The National Register.
London, England, 1813-09-05 00:00:00

POL ICE.

BOW STREET.
CHARGE or MIRDER.—Monday, Abraham Reeves, the 2d mate
of the East India Company's ship the Java, underwent a second ex-
amination, charged on suspicion of the wilful murder of a Lascar of
the name of Ramsame, on board the said ship.
Moonshy Choslatn Hyder, the Professor of Arabic at the East
India Company's College at Hertford, attended with a copy of the
Koran, which was beautifully illuminated, for the purpose of inter-
preting, for the witnesses, and administering the oaths. He stated
hintselt to be a true Mussulman. What was stated on the first exa-
mination respecting the Lascars having a particular mode of put-
ting on turbans, to exonerate Ahem from the obligation of an oath,
or to enforce one, might, he said, be practised by a particular tribe ,
but was by no means general. With respect to the feet being unco- ,
vered when an oath was administered, he acknowledged that to be
correct, and he had a bootjack procured, with which he took off
his boots, previous to his being sworn to well and faithfully trans-
late between the Magistrate, the witnesses, and the prisoner : hoW. •
ever he kept his stockings on, so that the custom of bare feet was
nut literally complied with.
Gulamalec, the principal witness, was then sworn by the Moon-
shy, in a similar way, after first questioning him as to his belief in
Plahomet, the Koran, and his being a true Mussulman. The oath
was administered in the same t.orm of words as the English, except
the conclusion, which was " So help me God and his Prophet."
v.ey held the Koran in their hands all the time they were giving

e examination proceeded very slowly, in consequence -of the
(Monty of making the witnesses understand the questions and the
translations. It occupied the attention of Mr. Read from twelve
o'clock till between five or six, when it was discovered that the
proceedings were considerab:y retarded by the Mren,shy not being
sufficiently master of the Etil.lish language!, eiti,er in translation or
orommeiation ; and in consequence Mr. Gould who has the care
and superintendence of the LASCUIS chile they ate in the punt of
London, introduced a young man of the name of Charle, William
Nettall, who stated himself to be a native of India ; that his mo-
nger was also a native of that country, and his father a Scotcoman,
and himself of the Catholic religion. He was, tliciefoi , sworn to
faithfidly translate, which he did very quickly, on both sides,
and very expressively. In addition to witat we stated on Sunday
last, it appeared. that On the morning after Ramsame Was found
dead on the deck where he had been left Kith only a blanket on
the body was stripped and washed, as is customary, ny his country-
men, when they discovered a email flunk on his forehead, supposed
to have been occasioned by blows given by the prisoner, and also a
bruise on his side. The Lascars applied for a boat to take the body
on shore to buoy it agreeably to their custom, whenever it is practi-
cable ; but this was refused, and they were ordered to throw the
body overboard ; this they retniied to do on account of their religi-
ous scruples. Some of the Portuguese sailors on board were then
ordered to throw it overboard by the prisoner, but they also de-
clined from the same motive. The prisoner in consequence kicked
it overboard himse.f.
Gulamalee was clerk to the Serang or Boatswain, and on the lat-
ter coming (L.. board the Java, is about ten days after the death of
Ramsame, he enquired how all his men did (meaning time Lascars),
when Culanialee told him of the circumstance of Ranisame's death,
which induced the Serang to go to M. Brown, the chief mate, and
enquire the cause of Ranisame's being treated in the way he had
been. Dlr. Brown told him to go to ri--11, and mind his own basi-
ness, struck him a violent blow, and also ordered him to be lied up,
when he received seven dozen lashes ; and, on being take n down,
he was put into irons, and remained in that state for Mice or ton
days. When the Captain came on board, one of the Tendall's was
flogged, and put in irons : he was the Boatswain's mate. The
Captain also, on hearing the Chief Mate's statement respecting the
Serang, ordered him to be tied up again, and to receive three dozen
more lashes, which were inflicted accotdingl.y.
In addition to the charge against the prisoner respecting Ram-
' same, various acts of cruelty were stated against others during the
• voyage.
Brown, the chief mate, ordered a boatswain's mate to bring
a rope to tie up the cook, a Portuguese, to be flogged ; to
avoid this punishment the man lumped overboard and was drowned.
Mousdin, a Lascar, was flogged twice while the ship was in the
Saeger Roads, and received three dozen lashes each time; and
while the ship was at Batavia, he was flogged again, and received
seven dozen lashes. While they were at Batavia some Officers of a
King's ship came on board in search of white seamen, to press them
when Mousdin told the officers where some of them were concealed.
These the officers found and impressed ; they also took with them
Mousdin, kept him on board the King's brig seven days, and thee
returned him to the Java. He then received a flogging of seven
dozen lashes for giving the information, and was kept nine days in
irons. Mr. Biscoe was present when he received his flogging. The
LascArs' chest, containing opium, and other favorite articles of
their's, was broke open, and the contents thrown overboard.
Sedan Maloy, a Lascar, was stated to have been struck by Mr.
Ballard, the boatswain, with a piece of fire-wood, which, as they
termed it, cracked his head. The boatswain tied the wound
up with his own handkerchief. In four or five days after, Sedan.
Maloy died. • At the time lie received the blow he was considered
in good health. The body was thrown overboard by the litisoner
and Mr. Brown.

On a further investigation and cross-examination o 2 Gulamales
it appeared. that when the Captain came on board, tifter the death
of Ramsame, be ordered the stores provided by the Serang for the
Lascars. to be taken aft ; some were giving to the goats which
were on board; some were thrown into the yoop ; but it was net
known what became of the rest. It was not known what the Serang
received three dozen lashes for.

Many other details were given of acts of cruelty exercised open-
the crew, n of whom deserted, and 25 died, during the voyage.
The prisoner's Counsel submitted, that froos the nature of the evi-
dence, this was not a case fit to be sent to a Jam.
Mr. Read, the Magistrate, thought otherwise. It was in proof
before him that Romaine never asoved from the spot after the
blows he received from the prisoner, aid he should certaiuly send

1.4.1 t nce.