The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-28 00:00:00

The Confederate War Steamer Georgia.

Yesterday, at the Liverpool Police-court, before Mr.
Raffles, stipendiary magistrate, John Jones, principal part-
ner, in the firm of Jones and Co., of Capel-street, Liver-
pool, ship store dealers and chandlers, and John Wilding,
clerk in the service of that firm, surrendered for examina-
tion on a charge of having committed a breach of the
Foreign Enlistment Act by aiding in procuring a crew for
the Confederate war steamer Georgia. It will be remem-
bered that a few days ago Mr. Highat, another partner in
the firm of Jones and Co,, was committed for trial at the
next Liverpool assizes on the same charge ; but that at
that time Jones and Wilding did not appear to the sum-
monses. They subsequently agreed, however, to surrender,
and were in court yesterday.
Mr. Bateson, local agent for the Treasury, appeared for
the prosecution, on behalf of her Majesty's Government;
Mr. Bardswell defended.

—.
The introductory facts were briefly these :—Some of the
crew of the vessel were engaged at Liverpool, and others
at Greenock, on the representation that they were about to
proceed on a voyage to the China seas in the British ship
Japan ; but this vessel after reaching Brest was trans-
formed into the war steamer Georgia, bearing the Confe-
derate flag, and commanded by Captain Maury, who held a
commisssion for that purpose from President Davis. The
method by which the crew were shipped will be sufficiently
understood from a very short synopsis of the evidence ad-
duced before Mr. Raffles.

Mr. Bateson remarked in his opening statement that it
would not be necessary to go into the case in any detail, as
the main facts had already been fully before the Court.
The chief witness was John Stanley, a cooper, who said
he went to Jones and Co.'s office in consequence of a repre-
sentation made to him that they desired to engage coopers
for the Japan He saw Mr. Highat on the subject, and that
gentleman said he (Stanley) might go on board the Japan,
and asked whether he could bring any more men for the
same vessel. Witness afterwards went, in company with
other men, to the Sailors' Home, where he saw Captain
Hitchcock, the person who had charge of them in their pas-
sage to the Clyde, where the Japan was then lying. At the
Sailors' Home they signed articles for a voyage to Singa-
pore and China. He received an advance note from Jones
and Co. for £4 10s., one month's wages, but he experienced
great difficulty in getting the note cashed, and returned to
the office to tell them of this. They then paid him £2 ss. on
account of the note, and Highat said he would pay the re-
mainder of the money to his (Stanley's) wife after he had
gone to sea. On leaving Liverpool for the Clyde Highat
came down to the vessel, called over the names of the men,
and also their numbers. On their arrival at Greenock they

joined the Japan, and Jones came on board with several
other men, The Japan sailed out of the Clyde apparently
on a trial trip, being a new vessel, but did not return to port.
Soon after leaving the Clyde a small steamer met the Japan,
having two guns on board, and accompanied her to Brest,
where two other vessels came alongside with guns, ammu-
nition, money, &c. ; these were transferred to the Japan,
Jones superintending the operation. While so engaged Jones
met witness near the engine house, and said to him it would
be a good thing for him (Stanley) if he went in the Japan.
Lieut. Maury was on board at first in plain clothes, but
afterwards in the uniform of the Confederate navy. Maury
said the name of the vessel was about to be changed, and
that she was going to under another flag. She was then re-
christened the Georgia, and the Confederate flag was
hoisted. Jones was standing close by Maury when this took
place. Jones and Maury then said that any man joining
the ship would receive £lO bounty, and £4 lOs per month
wages, Witness with the other men then went into the
cabin, where he was paid £lO by the purser. He gave the
money to Jones to transfer to his wife on his return to Liver-
pool. Jones also promised to pay half his (Stanley's) wages
to his wife while he was absent. Witness then proceeded
is the Georgia on a voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, then
returned in her to Brest, and, having there obtained a day's
leave, made the best of his way to Liverpool. On his arri-
val at that port he went to Jones and Co.'s office to ask for
money, as he was then hard up, but they refused to give
him any, remarking that some of the crew had deserted the
ship.
Other witnesses were examined, and gave evidence which
went to show that Jones and also Wilding had dealt in ad-
vance notes for the crew of the steamer.
The defendants were both committed for trial, but were
admitted to bail, Jones himself in £5OO, and two sureties of
£5O each; Wilding in £5O, and two sureties of £25 each.