The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-08 00:00:00

Mr, Anthony Trollop° on America.

The Condemned Convicts in Newgate,

A lecture was delivered one evening last week at the Bury
Athenmum on the American war by Mr. Anthony Trollope,
author of " Barchester Towers." There was a large attend-
ance, amongst the audience being the Marquis of Bristol,
several members of his lordship's family, Sir C. Bunbury,
Bart., and others. The chair was taken by the Rev. Lord
Arthur Hervey, who, after a reference to Mr. Trollopo's•wide
and high reputation, said the subject on which the lecturer
was about to speak was one on which there was very con-
siderable diversity, both of feeling and opinion, Some were
disposed, with natural English sympathy, to take part with
the weaker side—to admire the pluck and gallantry of the
smaller portion of the old American Union; whilst others,
with the sympathy they all felt in their American descend•
ants, desired the continuance of the Union. But, whatever
might be their individual opinions, at all events they were
glad to have an opportunity to hear what Mr, Trollope had
to say on the subject. Those who agreed with him would be
glad to be fortified in the opinion they had formed, whilst
others, as truth-loving men, would wish to hear the conclu-
sions arrived at by a man of knowledge, even though such
opinions might be contrary to their own views. (Cheers.)
Mr. Trollope's lecture related more to the condition of
the Northern States than to the war. It had evidently been
well studied, and was remarkable for breadth of views and
sound discrimination. Near the conclusion of his address,
Mr. Trollope said—" Before you go lot me ask you to listen
to a few words as to the moral and social character of the
mon of the North. I suppose I may take it for granted thatf
Englishmen do not like Americans, were never very fond o
them, and are less fond of them now than ever. And lam
obliged to confess that the compliment is returned—they do
not like us. To any individual amongst us going there with
proper introductions they are hospitable enough, as we
should also be to an American, but with Americans the
feeling is stronger. Americans desire nothing so much as
the admiration of Englishmen, and although abuse of the
English is the prominent topic in the North, such conver-
sation was never pursued in my hearing after it was known
that I was an Englishman. But it must be allowed that
there is this reciprocal dislike. We do not love them be-
cause they are a loud, arrogant, upstart, encroaching, boast-
ful conceited people ; and they, although they can't call us
upstart, dislike us exactly for the same reasons. (Laughter.)
There are, alas I too many points alike in our character. I
believe every hearty Englishman looks upon it as England's
mission to Anglicise the whole world ; and the Americans
are such true children of their parents, such veritable chips
cf the old block, that while we aro Anglicising the world
they are Americanising the world. But it will come to the
same thing in the end, not to be Anglicised or American-
ised, but to be educated and civilised. We fret and fume
against each other, but in truth we are embarked in the
same ship and sailing on the same journey. Remember
how good living has spread through the ranks of the people.
I mean by good living not simply beef and pudding,
though that is an important point, but education, religion
without priestcraft, political freedom, the power of think-
ing, the capacity of enjoying life like a man instead of en-
during life like a brute—these things constitute more, but
the Americans, from the nature of the circumstances in
which they were placed, have done more than we could.
Though their process has been interrupted, we are wrong
if we think that among a people like them their liberty can
long be jeopardised. They are now going through a period
of trial, and do you think it was never said of us at such a
time that our power was declining, that we should be over-

whelmed with debt, that we were falling from our high
position ? But we have ever triumphed over all our diffi
culties, and have laboured on again undaunted in our
course of progress. So may it be with thew. Who could
look with satisfaction in coming ages of the downfall of such
a people.
After the unusually prolonged applause which greeted
the close of Mr. Trollope's lecture, the noble PRESIDENT

rose to tender the customary vote of thanks to that gentle-

man. They would all agree (he said) that he had proposed
to their consideration many questions of the deepest mo-
ment—very difficult, perhaps, to resolve ; but principles
had been most ably and eloquently stated in which they
must all agree, and many hints had been given which he
was sure they would carry with them in their endeavours
to form an impartial, just, and Christian opinion with respect
to the lamentable events now going on in the United States.
They might all join in the prayer that it might please God
to put an end to those fearful scenes, and that they might

issue in ultimate benefit to the Americans themselves and
to mankind at large ; and, above all, that that great blot of
slavery might be expunged from tho history of mankind,
(Loud cheers.)
The meeting then separated,

__-_w.o.-, _--.

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MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 8, 1864.

On the morning after the trial, Mr. Nissen and Dlr. Cave
Sheriffs of London, accompanied by the Under Sheriffs and
by Mr. Jonas, the governor, with the Rev. Mr. Davis, the
chaplain of Newgate, visited the seven men now under sen-
tence of death for the murder of the captain of the ship
Flowery Land, and announced that Monday, Feb. 22, had
been fixed for their execution. Each of them is now con-
fined in a separate cell, and since their sentence such of
them as are Spaniards, six in number, have been attended
by a priest of their own creed and nation, as, indeed, they
were previous to trial, through the kindness of the Spanish
Consul. It is said that since the Cato-street conspiracy
there have never been so many persons under sentence of
death in Newgate for one crime at the same time.
The scene in court on Thursday evening on the announce-
meat of the verdict; and when the convicts were called to
receive judgment, was in many respects remarkable. During
the trial, which lasted two days, the prisoners had sat in a
circle in the dock, and those of them who understood English
especially Lyons and Lopez, listened tothe proceedings with
intense interest. They are all very young men, little over
20, except Marsolino, who is upwards of 30. Five or six of
them, including Lyons, are natives of Manilla. Watto is
said to be a Turk, and Carlos, who was acquitted of the
capital offence but convicted next day of scuttling the ship,
is a Greek. The Manilla men are all exceedingly swarthy,
except Lopez, who is so fair that he might be taken for an
Englishman at first sight. Above all the rest, Blanco is
remarkable for apparent ferocity, as he is also for height and
personal strength. Marsolino has rather a docile look, and
his share in the mutiny, so far as it came out in evidence.
appears to have been confined to striking Anderson, the
Norwegian carpenter, on the back of the neck with a hand-
spike, when ho interposed to save the mate and was about
to alarm the captain. When the seven convicts were asked
in the usual way by Mr. Hemp, the deputy clerk of arraigns,
if they had anything to say why sentence of death should
not be pronounced upon them according to the law, three
or four of them made an animated address in Spanish, which
was interpreted in English, and in this way more than an
hour was consumed. Of all the seven, Lyons and Marsolino
alone remained silent at this crisis. The others appeared to
be under the impression that it was incumbent upon them
to give each his version of the mutiny and murders. Baron
Bramwell was evidently reluctant to control their right of
free speech at that awful moment, and he only interposed,
and that in the gentlest manner, when Blanco and Duranno
were talking wide of the mark by relating circumstances
which appeared to have transpired before the voyage actually
commenced, while the ship lay in the docks. Once or twice,
addressing such of the members of the bar as then remained
in court, the learned Judge said the only legal course that
the prisoners could take at such a time was to move an ar-
rest of judgment. But it would probably have been a vain
effort to explain such a mode of procedure to the convicts,
or how to go about it, and they were allowed to run on,
each telling his own story, as it he were a witness giving
evidence. By this time—between 7 and 8 o'clock—the
court had become exceedingly crowded in all parts.
The jury, released now from the awful sense of responsi-
bility which had weighed upon them for two days, looked
on with the rest of the spectators. Blanco related with
great gesticulation a number of grievances which he said the
crew had suffered at the hands of the captain and chief mate,
especially with regard to the victualling of the ship in the
early part of the voyage. By the mate especially, he said,
they were assailed with abusive language when they ven-
tured to complain. Oa one occasion when they spoke to
the captain of the offensive condition of the water they had
to drink, he told them there was plenty outside the ship,
and that it was good enough for coolies. The captain, he
said, used also to beat them, as did both the chief and
second mates. On one occasion Marsolino said they must
put a stop to that, but some of the rest said they had better
put up with it until they arrived at Singapore, where they
could complain to their consul. On another occasion, when
the mate had struck acme of them without any just cause,
Duranno said the time had come when they must do some-
thing. The carpenter Anderson and the English boy
Early, he said, had nothing to do with the mutiny; but the
rest of the crew on the night of the 10th of Sept. knew that
something was about to happen. uranno, he said, killed
the mate, and Lyons, with five others. Carlos being one,
killed the captain's brcther. The only two not guilty were
the carpenter and the boy Early. Tho second mate sug•
gested that they shou:d scuttle the ship, audit was through
him that she was sunk.
Such was the substance of Blanco's statement. Duranno
next spoke, but he brcke down in a statement he had appa•
rently arranged in his head, at which Lyons, Watto, and
Marsolino smiled. Taking umbrage at this, he said with
an indignant air that he bad plenty more to say, but it
would be of no avail to him now, and he stood back in the
dock. Santos, who spoke with much animation, asserted
that Duranno, Lyons, and another first killed the mate,
and then went into the cabin and killed the captain. For
himself, he declared that he had no hand in their
deaths, but ho knew that they were killed. Lopez, who
addressed the Court last, and who was the only man among
them that betrayed any emotion, declared that four were
concerned in three murders, and no more ; that Marsolino
and two others had no share in them ; and that the two
men who had been discharged were the most guilty of all.
The sentence was then pronounced, and the prisoners
were rem eyed front the bar; Blanco, as he left, saying
44 Thank you" to the Judge, and waving his hand with a
defiant gesture.

Horrible Suicide of a Woman in tho

An extraordinary case cf suicide formed the subject of
inquiry on Friday night before Mr. W. Payne, coroner for
the City and Southwark, at the Gibraltar Tavern, St,
George's-road. The deceased was a married woman, named
Mary Elizabeth Cranfield, aged 49 years, residing at 44,
Elliott's-row, Southwark.
Alfred Wheeler, 33 L, said that on Wednesday evening
he was called to the house of the deceased, and he found
her lying on the floor, covered, or rather drenched with
blood. She was in her night-dress, which was drawn up.
Her stomach was frightfully cut in the form of a St. An-
drew's cross. The bowels protruded and were partly on
the floor. A razor, clotted with blood, was found under
her. She was perfectly dead, and apparently had been dead
one or two hours. The doctor had been called to her before
witness saw her.
Mary Ann Cranfield said that deceased was the wife of a
smith, but had been separated from him for 11 years. On
Wednesday evening the deceased was found by witness
lying on the floor, dying from dreadful injuries. She said
to witness, " I have opened my stomach.'
Mr. E. H. Edmunds, surgeon, said that deceased had been
ailing for some time, and had a delusion that "she was
always in crystal water." On 'Wednesday ho was called to
deceased, and found that she had inflicted a frightful wound
on the stomach. The injuries were the most dreadful he
had seen, the intestines being quite exposed.
R. Cranfield said that the deceased had left him to live
with another man. A few days before her death she sent
for him, as she had not seen him for 10 years, and said she
thought he would wish to see her before she died. She
said she was very ill, and he told her that it did not surprise
him considering the wrong she had done him as well as
God. He read a chapter in the Bible to her, and said that
she altered her ways too late. He wished now to get her
jewellry and wearing apparel.
Mary Ann Cranfield said that last witness himself had
abandoned the deceased 11 years ago to live with another
woman. Deceased having a large family, had to live with
another man to save them from starvation. For three years
past she had lived with witness, and now last witness, who
had not for 11 years contributed a farthing towards her
support, actually wanted to take possession of the clothes
and some things which witness had to given her.
Verdict—" Suicide while in a state of temporary in-
sanity,"

The Alleged Manslaughter on Holborn-hill,

On Saturday afternoon Mr. Wm. Payne, the City coroner
held an inquiry at St. Bartholomew's Hospital respecting
the death of Mrs. Margaret O'Brien, aged CO years, who
was killed on Holborn-hill, under circumstances which gave
rise to a charge of manslaughter against a man named
George Howes, the driver of a railway van.
Abraham Death, a brewer's servant, deposed that on
Thursday night, at seven o'clock, he saw a light railway
luggage van, drawn by three horses, going at the rate of
eight miles an hour up Holborn The van was drawn
by what is called a " unicorn team"—that is, one horse in
front of the two others. They were on the St. Andrew's
Church side of Holborn-hill, within 3 feet of the footpath.
Two young men and a woman were crossing the road. All
three were in danger of losing their lives, and were very
near being knocked down by the van. The driver called
out to them, but did not pull up. The woman had not pro-
ceeded more than three yards when she was knocked down
by one of the horses. She was thrown under the van, the
wheels of which went over her.

James M'Willan, 224 City police, said that ho saw the
van going very fast up the hill. It had previously come
down Skinner-street hill; that, of course, had made it go
more rapidly up llolborn-hill. The " skid" was not on the
wheel. When the woman was knocked down her skull was
smashed and her brains protruded. He took the driver of
the van into custody. When he arrested him he said that he
was sorry for what had taken place, but that he was " going
steady." His name is George Howse, his age is 35 years,
and he is a driver of one of the Great Western Railway vans
He was sober at the time, The woman was placed in a cab,,
and was taken to the hospital dead. Driving vehicles at
that point is very dangerous, as, in consequence of the hill
at Skinner-street, they cannot be pulled up suddenly, but
run rapidly through the valley until they reach Holborn-
hill. The skid ought always to be used in coming down the
Skinner-street hill.
Other witnesses were examined, and the evidence they
gave was very conflicting. Some of them maintained the
van had actually stopped at the Round House, Holborn-
hill ; while others, on the contrary, said that the van had
proceeded up the hill too rapidly.
The coroner said it was for the jury to consider whether
the evidence was sufficient to send the accused for trial ; or
perhaps they might consider the death as much the woman's
fault as the driver's.
The jury returned a verdict of accident.