The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-23 00:00:00

THE RIOT ON BOARD THE J. L. BOGART.

ADJOURNED INVESTIGATION.

The enquiry into this case was resumed yesterday, when
the four prisoners who had been kept in custody were
brought uo at half past two (Mock. Their names are—
Joseph Williams, Jeremiah Jones, Ln'tt ilyat, and Peter
Campbell. The latter is the second mate, who is in
custody on a charge of shooting one of the crew, who is
now in hospital. The magistrates presiding yesterday,
were—Rev R. M. Fieidea (in the chair), Sir E. Cost,
Mr, J. D. Case, Mr. Bryans, Rev. Mr. Coxon, and Mr,
Glegg. Messrs. Campbell and Snowball appeared for the
prisoners (except Peter Campbell, the second mate).
Mr. Almond appeared for the American Consul, and Mr.
Conway (barrister) was in attendance for Mr. Patrick
Martin, the shipping master in the case.
Mr: Almond said, he appeared for the American
Consul, and he had a certificate from the surgeon at the
Northern Hospital, which showed that the mate was still
in a dan?erous state, and would nut, at least for a week,
if then, b) able to attend. He urged that, under the
circumstances, the magistrates had the power to remand
the men now in custody, as the consul had not the least
objection to allow the bench to interfere in the caae,
although the parties were American citizens.
Mr. Conway said, in consequence of a letter which was
published in the NORTHERN TIMEi of that morning, signed
" Sea Solicitor," reflecting on the conduct of Mr. Martin,
the shipping master, he appeared there on behalf of that
gentleman, to give a full explanation of the case.
The Chairman said, there was no charge against Mr.
Martin, but if anything should arise in the course of the
case, they would afford every opportuni'y to Mr. Conway
to offer any explanation.
After some brief preliminary discussion,

Detective officer Scott said, he had brought up the
boatswain (a black man) of the ship, and he was ready to
be examined.

John Robinson then said, I shipped as seaman on
board the ship last Saturday. She was an American,
and I shipped for Mobile. I signed articles for Mobile
in Mr. Martin's office, he is a shipping master. I went
on board on Sunday at ten o'clock, and signed the articles
on Saturday.
Mr. Conway : I will produce the articles.
'1 he witness went on to say—On Monday morning at
half past six we turned to ; worked till eight o'clock, and
then got breakfast. I was made boatswain then by
order of the first and second mate ; ' at half past eight
the chief mate told me to turn the men to. I mustered
them to see how many there were ; there were 18 and
myself, not including the mates or captain The mate
told me to take all the men I wanted forward. I picked
out five men, and the second mate told me to get up the
foretop gallant rigging. Two of the men, when I got to
the forecastle, I found had shipped for an English ship
that lay a-head of us. I think her name was the Robin
Hood, bound for Antiguia. The man who was shot
and who is in the hospital is one of them. They said
when they came along side they hailed the ship as the
Robin Hood, and the second mate said she was the Robin
Hood. I heard the second mate, from my berth at 12
that night, say to the people in the boat who hailed the
Robin Hood that the J. L. Bogart was 'he Robin Hood.
The two men complained to the mates on Monday
morning, and they said—" kick them," and began to
heat the two men. They beat them with their fists and
feet, kicking them, and also with the butt end of their
pistols. The men ran forward, followed by
the two mates. The captain was not on board. The
men did not resist at all—they only complained. The
. officers had the pistols in their pockets. Both mates
drew the pistols and fired three times each at them.
I saw the man who is in the hospital shot by Peter
Campbell, the second mate. There he is. The ball
struck him in the thigh, but he did not fall. Both
mates then went back and reloaded the pistols. The
mate loaded both. I did not see any weapon in the
hands of the man who was shot. He did not offer
any resistance. Campbell snappea the pistol four times
at the man, and the firth shot went off and hit him. He
was the only man who was shot. The chief mate then
went forward and fired at Jeremiah Jones : the pistol
went off, but the ball missed the man, and the man then
struck the mate with a capstan bar. The blow was
somewhere about the head, but did not knock him down.
The man picked up the bar after he was shot.
Did not see the other prisoners use any weapon. The second
mate had a rcutlass as well as a pistol. He dropped the
sword, and Hyatt picked it up. The men neither raised a
hand, or spike, or any thing, until after they were fired on.
To Mr. Campbell ; All the men worked on Sunday, and
on that night soma of the men came on board, and as they
did they were pulled down by the hair of the head, and
kicked and beaten by the first and second mates. They put
this (a man) in irons, and tLey dragged and abused
him. Saw the prisoner Williams abused by the second
mate; he was knocked down and kicked. The men did not
give the officers ill language. Saw the second mate take
liquor from one of the men. The officers had the pistols on
them when they began to beat the men. SAW a piece of
wood, as well as a pistol, in the first mate's hand. The
second mate gave up his pistol to the police. Did not see
the mate pour hot water into one of the men's ears. The
men only said they had not shipped for that ship, and would
not go in her. The men were glad whe❑ the officers came
to take them away.
Mr. Snowball put in the artic es, and contended that the
men were justified in defending themselves.
The Chairman said any man who was fired at had a right
to defend himself.

The Pilot, Joseph Harrison, was then called, and, his
former evidence having been read, he said he confirmed every
point stated by the last witness.

The Chairtrian did not see, after that, by what right two
of the men were detained.

Mr. Campbell then, in a forcible and eloquent- address,
spoke in favour of his clients, and designated the conduct of
the two mates as ferocious and savage. He went through
the whole of the evidence, and ably argued on the points.
He said he had plenty of evidence, besides what had
been given, to snow that the men had been vilely
used ; and, he added with great energy, if the
two ruffians who assaulted these poor fellows had been
laid dead on the deck, they would have been properly
served for their brutality (a loud bust of applause which
lasted some time followed this sentence, and it was with
difficulty suppressed.)
The Chairman said, the only evidence against any of the
men, was against Jones, who bad struck the first mate. and
he could not be discharged until the result of the man's
injury could be ascertained.

-31 i: Campbell went on to designate the conduct of the
two mates, as murderous, and that the men had acted in
self-defence only. Mr. Snowball agreed on the law of the
case, and contended that the men had been entrapped. He
made an able and argumentative address on the points of
the case. Ile also dwelt on the brutality of the mates to
the men.

Some discussion took place on the arguments used by Mr.
Snowball, when

Mr. Campbell again addressed the bench, after
which their worships decided to detain Jones until
the mate was out of danger, and intimated that then they
would discharge him, bat in the meantime they would take
two sureties in £25 each for his appearance.

THE CHARGE AGAINST THE SECIND ➢LATE.
Peter Campbell the second mate, was then put forward,
on a charge of having shot James Christy, who is now in
custody.

Mr Conway then essayed to address the court on the
part of Mr Martin, the shipping master, but the bench
refused to hear him, as there was no charge whatever
against Mr Martin.

-Mr Conway: It has gone forth in the public papers
that—

The Chairman said there is no charge whatever against
Mr Martin. lam sure be is very respectable, for nothing
whatever has appeared against him to his prejudie3 one way
or other—for or against him,
Mr Conway: I beg to say, sir, that it was intimated in
the papers—
Chairman : All I can say is this, that I am sure it will be
perfectly satisfactory to Mr Martin and his friends to see
in the papers to-morrow, that the bench has stated there
is no charge whatever against him.
Mr Conway: There is plenty of evidence here to show
that the men shipped and signed articles for Mobile,
and the examination of the boatswain proves it.
Chairman : No doubt about it, and therefore there is not
the slightest charge against Mr Martin.
Detective officer, Thomas Smith, was then examined, and
said : I, with other officers, went on board the ship in the
river. The crew stated that the prisoner had fired a shot,
and I went into the cabin and saw him. I asked him
for the pistol, when he said, "The pistol I shot him with?"
I said, " Yes ;" and he then took this six barrelled revolver
from a drawer. He said, "I am only sorry I did
not blow his brains out for a d—d black son of a
I then arrested him, and found a broken sling shot. I
found three barrels of the pistol loaded with powder and
ball.

It having been shown that the man, Christy, was not able
to come,

Mr. Jennetf, surgeon, was sworn—and saii : lie saw the
wounded man who had a ball in his thigh. if is not Ale
to attend. The ball is not yet extrac, ed. lie is in a
dange.•ous state, but I do not anticipate dea h at present.
John Robinson, one of the crew, who had been first
examined, was re-called and his evidence was read over to
him, and the prisoner, Campbell was requested, if he wished,
to cross examine him. He declined to do so.
It was arranged to remand Campbell to this (-I,:iy
A warrant was then issued to put the chief mate (now i❑
hospital), under the surveillance of the police; and, at
nearly six o'clock, the further hearing of the case was
adjourned to this day week.