Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-12 00:00:00

OUTRAGE ON BOARD AN AMERICAN SRI
THE CLYDE.

On Friday the ship Ophelia, of Boston, United States
Captain Barker, was lying at anchor at the Tail of the
Bank, having come down the Clyde from Glasgow, prey
phratory to setting out on her voyage to Now Orleans.
The master of the ship was in Glasgow on that day,
concluding his arrangements for starting, and the ship
was in charge of Charles Henry Sawyer and Benjamin
Lewis—both men of 27 years' of age, and Americans—
the first and second mates of the vessel. About ten
o clock on the morning of Friday, some of the seamen
went on board, and, among others, a young man named
Lovell, belonging to Newry, in Ireland. Scarcely had
he got on deck when, without the slightest provocation,
or apparent motive, Lewis' the second mate, struck him,
with his list a, most savage blow on the face, which feUei
him to the ground, and the blood flawed from his eyes
He got up and went into the forecastle, where was another
•f the seamen,- named Daniel Fraser, a young man
belonging to Rothesay, in Bute. The two mates entered
the forecastle, and quarrelled with Fraser, whom
they ordered on deck. Ho said he was just going,
whenever he had got his knife. Both the males then
set upon him, and- struck him violently, dragging
him out of the forecastle, and along the deck as far
as the booby hatch, when Lewis. the- second mate, struck
him a tremendous blow on the forehead with his fist, on;
which he had a' dangerous weapon called " Inuckle-•
duster," which is of iron,-and fits closely on to the shut
fist, which blow cut open Fraser's Forehead, and felled
him to the ground, where he lay with the blood Sowing'
copiously from his wound. Wilde lying cn the deck, the
twee mates set to " boating" him, or kicking him.
violently with their boots. She poor fellow, finding him--
.self subjected to such cowardly arid cruel usage, sprang
upon his legs, got upon the; ship's side rail, and jumped'
deliberately into the river, in order to escape from his'
brutal assailants. He struck out for her Atajesty's ship'
Wellington, which lay at anchor about halt-a-mile off,
near Greenock. The steam-tug-34r William Vlnllace had'
been nearing the Ophelia at the time, and seeing the man-
plunge into the river, went in the direction in which he
was swimming, and, succeeded in picking hlen up in
a very exhausted state from the treatment he had
received, and the effects of swit=ing with hie clothes
on,- the blood still streaming, from his wound-
Fraser insisted on being put on. board Her Ma-
jesty'S ship Wellington, but the tug went alongside
the Ophelia, where the two mates of the ship- went
into the tug and hauled Fraser on board their vessel.
Before the tug left the ship, the mate told Fraser to go •
forward, take off his wet clothes, and get his woends
dressed, and go to bed, and there would be no more about
it, and Fraser did so. He was scarcely': half an hour in
his berth, when Sawyer (the mate) came to his door, and
quietly-told him he wanted to see nine rn his, (the mate's)
stateroom to examine his wounds. Fraser got up and
followed the mate aft to his stateroom. Some of the
crew also followed Fraser as far as the cable door, but
there the latter ware stopped short by Lewie, the second
mate, who came to the door, holding out a loaded six
barrelled' Colt's revolver, and said that Fraser was to be •
put in irons, and that if any man attempted to assist.
Fraser in opposing this, he (Lewis) wound shoot him.
Feaser, overhearing from this threat that he was to be
handcuffed; suddenly tn-ide a rush out from the cabin, and
while passing the second mate, the pistol was fired, as it
appeared, at another of the crew named Edward Freeman,
who had said something disapproving of the course the
mates were proposing to adopt in putting Fraser in irons;
but, fortunately, the shot did not e Ike effect. When
Fraser get past Lewis, he sprang into the main rigging,
and was about to jump a second time into the see, when
the first mate called out to Lewis' the second mate,
" Shoot that man ;" and Lewis levelled the pistol to obey
the bloody•injuection by firing another of the barrels of
the revolver, when one of the crew suddenly pulled down
his arm, and frustrated his diabolical intention. A. num-
ber of the crew then made common cause with Fraser,
prevented his jumping overboard, and they immediately
hoisted a blue shirt on the fore lift, as a signal to Her
Mijesty'e ship Wellington that some of the seamen wanted'
to volunteer into Her M ijesty's service, as the best means
of getting quit of their engagement to sail in the Ophelia
without incurring the usual penalties for desertion, or
rendering themselves liable to any punishment or
forfeiture whatever, as provided in the 214th section
of ;the Merchant Shipping Act. The first mate in—
sisted that they should keep down the signal, but they -
would; not. The war ship Wellington, however, paid no
attention to the signal. Ou the afternoon of the same
day, the two men, Fraser and Freeman, got on shore and*
reported the case to Mr. Blair, the procurator-fiscal; and.-
a warrant having beta obtained, the first and second
mates of the Ophelia were apprehended on board their
ship by the fiscal's officer, assisted by Sergeant Dredge-
and three marines belonging to her Majesty's ship Athole.
The officers also found the revolver on board fully loaded
to the muzzle with ball cartridge, arid even capped, and;
all ready for action. Lovell, the first man who was struck,
has entered on board the Athole ; and seven others of the
crew have refused to go with the ship after what they
experienced ou Friday. Oa Saturday, the fiscal was.
engaged in making his precognition, and the two mates
are in prison awaiting the result of an investigation. The
crew is said to be composed of a fine set of orderly men.
Glasgow Daily Mail,

STATE OF THE COU-NTRY.

FAILURE NEAR BILSTON.—We understand that Mr.
'amuel Pemberton, of Deepfields, near Bilston, has sus-
needed, and will call his creditors together forthwith—we
believe on Friday next. We have not 'ward the extent of
the liabilities.- -Birrnirighant Daily Post.
MEETING OF UNEMPLOYED AT HARTLEPOOL.—On Wed-
nesday afternoon, a large meeting of the unemployed
workmen met on the Town Moor, when it was resolved!
they would attend on his worship the T,layor, to represent
to him their deplorable condition, and, if refused relief,
would use force in obtaining provisions. His worship
was seen, and promised to use his utmost endeavours
with the tradesmen in aiding them, but expressed a hope
that they would remain tranquil, and not put him to the
disagreeable necessity of calling out the police. Another,
meeting was announced to take place yesterday morning.
THE WOLVERHAMPTON BANKING. COMPANY.—With,.
reference to the re-opening of the bank, no definite
arrangements have yet been made; the board of directors
are said to be prepared with the amount to be advanced
by: them ; and the further sum which the creditors
stipulated should be provided. will, it is understood, be
Pot theoming in a few days. In reference to that matter a.
deputation left Wolverhampton tor London on Tuesday
and it was mentioned that Mr.Veliers, M.P., would most
likely accompany it to the Bank of England.—Midland
Counties Herald•—ln theßirminghamCourt of Bankruptcy,
onWednesday, Mr. Jelin Smith intimated to Mr. Registrar
Waterfield that no further proceedings would be taken is
regard to the petition, filed on Monday week, for issuing
an adjudication of bankruptcy against the Wolverhampton
and Staffordshire Company. The opening of the bank for
the payment of notes had of course made further proceed-
ings on the part of Mr. David Levi impossible.—Birmieg..
ham. Daily Post.
THE UNEMPLOYED AT BRADFORD.—The committee
appointed at the outdoor meeting of the unemployed, one
Monday, sent a deputation of their body to wait upon the,
Mayor of Bradford (11. Brown, Esq.) and reqeest th
e,
devise measures of relief. The Mayor has called a meet-
ing, which was held on Friday afternoon, in the saloon.
of St. George's Hall, to consider the condition of the'
unemployed, and to determine what steps shall be taken
to give them relief. Another open-air meeting, of the
unemployed was held yesterday afternoon, in the vacant
ground iu front of Philadelphia Chapel, Bolton:road It
was less numerous than the meeting on Monday. Cteorge
Roberts presided in a cart, from, which the speakers
addressed the crowd. A. resolution was passed, embody-
ing a request to the board of guardians to call upon the
Poor-law Board by memorial to relax their stringent
rules with regard to the able-bodied paupers. A depute-
Lion was appointed to present the resolution to the visit-
ing committee of the board. One speaker advised the
men present to help themselves to food• wherever they
could find it. The chairman, however, called him to
order, and said that such nonsense, if acted upon, would
bring them into greater trouble. It was stated that the
Mayor, on being waited on by a deputation, had said that
he did not think the dietress was 'so wide-spread as to
require any large efforts of relief, though he was anxious
to do all in, his power to meet the necessities of the
present pressure against the unemployed.. It was sugges-
ted, therefore, that they should endeavour to disabuse the
mayor and other gentlemen of this idea, by parading the
street. They did so, accordingly, remaining for a length
of time choking up Market-street, in front of the business
house of which the mayor is the head. Some slight 'alarm
was created for a time by the sudden appearance of a.
mob, and the police were called together ; hut, after
exhibiting theraselves, a few hundred teen and boys who.,
formed the crowd passed quietly forward, in an irreethC-
procession through the town.
;he

GU:MOATS FOR Isert —On Tuesday, the first of tiventy-
five small iron screw gunbDats, ordered by the Ev;z, India
Comp.sny for service in India, arrived at WoDlwizh dock-
yard from the premises of the builders, Ilessrs. Sir John
Ronnie and Co., and after receiving OF, boat Mr. Par-
tridge, assistant chief engineer of the 'factory department,
proceeded down the Thames on a trial trip, in order to
tes. her screw machinery,
The 'result was highly satis-
factory, and the rate of speed obt!.tined was nine knots per
hour. These boa's are dee;.dedly the most complete
specimens of " miniature" naval architecture which have
yet been turned out of hand. They are intended for
servicein the numerous shallow creeks which are con-
nected with the Ganges and other rivers in India, and
are consequently constructed to draw about two feet of
water. Each boat will be armed wi h one 12.-pounder
gun, which can be fired not only fcom its carriage.placel
about the centre of the deck, but can be shifted with the
utmost rapidity to swivels which are paced at various
parts of the deeli., The interior fittings of the vessels, and
especially the eompact saloon cabin, elicited gene* a -
Intratiott,-4fortriny Po4t