The National Register.
London, England, 1812-01-05 00:00:00

JAN. 5.

bound to the Brazils, its an ordinary seaman. The ship having been dee.;
tained a long time at Rio Janeiro, proceeded aftern ards for a carp it)
Demerara, from whence she returned on the 3d or 4th of October last,
at which time Williams was discharged, and was paid upwards of 401.
the balance of his wages. Capt. Hutchinsop supposes, as he possessed
an address superior to his situation; wrote a good hand, and had gone to
sea at an advanced age, that he must have been driven to that line Of life
by his former bad conduct. As sailors on a long voyage, under strict
discipline, have not opportunities of doing much mischief, Captain H.
cannot relate much of Williams's misconduct ; but mentions hisattempt-
ing to impose himself upon a man at Rio Janeiro, as secondniate of thee
Roxburgh Castle, and by that means obtaining a small sum of money.
It was this circumstance that drew from Capt. H. the expression attri•
bated to him, " that if he lived to go on sherd, he-would certainly be
hanged.'
Williams always endeavoured to pus as a native of Scotland; but
Captain H. who is himself from that country, easily discovered him to
be an Irishnlan, and suppohes him to be from the county of Down. When
paid his wages by the owners, he represented himself to them as coming
from Campbehown, in Argyleshire. Besides the. fraud committed
on the second mate of the Roxburgh Castle, Williams was engaged in a
Captain H. in his late voyage, had altogether a very bad crew ; and,
whilst proceeding from Rio Janeiro to Demerara, when. of Surinam,
they broke into open mutiny e upon which Capt. H. anchored under the
guns of the fort at Braam's-point; and applied to Capt. Kennedy, of his
Majesty's brig Forester, who, by threats and persuasion procured their
return to their duty. Three of the principals.in the business were sett
into confinement at Surinam, for 25 hours • one of whom WailWillieni
Allblas., the same petson who was- apprehended on suspicion of being
• concerned with Williams in the late murders. Williams, pn this
sion, escaped punishment, having pleaded that he wailed Astray by his
companions.
, From the evidence adduced*before the Maglstriies,'it,appears, that I
two men were represented as having been seen nipping fray the batiste
of Mr. Wiiliamson, When the murders were conimitted,—sne a man.
six feet high, the other shorter. (or Williamson,) was 'five
feet eight inches high; and Allblas is a stout mart about six feet: So '
far these two men answer the description of thefugitives. Feether, All
bliss states himself to be a native of Dantzic, but speaks very good Eng-
Bell. at his examination on Saturday week, before Mr. Merhland, at
Shadwell Office, he acknowledged 'he 'bad been drinking in company
with Wiliiacos, at three or icily pebliceleotteei, on the nigbt of the mur-
ders at Mr. Williamson's. He said, that he left his comrade, Williams,
•at half-past eight, schcu he went home, and sat up till twelve,and then
retired to bed. Being aslicd by Magistrates if he could prove this,
he said he could, by nleans c.f his landlady. She was sent for, ar.d at-
tended vrieh another woman. Her story was, that the prisoner came.
home from halfspast nine to ten o'clock, and went to bed at twelve. It
was remarked to the Magistrates at the time, that the woman who at.
tended with the landlady of Allblas, had been in the habit of coMing to
the counting-house of the owners of the Roxburgh Castle' to receive a
monthly allowance cf Allblas, and always represented herself. ar.d
signed the receipt as his wife.. Allblas denied, previous to this woman's
coming forward that he had any wife, and appeared to wish not to claim
any intimacy with the witnesses. Upon being asked. how he had sup-
ported himself so long without empiolmeht, be said he had PaWned his
clothes, and lived upon the bounty of some good friends. Under these
cireurpstanceS, and upon the word of theses women (for we are informed
• that they were not sworn) Allbla3 was diseharrd.
John Harrison, the sail-maker, who was the first to communicate his
suspicions of the guilt of Williams, served an board the Roxburgh Castle
in that capacity. He had the best opportunity of studying the character
of the man. Having been the only means of pointing out one of the au-
thors of these barbarous murders, and bearing a character from the
Captain the very reverse of that of Williams, no doubt he wild be
rewarded.