The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-27 00:00:00

CHARGE OP SCUTTLING A SHIP AT SEA.

At the Mansion-house yesterday, Charles William
Lee Webb, described as a mariner, was broultfutiin cus-
tody by detective officer J. W. Bull, and before
Mr. Alderman Fionia with being concerned in
scuttling a ship named the Severn, at sea, on a °Prot=
voyage to Meagher.
George Lewis, instructed by Captain William
Downwood, on behalf of Lloyd's Salvage Association, con-
ducted the prosecution; and Mr. W. B. Buchanan defended

the prisensi.
Mr. Lewis briefly opened the facto of the ease as they
are fully narrated in the subjoined evidence, and observed
that be ores most anxious to avoid, for the ends of public
justice, going into the whole case at prument, although he
was fully prepared to substantiate the charge against the
prisoner. There were others who were implicated as deeply
as the prisoner in this most serious charge, and those who
instituted this proceeding were anxious that no one impli-
cated should escape from the penalties of the law. Ile
would call one witness and then ask for • remand.
Henry Kelly was sworn, and in reply to questions put
by Mr. Lewis, deposed as follows :—I am a seaman, and at
present am residing at No. 17, Wamby-road, Paddington-
/n May last I shipped on board the ship Severn, of 1,225
tons, bound from Newport, Monmouthshire, for Stang me
of which Hugh Thomas Leyland was the captain, and the
prisoner was the chief mate. I joined the ship at Newport
on the 16th of May, and the ship sailed in 14 hours after I
joined. They proceeded on the voyage and had fine wea-
ther, the ship being pumped both night and morning. In
three or four days after we sailed some of the men were
put to work, as I suppose by the captain's orders, in mak-
ing new sails for the ship's boats, which the carpenter be-
gan to caulk and make masts and spars for them, and in
every way to fit them for sailing. There were three boats
to get ready, which is not a usual thing immediately on
commencing a voyage. The prisoner and the second mate
were set to making the rigging for them, and at the same
time eight new water kegs were stopped and filled ready
to be shipped in the boats. On the 14th of June every
thing was finished. On that day it was my watch on
deck from noon until 4 p.m. I saw the prisoner on deck
about half-past 2, when he ordered the pumps to be
worked and then went away,, and I did not see him
again on deck until about half-put 4 o'clock. At
this time, and since we commenced the voyage the weather
was remarkably fins, and there was not the slightest reason
for the ship making water, but on the same afternoon I
and the rest of the crew were set to work at the pumps. We
found that the pumps would not suck, and that the water
was pining on us, and at 6 o'clock the carpenter sounded,
and reported 24 feet of water. At 8 o'clock the water was
still gaming on us, and the same was the case at 4 o'clock
the next morning, the weather still being fine. After
breakfast, at 8 o'clock, the crew were all ordered on deck,
and some were set to the pumps, and others got the tackle
ready for getting the boats out. At 12 o'clock the gig and
cutter were launched and towed astern the ship. After
that time there was no pumping. After dinner the same
day we proceeded to get the long boat out, previous to
which the men bad got their clothing ready for leaving
the ship. The long boat was kept alongside the ship near
the port middlerigging, and whilst there the supply
of water, provisions, and the men's clothing were
put into it. and afterwards distributed to the other
two boats. About 3 o'clock, by the prisoner's order, I
got into the long boat in which most of the crew were
already. The long boat was then dropped astern for the
of shipping and fixing the marts, and rigging the
purpose
When the masts had been shipped, I saw two
holes in the stern of the ship. The holes were about
lA inches bore, and about 2 feet above the copper
sheathing, and appeared as if they had been made by an
auger from the inside of the ship. I saw the holes as the
ship rose and fell. At the time I saw the holes the pri-
soner was on board the ship on the poop with the captain,
and I and two or three of the men called out to them that
there were two holes in the stern of the ship. The pri-
soner heard it, because he replied that he supposed some
of the London carpenters had left out some toenails.
After he said that, I made the remark that the ship was
booked, and the prisoner must have heard it. After the
long boat had been rigged, we hauled alongside the ship
again, and the prisoner got in from the ship, and
we then shoved off and stood round the ship,
sailing close to the wind about half a mile from
the ship, keeping her always in view. At four o'clock we
again came alongside the ship, and the prisoner went on
board again. I followed, and saw him and the captain go
into the captain's cabin, where they remained about ten
minutes. The prisoner and I then returned to the long
boat, and we cruised about, the prisoner steering, but we
did not go near the stern of the ship.
By Alderman Finnic After I had called attention to
the holes, no attempt was made to stop them or plug
them up.
By Mr. Lewis—After that the carpenter got Into the
long boat, and I got in the gig with the captain. The
three boats then made sail and left the ship (which we
never saw again) about 360 miles from the Cape de Verde
Islands. 1% e did not see the ship go down, but the car-
penter said she bad ten feet of water in her, and when
we left her fore chains were low in the sea. It was the
15th of June when we left her. On the morning of the
16th we in the gig fell in with the long boat, but we
missed the third boat, which was in charge of the second
mate, and did not see it again. On Sunday, the
17th of June, we fell in with a Dutch schooner,
on board of which the captain went, hut returned,
and we again made sail until Tuesday, the 19th, when we
fell in with the ship Arequipa, bound for Pernambuco,
and we were all taken on board her with our clothes and
effects, and our two boats were stowed away on the ship's
deck. We arrived at Pernambuco on the 11th July, and
afterwards the captain, the prisoner, the steward, the
boatswain, the carpenter, four seamen, the cook, and •
boy, were sent home by the British consul, and we arrived
at Southampton in the first week of August last. I after-
wards went to Newport, where I shipped on board a Teasel
going to Halifax, but she put back under stress of weather
to Queenstown, on the 16th September, and then I was
sent to London to account for the loss of the Severn. I
saw the ship's log book, which had a blue cover, floating
in the sea when I and the captain were in the gig on the
second morning after we had taken to the boats. I did
not ere aryborly throw it overboard, but there yam nobody
but the captain to do it. When at Pernambuco the pri-
soner told me that if he was me, he would apologise to
the captain for what I had said about the holes, and he
added that the captain bad told the consul, who had given him
• letter to the magistrates in England to prosecute me for
what I hail said, but the captain said if I would apologise
he would let the matter drop. I replied that I was not
aware of having said anything against the captain's per-
sonal or professional character, but if I had I would epolo-
gise. While on board the Severn the crew were fed more
liberally than on any ship I have ever been in. We had
good grog and more victuals than we could est.
The witness was cross-examined shortly by Mr. Bu-
chanan, who elicited from him that he had apologised to
the captain while at Pernambuco. He denied having had
any quarrel with the prisoner, or that he had ever been
charged by him with theft.
Mr. Lewis said this was as far as he could go that day,
and asked for a remand.
Mr. Buchanan applied to have the prisoner admitted to
bail, but
Mr. Alderman Finnic refused the application, observing
that this was a most suspicious case.
Mr. Lewis said the suspicions would be confirmed at the
next hearing.
The prisoner was then remanded to Friday next.

THE WATER SUPPLY OF THE METROFOLTS.—At
meeting of the conservators of the River Severn Fishery
District, at Worcester, present Earl Beauchamp, Earl
Powia, Earl of Coventry, Lord Northwick, Sir T. h. Win-
ningkn, M.P., Sir E. V. Surtees, Sir C. Rouse-Boughton,
and others, Mr. J. Willis Bund moved " That in the
opinion of this board the proposed schemes to supply Lon-
don with water from the river Severn are calculated to de-
'troy the fisheries of the river and call for the determined
opposition of this board ; and that the executive commit-
tee be instructed to watch the proceedings of the pro-
moters and report thereon to the board.' The motion
elicited a general condemnation of the scheme. The pro-
moters propose to take from the various sources of the
Severn, rising in Montgomeryshire, 200,000,000 gallons of
water per day, the water being stored in reservoirs or lakes
near the sources of the river. The capital is to be
20,000,0001., and the water is to be conveyed in a tunnel
180 miles long, and to supply several towns on its route.
Mr. Bund's resolution was unanimously adopted.
COMMITTAL FOR iNTIMIDATING OREMEIP AT
NormoHAL—At the Nottingham police-court yesterday
James Bush, a bricklayer, was taken before the sitting
magistrates, charged with using threatening language to
Robert Moore, another bricklayer, in order to compel him
to leave his employ. Mr. Cranch prosecuted, and Mr.
Smith defended. On Friday night prosecutor saw Bush in
the market-place, and a whistle having been given, a
number of others came up. They tried to persuade him
to go to the club-house with them, but he refused. Bush
said, " Too bad better go, or it will be wore for you."
He said he would not go. Bush then said, "If you don't
leave the town, you —, you will be murdered." He then
gave information to the police, and the prisoner was after-
wards apprehended. MI. Crunch said, as that was the first
offence since the outrige, be did not wish the prisoner to
be punished to the full extent, and the bench concurred in
that view, at the same time telling the prisoner that if the
men on strike same before them again for a similar
offence, their punishment would be the utmost the law
allowed. The sentence now was 14 days' imprisonment,
with hard labour.
CRYSTAL PALACE. 02111 SHILLING DAY.—

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