters,
but it was for money due to me by Mr. Buxton," and the
officer then took him into custody.
The learned Judge, in summing up, said, the question for
the jury would be whether the letters were written for the
purpose of extorting money, or for the purposing of obtain-
ing a settlement of a bona fide claim which the prisoner
might have against Buxton.
The Jury acquitted the prisoner.