The Express.
London, England, 1860-09-06 00:00:00

MURDER ON BOARD AN AMERICAN SHIP.

On Tuesday Mr. Curry, borough coroner at
Liverpool, held an inquest on the body of Charles Wallace,
whose death was occasioned under the following circum-
stances. The deceased was the boatswain of the American
ship Lombard, which on the 2.:n4 of last month was lying
in the river outward bound, a Dutch sailor, named Henry
Lawson, being one of the crew. On the morning of that
day the mate of the vessel went into the forecastle to turn
out the men. Lawson refused to sun' out, and then the
mate called to the deceased to get the men to their work.
The boatswain, it appears, attempted to pull Lawson out
of his berth ; a struggle ensued, and the latter drew his
knife and stabbed the deceased in the neck, shoulder, and
hand. Wallace was taken to the Northern Hospital,
where he died on Saturday last. The followiog is a sum-
mary of the evidence given at the inquest :
Ellen Wallace stated that the deosased was her husband,
and that she resided at 27, Portland-street. He was •
native of Luton United States Was 2J years old. He
sailed about twelve months since in the American ship
Ocean Rump for New Orleans, and came home as boatswain
u the Amencan ship Lombard about seven weeks ago. He
WISP going out with her actin, and joined her on the 20th of
August. On that day Ike parted with him on board, and
went home. The same night the porter at the Northern
Hospital went to their house and drought her to the
hospital, where she found her husband in bed. He took her
hand, and shook hill head. She saw a cut in his throat
three inches long. The surgeon told her he was in a very
dangerous elate. She saw him daily until his death. He
never thought he would recover. When alto asked hituliow
it happened that lie got cut, he said, "I was doing nothing
but my duty, Ellen. I was cut by • Dutchman. The knife
be cut me with went twice in the same place in my throat."
She asked him did he know the man. and he replied, "I
never saw hint before I saw him on board the ship to my
knowledge."
Matthew Mallon, • dock labourer, residing in 24 Court,
Stewart-street, said, ou Wednesday, the 22nd of August,
lie went on board the American ship Lombard, in the
Victoria Dock, with other labourers, to finish loading her
with salt for 'alcutta. About three o'clock in the after-
neon she was hauled into the river, with the salt flat towing
behind. Soon after the ship cleared the basin, the second
mate and the deceased went into the fortieths on deck to
get the men belonging to the ship out. He heard some words
inside the forecastle, and as the seamen went out on the
starboard side on deck, he went into the forcastle on the lar-
board side. A t thus lime there was no one left in the fore-
castle but the deccamad, who war the boatswain, the second
mate, and two seamen. He saw the deceased push the one
seaman out, and then he went over to the seaman who is
now in custody, who was lying in • bunk amidships. He
saw the deceased haul the legs of this man out of the
bunk, and then the man got out of hie bunk and stood
ou the forecastle deck. He saw blows struck between the
de-calmed and this man. They struck each other several
notes, led lie could not my which struck the first blow.
The seeond mate went out of the forecastle then, as he
thought, to fetch some weapon. As the second mate went
out, the witness saw • knife in the left hand of the unman
the deceased was fighting with. He had the knife with the
point towards his left arid, and he saw him lift his arm and
drive the point of the knive into the throat of the deceased.
It appeared to be • sheath knife by the length of the blade.
The deceased staggered back, and then went out on the
nuns deck, and sat down on a piece of wood. The second
mat, and • boy who was there carried the deceased aft, and
the captain he a towel on the wound, and scut some one
in a steamer fur a surgeon to • man4-war ship lying in the
river.

Matthew Gibney said he was a runner in Mews. Kelly
and American shipping office until last Saturday even.
log, when he left in consequence of business being slack.
Shipped the deceased as boatswain in the Lombard. Was
acquainted with the seaman who stabbed the deceased.
Was sitting on the starboard rail, when he heard the mate
say to the deceased, "Are them any men in the forecastle :r'
Followed the mate into the faniustle, and found two men
there, Lawson being one. Sold to the men, " Come, Labs,
turn out ; get the anchors over the bow u I want to get
ashore in the steamer." Took one man out himself. Left
the decreased And Limos in the forecastle. Was out of the
forecastle half a minute, and on his return found the second
mate there. Met the deceased making hie way to the
forecastle door, and observed bkod corning from his
neck. He said to witness, "Mat, 1 am dune." Told
Lamson he had killed the num, when he replied,
" You are as bad as he is ; look out." Called out to the
stevedores not to let the man ocerboant, as he had 'mur-
dered the hoetsvraim Assisted the captain in putting Law-
son in irons. Went ashore with the deceased, ..aid that day
hail seen him dead at the hispital.
Mr. Newton Heelas, inures of the Northern H.apital,
said the deceased was adnutted on Wednesday evening, the
22nd of Aug,tat, suffering from au incised wound in the left
shoulder. and another on the right hand. He died on the
let of September. Witness had since made a post modern
examination of the body of the deceased, and fumed the
cause of death to have been from keinorrliage from a vein
wounded by the stub in the throat. 'rho stab wound was a
ferocious stult, end was di: inches deep downwards.
The coroner having summed up, the jury at once returned
• verdict of " Wilful murder" against Lawson.
The accused is already in custody, and will he brought up
on remand before the stipendiary rn•ostrate this day.

BURGLARY AND SAIrRILLGR. —OR Monday night
last, about half-past eleven, polies °Amiable Dorrington
heard some one my, in the vestry room of Luton Church,
" Bill, you are making tau much noise." Dorrington has-
tened and procured the amistance of police constables
Jampaset, Armstrong, and Neville. On trying the vestry
room door they found it unlocked. Jae,inest entered the
door, and w:,+ instuntly felled to the ground with a life.
peee~er. Oorrington and Neville then rushed in, and a
dwpetata r..ndirt took plsoe, melt ortierr Levieg • burglar
in his peep. Superintendent Pope, Servant Smith, sad
police-constable Lambert having amved, the burglar,, after
to=tee resistance. were secured and lodged in the eta-
. Three of the police-conatablee and both the pri-
soners we so much injured that they were not in • *maiden
to be Wren before the magistrates on Tuesday. Jacquest
is wounded about the head and face, Armstrong is also
seriously wounded shoat the bead, and Dorrieutou about
the lep. Neville is also wounded is different parte of the
body. The prisoners pr, their Dams as follows :—Heary
Lee. aged cower, from Birmingham, and Henry
Simpson, a very powardel and desperato-loolriag maw, aged
ZS, labourer, from Lialialiton. A life-pmeerier end a
skeleton key which spared the lock of the vestry door were
taken from simpsou. In a carpet beg near the spot was
fowl a life preserver. A skeleton keye, and • dark !enters.
On examining the vestry-room • desk was found to have
been Irnkeu open. A cupboard whore the escramental
wino is kept liAl also been forced, and tie iron chest partly
unlocked. Last Sunday was Sacrament Sunday, and no
doubt the burglars supposed the plate was deposited in the
Aid of the Miry.