The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-20 00:00:00

THE CONVICTS IN NEWGATE,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,---So great and universal has been the odium
which has fallen upon the whole of the unhappy
men now awaiting the extreme penalty of the law
that I would have hesitated to address one word to
you on their behalf were I not authorised to do so
by the possession of special information, acquired
through the daily and confidential intercourse wls:1;.-..h
in the coarse of my duties, I have held with then].
This has convinced myself, beyond the sl_adow
doubt, that, should the law be allowed to tq`:
course without discrimination, they will be
of justice, and that a more satisfactsq cone:-I.on
would have been arrived at if in this init?aca the
usual forms of the 1a.9 could have 1;;;-:-' doz]arte:l
from, and the declarations of the accused t'‘em-
selves been admitted as available c'sience.
It is erroneously asserted that they have 1:,11;,c.--
fessed their guilt. This is very `jr from the ::nth;
three only have made admissio.:s to any extent,
and these with the sole object of clearing from blame
two others of their number—Marcelino arid Basilio
de los Santos. I must repeat that it is most unfor-
tunate that exceptions due to the peculiarities of a
case like the present cannot sometimes be allowed,
and therefore that our judicature, usually so benig-
nant in its operations, should at times press so
unequally. Several mysterious circumstances
might thus have been explained more equitably
than by the sweeping conclusions of the prosecu-
t tion, or the indiscriminate malignity of popular
clamour.

The men could neither understand their officers
nor make themselves understood by them, and their
delay in obeying orders was interpreted as laziness
or insubordination, and punished accordingly.
Short allowance of food and water is an intolerable
punishment in the tropics.
Againstjuan Leon (Lyons) the weight of evidence
has been allowed to prevail with peculiar unfair-
ness. Being the only foreigner on board able to
interpret intelligibly he was employed by the cap.
Lain, and afterwards by the mutineers, as the chan-
nel through which orders were conveyed. This
circumstance was certainly not sufficiently borne in
mind during the trial, and the orders transmitted
through Leon, as the mouthpiece of others, were
taken as emanating from himself. His own account
of his conduct was confirmed by the evidence of
Taffir, the second mate. It is, that being seriously
wounred in the darkness by the knife of one of the
assassins he had gone to the cook's berth to have
his wound dressed, when he was ordered down by
the mutineers, whe, being themselves unable to
converse with the second mate, then afraid to
come out of his cabin, called him to assure
Taffir that his life should be spared, and to ask him
to navigate the ship. Taffir at last came out, and
clung for protection to Leon, who induced the
others to pledge themselves to do him no hurt. This
they readily did, for the second mate, unlike the
other officers, had always treated the other men
kindly, and had at times shared his rations with
them. On a second occasion Leon saved Taffies
life, when some of the crew, and especially Frank
Paul, suspecting the mato of having betrayed them
to a passing ship, wished to kill him at once. This
is apparent in the evidence given on the trial, where
not only the mate, but Cendereau, Anderson, and
Early declared that their safety was due to Leon,
who was, moreover, ill during the whole voyage.
It has been rashly assumed that the witnesses
and all who have perished were innocent, and that
the accused were all equally guilty. It is far more
probable that t wo, at least, of the former and as many
of the latter were as guilty as any of the con-
demned. According to the convicted prisoners' in-
dependent but accordant declarations, indeed, Taffir,
Anderson, and Early were the only members of the
crew who can be justly declared innocent.
It is somewhat strange that no motive has been
sought for the apparently wanton acts of pelting the
steward until he was knocked into the sea, and leav-
ing the cook and, lamptrimmer to go down with the
vessel. The truth, however, appears to be that on
the scuttling of the ship the boats were got along-
side, and the steward, cook, lamptrimmer, Taffir,
and others, were ordered into one (an act cer-
tainly not implying malice• aforethought) while
the others were engaged in scuttling the
vessel. The steward cut 10:.,73 the boat and at-
tempted to get away, leaving than on board to
perish; and the boat was brought back by others
against his will. Those in the ship then ordered
all cut of the boat, and irritated at the steward's
refusal to come on board they threw bottles, &c., at
him, and he either leapt or was knocked into the
sea and was drowned. It should be remembered
that at this time all the man, Taffir included, were
intoxicated. The cook and lamptrimmer refuesa to
leave the ship, preferring to take their chance of
swimming ashore upon the loose spars.
All unite in exempting Marceline creme the
slightest share in the murders, and state that he was
always eppeeed, even at his own personal risle, to
any act of vielenee. They assert that the carps :e'er
totally naislr.'.:oz:,::l:'d the three words spoken by
Marcelino when the latter was endeavouring to tell
him that ho had been struck by Marco Matto, and
this is the sole item of evidence against 'Marceline.

Basilic de les Santos is net proved to have struck
a blow or tnkcn any active part throughout the
affair, Conversotion:i inculpating himself consti-
tute the only evidence against him ; and, when we
recollect that after the murders nearly all on board
wore more or lees intoxicatnd, I need scarcely re-
mark how unreliable this must be. In of in-
tellect this individual is the lowest in the seolo, and
is going to death in the moat stupid state of uncon-
scions and even smiling fatuity.
Manilla mon are proverbially faithful and docile;
Spanish shipping is to a large extent manned by
thera,'and from many years' experience I can say that
a complaint is unheard of. While utterly incapable
of organising a plot, their low range of intel/e.st
renders them peculiarly liable to become the of
othars of superior powers. . .

It is strange, but true, that the man who origi-
nated the plan of seizing the vessel, and who assisted
in throwing the first victim into the sea, has escaped
the extreme penalty of the law.
The conduct of these Manilla men since their sea.
tence has been most quiet and exemplary. They
listen c.ttontively to their spiritual adviser, and
pass their time in constant devotion. They have
repeatedly begged to be allowed to pray once
together, but this of course the rules do not allow.
One of the prisoners at the moment of his sentence,
and immediately afterwards, exhibited a most un-
becoming levity, but his behaviour and countenance
have undergone a striking change within the last
few days, and his mental sufferings are evidently
most intense. He is the only son of a widow, and
refused to allow her to be communicated with, as
he declared it would be her death-blow to hear of
his position.
Hoping you will kindly insert this statement on
behalf of these unfortunates, I am, sir, yours
truly,

G. It. STEET,
Chancellor to the Spanish Consulate.

GIGANTIC RAIL WAY WOMT.S.—Some of the works
on the Great Indian Peninsular lino aro or consider-
able importance and magnilude. Among these, the most
remarkable is the passage through the celebrated Bhore
Ghaut, between Bombay and Poonah, on the line to Jubul.
pore.
In a distance of 15 miles the railway climbs an ascent
of 1,831 feet, the difficulties in its course being overcome by
such a series of cuttings, tunnels, viaducts, and embank-
ments as are not to be found within the same apace, we are
assured by the official report, in any other suarter of tile
world. The earthwork alone necessary to effect these cb •
jects amounts to 4,500,000 cubic miles. Several of the em-
bankments exce©d sixty feet in hetlii, and there is a cut-
ting of one hundred and fifty feet through solid rock.
One of the viaducts Is 113 feat from the surface: Some idea
of the general nature of the works may be formed from the
fact, that their construction occupied seven years and a
quarter, about four years being spent in preliminary opera-
tions. The Bhore Ghaut, it appears, was first made prac-
ticable for the passage of artillery by the Duke of Welling-
ton, when in command of the forces in the Dekhan, who,
with instinctive foresight, saw the impOrtance Cf improved
communication with Bombay; and about 33 years ago Sir
John Malcolm opened the Ghent for cart traffic. But it
may bo doubted if either of these two great men ever
dreamed of the toilsome and diffiCult path through which
it was just possible to drag great guns, or transport stores
in rude native vehicles drawn by oxen, being superseded by
a royal road in the shape of a railway,—Dickens's 6`,Z(e;:e
Year Bounl,"