The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-11 00:00:00

THE PIRATES OF BORNEO.

By the following extract from a Sarawak letter, it
will be seen that the S
2.
rt on the part,. of this
the long- suspension •of 831P139 - ' -
Sakarran Dyaks,. encouraged by
country to the peaceably disposed portion of tho.som.
lish•gentleroan named 'Leel
com-
munity, have broken* out afrhelhs.,
-f andll nth. a ttao3:unnudnegisht understand
the mea-
sures 'were erected by Sir James_ Brooke,
,after. f
the extract properly,. it must be borne in mind: that these
SureS Which led •to the destruction of the pirate fleet oo
Sarebas arid' Sakarran by Captain- Farquhar, in 1849,
had Been'' approved by the gevernment, and were in-
intended by Sir James_ as the best and Most humane
mode of checking piracy, bypreventing the exit from
their ,riverer .of the • pira,tically disposed Dyaks in their
bankongs ,or , war .proas ; and .he trusted that, by en-
forcing, this rule for a few years, the people would be
gradually weaned from their evil :habits. This for a
tune
was entirely successful,, .and many of the better-
disposed: engaged in the peaceful avocations. of. fishing •
and farming. Two yOung English rgentlemen, of :the-
names,Of Breietori and Lee, volunteered:to take charge:
or .“.,0 RC:these forts, the one at Sakarran, the other tit
, Linga ; while a third, on the4ejang, was, placed'under
Mr,' Steele's command. -They were all dependent en-
tirely OA -their ..own 'resources, or-such as Sir James
-Brooke could- afford them; and 'they cheerfully under-'
:took the.risks` and privations of such a life,' as",the pit);
neersvof civilisation and,good gevernraent-a,Mong a wild'
and aboriginal people. A very moderate: amount iif -
support, or the occasional visit of a steamer,•would hate
enabled* them to maintain their positiOn, - Such, hod- - '
ever, was not accorded Ahern, and his countrymen ha e
now
_; to. deplore 66.104 of a gentleman who ,so early ,d -,
v,eloped those rarely combined , qualities„, an, inVillet e•
courage with greap yqwers, of comnianil. i We isulijo li-
the extract
_referred to
-- ''
' - '•'
' a I shall' now ;acteiupt : to. give yon some of,the p -'
ticulara of *a most 'unfortunate occurrence that hasi -
fallen, us: Rental) had* for :several inonthi past been
collecting a liallah and taunting Breretop. About 'pa,
tOrtgiglit ago `he: sent word to Gasim and Lingi, an
the . others • who- . had , been-;" friendly' With; . trerptoja,.'
that unless- they. joined' him and forced their way kr'
flpa, he would attack :,their .houses and take all, thetir
property. 13rereton, upon this, . determined to 4o-
up. the river and ~defend their house4s.. 4e. seiit
for Lee and the .BalOWs: and: -tl2. Batang,Lapurs, and
collecting as large a force *as he could,
,proceeded., to
13and4nes house, which -lle hastily fortified.„,-Rentab
came down with only twobeats, was fired into, and ran
away: llieret9n and Lee rushed to their ,boats, and,
follow.ed.by one otheiMalay boat, and a few Balows In
scampans, pursued the retreating _foe. The boats soon,
scattered,, and. on 'the leading boat suddenly turninma
sharp.point of.thorivefi.she was received with a shawfr.
of ;.spears,, and four huge bankons. lying in:wait were
upon her before her crew could get at their guns; • they
fought, however, most-gallantly till Lee.came-,,up arid•
took off' the atteiitipn9f two lotf the.enemy. - Lee-shot
with his c„oun two men, right and left, but had, no time
to reload. Brereton'Et fire also killed several men, but
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his boat was soon swamped alongside the gigantic bah-r
kong of Rentab, and he and her crew got to the shoie
without•a weapon. -Boats, guns, rifles, everything fell
into the Dyak hands. Whilst this was going_on the
Bah)ws, who fought well. at first,. :finding they had' no
chance in their small boats,.and.with;27 of their nurn-
ber, wounde4,. gave-away in, all directions.. Lee's men,
some. 'killed -and • many wounded, , after vainly. urging,
thpir lead,er to ,:fly, . jumped overboard, with • the-
exception_ of *kw, who .gallantly .stuck to . him till
all were'.wonnded. ". They begged and prayed him to
junipoyerboard and get • .ashore.. *Though despe.,ratey-
wMinded; the gallant fellOw fought' on, saying he wou d
never run an a,y, world euld die; .I?uf:never be shamed y
turning, and, as his lasit follower. jumped overboard, Lee-
was seen 'to spring sword in hand into Rentah's boat,
where he was soon dispatched, and so we have lost as
gallant and noble an .English gentleman as ever steppe .
I think•you scarce knew him,--7he was,shy and retired at
first, but on acquaintanee he much improved,. and s
endeared himself* to all by many admirable dualities.
Everyone in Sarawak; including' .Malays, deeply feel
his, loss *;,he was 'a great favourite with all—his courage
was Spartan. The: news froth iquowit is also unsatip-
factory. Briah Riab, got paSt the fort, with a lair
ballah, and. h 4 tip
,the.*.tieja,ng. „Kum Nipa has
been tring to getup a eonibined attack. on the fort,
and and it is said; Pa XAmbung,r4
iSarebas,, is preparing la
tremendous ballah fur
,t. 4., same . object.. I. have di--
patched tbeEacTier-' with. Orders; to Steele to take evenly
precaution, and withll. supplies _of muskets_ and pinmure-
tion;alSo strict; orders not to quit this fort. I miich-feir
ICanowit; Safeba,S,. and Sakarran will break'eut thii sea-
son ; there are Vvident signs' of it. St, John has 6.5141
fora steamer, but I.shall not rely on his 'getting one*
we must defend ourselves, and' thank God, . our peop.e
are' ready'and willing, If the Dyiks should breal .out
now,_ the mischief Will be terrible, not 'only .to the rapid. y•
rising trade; but to hundreds yof unsuspecting People wl, o,
are fishing and fanning on the
_banks of the rivers, 41-
mostto the sea." .' *** ' '
It may be mentioned that Mr. Brereton had- arri.vdd
safely at Sarawak.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

CIISTOM,HOUSE-AFRIL 9.

ENTERED INWARDS.--The James Cruickshank, from
Demerara • Patriot; Temeriffe ; Pearl, Cadiz ; Urania,
Rouen ; Alliance, Guernsey ; Cossack, do. ; Marys, do. and
Jersey ;. Yergus, Demerara ; Princess Royal, Hamburgh ;
Seine,. Boulogne; Rudolph, Lisbon ; Melinka, Buenos
Ayres ; Sandford, Hamburgh ; Trial, Barbadoes ; Panther,
Ostend ; Amiable Pelag,ie, Caen ; Veritas, Guernsey ;
UdCnia, Marans ; Ann and Rosetta, Caen.

ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADtNG.—The City of Lon-
don, for Dunkirk ; Adine, Leer ; Etoile, Rouen ; Mary,
Antwerp,: &c. ; Tourlingen, Hamburgh ; Ocean Queen,
New York • James Cruickshank, St. Vincent ; Antoinette,
Elsinore and St. Petersburgh ; Affeyoine; Constantinople
and Odessa; Ada, Magadore ; City of Boulogne, Bou-
logne ; Fergus, Demerara ; Hercules, Melbourne:; Krem-
lin, Boston ; Lady Kennaway, Melbourne ; New, Orleans,
do. ; Moselle, Rotterdam ; Wilbeiforce, Hamburgh ; De-
vonshire,.Swan River ; Panther, Ostend.

• ,
n„
CLEARED OUTWARDS WITS CARGO.—TI Thames, for
Tramburgh ; .Ttulius Caesar, Malaga ' • Jessore, Port Philip ;
Anne, Demerara ; Hibernia, Alebomi ; Maria Christina,
Santander, &c. ; -llniverse;* Montreal ; Warrior. Queen,
do. ; Princess Sophia, Sydney • "Antwerpen, Antwerp ;
Batavieri Rotterdam ; Earl of 'Auckland, ;Margaret
Evans; NeVi York ; Kenilworth,' Calcutta ; Soho "Havre ;
Albion' Boulogne ; City of London, bunkirk John
Russell, `Harlingen ; (Elbe, liainburgh ; Diana, Amster-
dam ; Tartai,:Algoa Bay. '

VESSELS-SPOKEN- WITH.
The Akbar, Mimi:this 'to the Clyde, April 4, lat. 50'N.,
long. 10 W. ' •' ' "i • '
The Davenport, ef Liverpool,Aptil 7, off Tuskar.
The Peter 1, to California,' Jan. 27, lat. 57 S.,
loner..' 66. . - • r • '
The Raymond, :Valparaiso to Liverpool, Feb. 5, lat. 47
S. long.-47 W. ' - 'r
•itte Halifax, London 'to Madras,, 12th, -rat, 2 N., long.
17 W. .
TbU Juawa', Liverpool to Bombay, sameslay.
The Ape, .Loudon, to Valparaiso, 13thl„lat. 2 long.
18 •

The Ciiinkbane, LiVerPool tOildelboiiine; 17th 1at..2 N.
long: 28.
The Oceah Wave, Boston to Singapore, Slarehl,lat. 7
N. leng.:2sW, - • - • '
,The Chevalier, Liverpool to. New Orleans Feb., 27,. lat.
16'N.; Jong.: ;B,W.

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.J...-.'~:i

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THE'DidisaN6s.—The number of diggers-at the Tan us
glild fields may now be estimated at -100,0D0,,-:and'lthe
average earnings may probably still :be calculated at an
ounce per man per week. There: has been-.a slight falling
off inrt,h6 quantities sent down by-escort during.the last
,month ;-.but this is partly to be referred; to the departure
of diggers to spend their Christmas at their) respective
homes. Mount Alexander, Balaarat, • and the pvens
are",now • being adVantageously worked. The, asto-
nishing richnesi 'of Mount Alexander is evidegced
in the large amounts .which:' it yref4s, xiOtwith-
statiding the immense' quantities that have already' been
drawn from it. ' The' whole country' 'thereabouts'
alsiBbiret. or
appears to be more' or 'less auriferous:— There-are va,
spots throughout the territOl'wherb gold
Some,
of
theosueridealeyseaxprelokreeprts„seacnrde.ti,ttypatyhie verngdils6noantietzsiesi;i
. ()tilers ktre knoznin,elr3out the limited-extent. of the deposits'
the 4laree fields numerous party from engaging them. `But
prevents any
the grand centres -of already.ll_,4lFntioned may ,be considered
There cannot-be aof
gold-Voifotofirniearr,
mechanical proCesses. weiihkeil follo*ed, by
in the gold
lot, but leavt a4,rge '
prodUctiyeness inc.t.eased
residuum of gold in
,the aurifgegrOlU.F:as
and 'clitraSy prdeess of the d' cannot, 6rdinArY ,hasty,
can only' e introduced by Ei,:conmsactiv' -
ti But. Tn4c4l4erY I
will '',ever be effective in its •Ope4tincins; bnut:n'9. c"r"
ooinposed of associated miners antlieCo-opeillivt Tait'iliB..-
eilllo.=Lfftetsaurne Argefi. ,•
.. . . '‘J '
,' 01
....

siuni eiv..o.ll)luot,

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rDe-EISITR
OR
ac:).
CROWN COURT.—CHESTER, APRIL 8.
OBTAINING
CHARGE OF MURDER
BURIAL FEES.
Honor Gibbons, aged 21, and Bridget Gerratz, 40, wei
placed at the bar on an indictment and inquisitio,
charging them with the wilful murder of Mary Gibbons,
by the administration of oil of vitriol, at Stockport,
clin
the 12th of March last. - • .
Mr. Davidson and Mr. Horatio Lloyd appeared ter
the prosecution ; and Mr. Gifford for the prisoners.
Mr. Davidson said the prisoners were indicted for t e
i wilful murder. of Mary Gibbons, an infant of; the age f
nine months. The learned gentleman then detailed the
whole, of the facts, as afterwards given. in evidence, in ,the
course of which he observed that the child had been
entered in a burial society, arid. at the time of its death
the mother was entitled to the sum of 4/. burial money.
The following witnesses were then called :
Hannah Hogan said- she -lodged with the prisoner
Honer Gibbons up to the death of the child on the 12th
of March, and three weeks previous. Thursday before
the death of the child it appeared quite well. Slept in
the room with the
_prisoners. During the night the
child cried several times.. The next morning saw the
child,en the knee of Honor Gibbons. . The pink frock
now produced was worn by deceased. Saw a bottle like
the one now produced with yellow stuff in it. ,
Nancy Hogan, sister 'of the last witness, was then
called.' She corroborated the evidence of her sister.
Edward Molloy lodged with the prisoners, in Flet-
cher's-yard, Stockport, and had lodged there upwards of
half a year, with his five children, one of whom is 18
Years old. The deceased was taken ill on the Monday
night before her death. She died on
the Saturday. Was
not well on the day before and remained in the house
the most of the day. The deceased did not en that day
appear to be very sick. • Towards 'the latter end of
Friday night was • awoke -by the crying of the
child. It continued to cry until witness got up.
Should think the 'child cried about three hours.
1. Got up in the morning of Saturday between nine
-and ten o'clock: - The, mother had ' the child in
her arms in the bed-room. . It was crying very much,
and witness said to her, "Honor, your child is poorly
all night and very sick." She said, "Yes." Witness
'asked to look at the child. She turned it towards me,
and 'I said " The child looks very bad ; I think' she will
not live long." The mother did not say anything,, bnt
'ad idle turned 'the child it 'vomited N'ery bad-Stuff. Ori
going out saw Gerratz, who was'minding one of Hoganls
children in 'the kitchen. - 'Sholtly after 'Honor Gibbons
caine down stairs with ..the child in her arms. Mrs.
' Flannery then came in and said, ''" The child is very
poorly; did.you bring it to a doctor I" Gibbons said,
" Na." Mr., Flannery then -said, "Come along with
me to the doctor," and both Went ' out together. Did
not notice the 'dress 'the child had 'on' at that 'time. (The
-witness identified the dresees worn by the mother and
Child preiious to'the death of 't-lie latter.) • Saw some
bottles in the house Two'ef them Were like thriee now
produced.' They were 'in the same room in which the
prisoners slept.' - -The bottle -containing the yellow stuff
saw last on the chimney-piece in the kitchen. - Did net
see the 'Other after the death of the child. :- (This con-
tained vitriol.) Did not see any stuff like the latteir
used 'in' the house. ' -
Croee-examined— The pis-ober Honer GibbOnS • 0-
pearedlond of the child,' and took Care of it. •'l`"'
- ' Ann -M4Nainara 'said--She ' -lives in 'Grape-Street,
StoCkport,' nearifie residence'-of the prisoners. anoWis
Hon or-Gibber/is. '' ' ReCollecist her 'child dying. Was 4t
her ' house the afternoon'-before, 'And saw the child.
-Asked 'heritow the 'Child *MI ' • She"said it was` veriy
ill. - Raw 'the child. ‘ She took it out 'of the cradle, aired
'said' it was'swollen -en 'both 'sides-of the belly% The•sate
eVeiling. went again to the house afterdark.' 'Asked h4r
how the child was, and she said,. ".A. little better." -Did
not see the child nor hear it cry.. ' • ,
- .Tiilia Coyle, another of the neighborirs was at Gib-
ben' house theeVeniq before the death; and asked he:
how the child was,` and she said " Very well." ' It aP-
-peaYed very Well; and was lankhhig. Went there again
the following day,- between II 'arid 12:e'clock. 'Saw the
peisOnerEi and 'the child; the hitter' hi the-arms Of i:is
mother: - The child-appeared Very poorly. • -Asked Gib-
bons' what was the reason of the •Strokes on each side of
the mouth of the bhild ? She said, "From the drink:"
Looked at the child's 'Mouth,- and asked what was the
reason of her mouth being'full of blisters, and the tongrie
stroking to the upper lip ? She made no reply. • Bloqd
came from the child's nose, and -1: asked her the reason of
of it. Both the pri6oners answered, " FroM the drink
it has taken." '-' ' ' '• '

By the -Court j-She did not'Say what the drink was.;
Julia ,Flannery, another-of the neighbourS,"deposed $o
frequently seeing the child previous to its death. It was
a fine baby. .Saw it again tirt- Saturday morning be-
tweed nine and ten o'clock. It was frothing out Of its
mouth. = • • . •
Peter 111`Namara lodged•with Gibbons up to a foi
night before. the death of the. Child. Was ill, and had
some medicine ; it was yellow stuff, and in a bottle like
the one now produced. Had none like the oil of vitribl
now produced.'
I Patrick Flannery said he saw the prisoner Gibbons oh
the evening the child died. At half-past seven the mule
evening he accompanied her to 'the Red Bull, where the
club is held. = ,They went-with the president of the chill
to Dr. Lowndes, whom the prisoner-Gibbons said had
seen the child. Was ,present= on Tuesday when a bottle
was found in the ash-pit near the prisoner's house:- it

is the one now produced, and-it contained a little mb4l
of the oil of vitriol than there is at present. Isherwoo4
took thb bottle. -
Cross-examined—The ash-pit is common to about I 1
houses.

Harvey Lowndes, druggist at Stockport, stated that
on Saturday, the 12th of March, the prisoner Gibbbts
brought a child to his shop, and wished to give the child
some medicine. The child lay in her aims 'with its
mouth open, the tongue was turned up, and, the under
part dry 'and charred. Asked her what she had given
the child to cause. its mouth to be in that state. Slie
said, s' I ha,ve given it •nothing." I said, "You Imo
have given it something, or its mouth would not be in
the state it is, and I shall not. mix any medicine for' i ;
you had better 'take it to some one else, for the child is
dying." There was a little discharge from the nostrilt,
rather coloured, but not bloody. Asked her how lbng
the child had beenill ? She said it had been poorly on
the Monday, but: i3he had not taken any notice of it
until the. Friday night previous. Saw: her again that
night along with Isherwood, president of the club, and
the witness Patrick, Flannery.. Isherwood said he had

come to see what was the cause of the child's death.' II
; said,l could: not :tell him, for I had only examined: is
mouth, and it was a very suspicious case: ',The prisoner
f
and Flannery said the child had died a i natural deaf .
Isherwood said they must meet -him ;in about thr -
quarters- of an hour,. at the Red Bull, .and he would s e
whether he . could settle with them. They then we t
Edward Isherwood, President a. the club, deposed to
what took place between:the prisoner and -himself, es
already detailed by Flannery and Lowndes;
Charles Prince, one of the officers of the burial elute
produced the books of the club; He said Gibbons came
to him on Sunday night, the 3d of October, and entered
herself and child as members. James Flanaghan ptit
her. name down in the books. Afterwards saw the same
child dead at the house of -Gibbons, the prisoner. The
witness then deposed to seeing Gibbons at, the club-
house on the Sunday evening, after the child's' death,
and she said if he (witness) would get her the money she
would give, him one-half.
James Flanaghan deposed, to , the .prisoner Gibbons
and her child beinganembers of the club 4., . ;, . .
Mr. W. Derbyshire, surgeon, of .Stockport, deposed -
to going to Gibbons's house; on the day of the child's
death.. Saw,some dark brown stains, as if somothing-
had ran out of its mouth. ,The lower part of the belly.
was going black. - Asked _the prisoner Gibbons what
she had given to the child 1.. She mentioned some Simple
things in the way of food. Saw the child on the Sunday
morning, and its tongue-was white and corroded,
Cross-examined—On. the first .occasion the prisoner.
said the. child had died a., natural.'-death, and witness
,mightopen the body, ordo what he,liked.l.. .-
. John Derbyshire, police, officer, .prodnced the clothes
worn by the child- and, the , two prisoners, and 'a battle
containing oil of vitriol, which; was, found initheashpit.
Geerge .Cheatham deposed to the fact, of the prisoner_
Gerratz, giving herself up-on the 25th.of March. '
Mr.- John Rayner, surgeoni:of Stockport, deposed .to
making a post mortem examination, of the body of, the,.
child, and that its death was producedby mineralpoison
such as oil of vitrol. He also produced .an,onalysis of
the clothes worn by both prisoners, and also by the child,
in all of which.he found oil of -vitriol.. He. also found,
the same thing on, the inside pocket of the dresa, taken
from Gerratz in the leck-up: .- -
..--, -.. ~ .--
This closed the case for the prosecution.
Mr. Gifford addressed-the 'jury at considerable length.
.in favour of the-- prisoners:- -- He contended that the
charge against theyounger prisoner was a most impro,;
bable, one: The. prisoner- 1:4 ibbon a might ,have, adminis-
tered the peison by mistake, . but as :against -the - other
there was not the-slightest case:. - After :going ,over the -
whole _facts of the, ,case' the . learned;,,geutleraan..cen-
chided:With a. most powerful appeal to the jury in behalf
of the prisoners. ,' .. ..„ , ~ - •_. ,
- The learned Judge gummed .up the,case to the jury.
The jury retired,_ and, after being out of eourt an hour
. and a half, found both prisoners Guilty, but recommended
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them -to mercy. •
' His Lordship then 'put on the black cap,- .and pro-
ceeded-to pass sentence of -death- upon, the 'prisoners.
,Hislordship said they had been-found . guilty, -after -the
most careful consideration of their Case, - of a vile, and=
cruel murder. They had had; the benefit , 'of+ being de,,
fended with the greatest zeal and ability by the learned
counsel who had kindly, ,undertaken their defence; but
he, could see no reason whatever ,upon the evidence to
:doubt the propriety of the conclusion! to which the jury
had arrived. With respect `to Honor Gibbons,, she, for
the basest motives of, gain, had unnaturally violated one
of the deepest feelings of huMan , nature; and for the
price of that unfortunate-infant's burial fees had had the
-heart to:destroy her own child by-means the most cruel,
unnatural, and barbarous.- -With respect to the other_
prisoner Gerratz, his lordship ~observed that there-ap-
peared no adequate motive for herconduct, except some, .
inherent dispesition to: join in, such a,deed. After stat 7.,
ing that the recommendation of the jury should be for, •
warded to the. proper, quartery-the, learned -judge prof.
ceeded to pass the awful sentence. of 'the law upon • the
prisoners, holding out uot..the slightest hope of a corn-.
mutation of the sentence, as. far as Gibbons' was con-
cerped: - , . .

the prisoners were thOn removed from the bar, sup-
ported by the -matron and turnkeys. • u

z AnnowaooT.The Sydnei lEntßzre gays tUt arrow
root equal to that procured from the Sbuth Sep Islaniiy.
1,4, been prepared; from some' wild plants whiOli
abn.ndantly near Sydney.' - 4 ,

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