The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-31 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

(THIS DAY.)

(Before Mr. Justice Blackbtun )

THE CHARGE OF setrmarro THE SEVF:IO;.
The trial of the prisoners Welk, holdna.rth, he, `rdßen,: e,,, for feloniously destroying the ship Severs
rammed this morning st 10 o'elo,4i

The case for the prosecution was proceeded with.
Henry Kelly, examined by Mr. F. H. Lewis- 1
seaman on board the Severn, and I was in the raki, 4
the prisoner Webb. I remember new sails being n„,d,
for the boats. They were commenced directly at kit
Newport, and new masts and spars were made far um
boats, and they were ready for sea. It was not total
to begin such work immediately after
from port. I also saw the prisoner Wtl42;tit!".
ting strips to the water kegs. The boats
all got ready on the same day the ship sprung
the 14th of June. I remember the orders being given ts
pump the ship about a quarter-past 2 o'clock in the Idol.
noon, Webb ought to have been in the watch with Ina
from 12 till 4 o'clock, but I did not see him at Al
that time. It was very fine weather, and I coul.l
see any reason for the ship springing the leak. I a„....„1
in pumping, but the water gained on the pumps, and
6 o'clock in the evening I think there sou about too Iftt
ten inches of water in the bold. About 4 o'clock in the
afternoon the prisoner Webb came forward to the von,p
and appeared rather excited, and when be was told ,G
state of the ship be replied, " Never mind if 1 go w h
I have got plenty of friendsthere." I wisengaged it. pwaptai
nearly 41 night, but the water continued gaining aci th,
pump., and at it o'clock on the morning of the t;th tla
three boats were got over the aide. The weather wa,
moderate all this time, but the water continued to gala
the pumps. At 11 o'clock on the 15th I was at the htla,
and about this time the men refused to pump any lonpr.
The longboat was lowered about 1 o'clock, and I gut into
stout 1 o'clock, when she was at the stern of the ship, ayi
while in this position I noticed two holes in the stern, chici
had evidently been made from the inside, as the outsid,sa
splintered. The bore of the hole was from an inch aci „
hlOf to two inches, and about a foot ors foot and a half arm,
ie c,,viper, These holes could only be seen when the .tsp
made a heavy ktad. At this time the
soner WA'S was on sboard the St!2erint"D'E..!;
placing of the provisions in the boats, and I at.
tention to the boles.

The judge—What did you say!
Witness—What I actually said was "There are two
big holes in the stern," and Webb replied, "oh, Its
nothing, the London carpenters must have left two of the
trenails out." After this the longboat went assay farm
the ship and cruised about, and at 7 o'clock I left the
boat awl got into the gig in which the captain was.
lost sight of Webb for about a quarter of an hour after I
had told him about the holes, and he then came on board
the longboat and took the command and crui.....1 shoat ti.e
head of the vessel, but we never went near the stern of the
vessel. When the three boats left the vessel she was very
deep in the water. I was taken to Pernambuco in the
Arequipa, and during the voyage I had several enlivenn•
tions with the prisoner Webb. On one oce.oiou I told
hint that a man had seen two holes in the ',tern, and he
told me not to believe it, and threatened that he world
have the man punished in some way for saying so. I then
told him that I had seen the holes myself. and he laid if
he was me be would not ea so, for if I did he would
hi oucute me when I arrived in England if it cost him a
undred pounds. He then asked me who had broken i:to
the spirit room, and I told him I did not know, but as .11
command had been given up in the ship he must not be
surprised at what the men did. He then inquired if I
had taken any spirits, and I said that I had t.,k, n a bottle
of rum, and he replied that be did not blame me, as
he should have done the same thing himself, and be
added that it was the boatswain be wanted to get hold
of. At another time, while we were at Pernambuco, the
prisoner told me that if he was me lie would
apologim to the captain, as he had told ban
What I had said, and the consul had given him a knee
to the magistrates in England to prosecute um. The crew
could get whatever they liked to eat, and the men in the
forecastle lived better than many captains did on board
other ships. The witness then stated that the log-bob
produced was nothing like the genuine log-book of the
Severn.

Cross-examined—l believe that four or five of Cie teal
who were in the longboat are to be examined as witnesses
in this trial. All the men who were in the longboat
could have seen the holes if they happened to be looking
at the moment that the ship pitched. The trenails 210
mole of oak, and they are used on all parts of a chip to
hold the outer and inner planks of the vessel together. If
I said that there was • perfect calm at the time we
took to the boats it would not be much of an exaggerations!
consider the weather had been remarkably tine during tie
whole period of our voyage from England. I consider tint
all the wind we had was nothing more than a'• putt; I
some saw orange boxes floating by the ship, and ! ' I
Webb that I also saw a seaman's chest, but this was Guy
to create a little bit of a " sensation," and thnt the !note
might get a boat out. My statement was fictitious. er. if
you like, it was a lie. (Laughter.) I like to treat, ,hu
of sensation sometimes. I cannot tell whether the ev..l
I am now giving is likely to create a sensation, but I do stank
that you are creating 'sensation. (Renewed laughter.) It
I shipped on hoer.) the Severn I wanted tebe rated an an :.o.e
seaman but the captain said I was too young. I had bee.
previously rated as an able seaman on board an Awericia
resod called the Constitution. I went on board the Soren
after I had been in the longboat, but 1 slid not remain on
board more than three or four minutes. I CATI Dot 0,
whether the captain and the crew of the Arequipa were
Englishmen, host they spoke the English ',menage
I slid not sign any protest at Pernambuco, and I 11,1
not know anything about a protest until nee
I arrived in England. The prisoner Webb diot;el
me with stealing some clothes belonging to one el
the seamen, bat it was not true. Since I have bean
:,.fit-
ness in this case I have been paid ISt.. a week far ply
board and If. a week wage. from Lloyd's. My sas a
seaman are M. 15s. per month.
Re-examined—When I was on board ship ration- and
lodgings of course were provided for me, but win n lota
shore I have to find them myself. I had not been in 'te
longboat more than five minutes when I observed :Le
holes in the stern of the vessel. We slid not leave li:
ship for good until two or three hours afterthis, and log
the whole of this time Webb was in her and we CI tw.,:tl
about, hut never went near the stern.
Henry limy, another seaman on board the Severn...se
posed that the weather, with the exception of one bre, e,
was very fine down to the 15th of June. The vette! test
sprung a leak about a fortnight after they left Engle!,
and from that time the pumps were worked ever) two
hours. On the 14th June witness was at the wheel betwe
2 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon. and at this time tn. re
was nothing the matter with the ship, but woe de:
4 she sprang • leak, and the water kept gaiking in
the pumps. About 9 o'clock the prisoner 11,kih cans to
the forecastle and said it was a very bad job tbst the e,
should spring such a leak, as she was running away fee:
the land, and he advised. the crew to go to the captained
ask him what he intended to do with the s'aip. Toe .1
three minutes after this witness and some of the 1,,,a
went to the captain's door, mid he came out and as:el
what they wanted. Webb was present. They asked its
captain what he meant to do with the ship, and br
said he knew what to do with the ship. and he lit
want them to tell him what to do. and he added that La
was running for the nearest laud. They inquired whereto:
was, and be said about a thousand wiles off. They tnquinJ
whether there was no land nearer, and he said tharee,
nearer laud to westward, and he then onleed tle
aft, and said that he knew what to do with els
ship. After this they continued pumping until
o'clock the next day. The witness then 11.4
he was one of the men who were in the longbeat,
he also observed the two holes in the stein of the Byers,
and he said he "sang out" to that effect, diel Wsle.
who was standing on the poop at the time. mint hate
heard him. He then gave a similar description of tie
holes to that given by the other witness, and ',levee!
his opinion that they had been wade by au
from the inside of the vessel.
In croseexaminatiou this witness said that tie!
encountered • strong breeze, about • fortnight after thq
left England.
Mapham, another seaman, gave ealence of
similar chazacter to that deposed to by the pn s ed.ng ve.
nesse,. He deposed that on the 14th of June tic weather
was perfectly calm, and there was nothing
.ts, axsenit
the springing of the leak. orders were given to get
the boat's reedy for see the moment they hit tine I s
and the last sail fur the longboat was finished cloy ;05•
before the leak was discovered, and all the bads se
ready except having their sails bent. The men OM,
at the pumps all night, and at $ o'clock on the fellowese
morning, the 15th, the water still contineel
them, and they went again to the captain ts. know wIlAt t.
was going to do about the ship, and shortly ..fierwarris
prisoner Webb gave orders for the boats to be got •T'
witness then stated that he was one of those ako trd
the longboat, and he distinctly saw the two
stern as the ship rose and fell with the wavee
In cross-examination this witness states) th . f•.• t I
came to London he met the prisoner W, hi, at tote
Alhambra, and had some conversation with hint beat
Severn business, and he hid previously la iit in ‘'`'m.
munication with Captain ISownward, 1)".,
He was paid It. a week for wages, and le, e
for beers' by Captain I)owrsward, and Le' Pi,
that, of course, if he was not paid. le e-
gone to sea to get his living. lie tales W.eb
that he had been to Captain Downward'e set 'e•
he did not tell him that Captain Downward
to say a good deal more than he could nay. 11, raid
Lin Downward where he could find Kelly. and
formed Webb that he had done se. He deniel that
tam Downward bad shown him the model of .. '•
asked him where the holes were.
Re-examined—At the time he saw Webb at Ow
bra he was not aware that any charge was going it' I".
ferred against him.
Reel' Davis,ordinary seaman on board the es, efIL 0";
roborated the testimony of the previous wititikss, s“
he also spoke to hearing sevens' of the men who wrm
the longboat call out there were two holes in the aura o
the vessel, and be also observed them, and he seta br
thought at first that there was • plug in our of the 60,0,
but afterwards he discovered that it was only e itscce
ticking out fro], the hole.
In cross-examination the vrituess said that there was