The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-26 00:00:00

TRIAL FOR SLAVE DEALING.

(Abridged from the Barbadian.)
BARBADOES, JUNE 26.
COURT OF VICE-ADMIRALTY.
Mr. John Taylor, a young man of highly respectable
connextions in the island, and whose father, for many
years held a responsible situation under the Colonial
Government, was charged before the Court with having►
taken certain negroes, apprenticed labourers at the
time, to Texas, in America, and having sold them there
into slavery.
_•

The Court, which was held under a special Vice-
Admiralty Commission, was presided over by the Hon.
President Beckles, with Captain Leith, senicr naval
officer on the station, Captain Ramsey, R.N., the Hon.
E. N. Senhouse, the lion. J. Braithwaite, the Hon.
T. J. Cummings, and Messrs. W. Orderson, B. C.
Howell, D. Martindale, H. Criehlow, and J. Holligan.
When the Grand Jury and Petit Jury had been em-
pannelled pro forma,
the CHIEF JUDGE, having stated the nature of the
accusation against the prisoner, and laid down the law,
the Grand Jury returned a true bill against the pri-
soner.

The Hon. Sir R. B. CLARKE, acting Attorney-Ge-
neral, stated the case for the prosecution, and in support
of it called several witnesses.
William Gunsell examined—Knows the prisoner ;
saw him for the first time a few days before they left the
island, down at Speights's ; witness had been sent for
by him, and on his coming the prisoner said it was rather
late for what he wanted to see him about ; however,
he must settle it. Prisoner told him that things would
be in a bad state after the emancipation ; that the
people would be knocking about in the islands ; that
he was going to America, and wished to take several
mechanics with him, to whom he would give forty
dollars a year for four years, which proposal the wit-
ness was disposed to accept. That on the next day
Taylor made out the agreement, which they both
signed in the presence of Taylor's brother. Prisoner
told him he intended to set up in business. Witness
wished afterwards to decline the agreement. Taylor,
however, gave him a dollar to get his passport
at the Secretary's Office, and told him to tell
Mr. King that he was going to leeward, for if
he did not he would not get his passport. Wit-
ness did this, and got Mr. Codd (Panama, hat cleaner),
and Mr. Porter to stand his security. At the time of
the contract he was 19 years old. The agreement was
in writing. Taylor kept one copy and he another,
which he lost in Texas. They sailed in November
(1835), stoppedat Grenada,took in provisions, and having
done so they went into the port (St. George's) of that
island, when all the coloured passengers were ordered
into the hold, where they remained for a day and a
night. None of them were landed there. They went
then to Jamaica, and put into Anotto Bay, in that is-
land, where they were boarded by a customhouse
officer, who was informed, in answer to his inquiries,
that the passengers were free people. He told them
that they must be kept on board, because if they went
on shore and remained there any time they would be
seized. They took in water there and then went to
Montego Bay, which they left again for Texas, but
put back for want of hands ; they could only get one
man, and proceeded on their course. When off Havannah
they met an American sloop of war, and they were
all ordered below. The man-of-war hailed them, and
they replied, and then went to Texas. They reached
the mouth of the Sabine river, and then went on to
Galveston. In their way they went ashore at Red
Fish Bar, and landed in a boat belonging to a gentle-
man of Point Bolivar. Here they got waggons, and,
proceeding, they came to the Straughan's Bluffa where
they encamped. They went thence to a place called
the High Islands, and in their way thence to the Sabine
pass were met by a• Mt. Gurney and his son, who asked
if they had any fine negroes for sale, to which. Mr.
Taylor replied, " Oh, no! they are not for sale," and
they went their way to the Sabine pass. Here witness
said they were boarded by a custom-house officer,
named Captain Rogers, who after making many inqui-
ries detained them ; on his going to the Texan army, to
see the Governor about it, Taylor meantime es-
caped ; and, as many of the Americans were
at that time flying from their homes, he joined
in the flight. After this Taylor sold him (witness) to
Mr. W. Moore, by whom be was sold to a Mr. M'Ken-
nie. Witness says he was then sent to the Brasos
to work for Mr. M'Kennie in various ways, which he
enumerated ; that on New Year's-day he, with several
others, went on a spree ; Mr. M'Kennie sent to call
him ; witness told him, " No, he would not work on a
holyday." Mr. M'Kennie then took him, tied him to a
tree, took a bowie knife, and split his coat down the
back, and gave him (he supposed) 500 lashes, saying;
G—d d—n you, 111 make you work," &c.; 'ho--was
then tied to a chair and blindfolded bye handkerchief ;
in this state he remained growling for pain,, when-
M‘Kennie said, " G—d d—n you, you had better say
your prayers, for if you go on growling you won't he
alive to-morrow morning." After this he was sent to
chop cord-wood ; then he waited on the family in Gal-
veston, next was working on board a steamer, where he
was when he saw the British brig of war arrive, and
heard it had come to get back the people. Witnes,
said to the superintendent of the steam-boat that lit
would like to go down and see about it, to which the
superintendent replied, ‘a No, he could not af-
ford to let him run ashore in that way ;
he had paid his money for him, and he would
make him work ; if any gentleman wanted him
he must come for him himself ; he didn't care if it
was Captain Devil." Soon after some persons came on
shore from her Majesty's brig Pilot; he then told the
Captain he must go on shore, and he no longer refused ;
he did go on shore then, and had his interview with
Captain Hamilton. Taylor had whipped him once or
twice ; had never given him a farthing of his wages,
nor bad he ever received any from the people he was
afterwards with, who made no difference between him
and the other slaves ; they all worked from three or
four in the morning to eleven or twelve at night, and
were barely clothed and fed. Witness had never agreed
to serve Mr. Moore or any other person ; he received
the same clothes as the other slaves, and was treated it,
the same manner as they were.
The witness was severely cross-examined, but his evi•
dence was in no point materially shaken, though he
showed much levity.
Edward Whittaker, sworn--Was an apprenticed la-
bourer some time ago, last to Colonel Bush, who told
him that if he would bring eight dollars, he could have
his freedom. Mr. Taylor lent him the money ; he
afterwards agreed to go with him to leeward for four
years at 40 dollars a year, and told him when he went
to take out his ticket to say ho was going to leeward.
He delayed
doing so, and Taylor in the mean time took
it out for him. They sailed for Grenada, and the
children, Alfred Taylor, &c. They went then to passengers were one M'lntosh, Thomasin Ann, and two
Ja-
maica, and put in at Montego-bay. Witness did not
know then they were going to Texas. In the passage
they met a man-of war by which they were boarded.
The passengers were hid in the hold of the vessel. They
stopped at Brassos, Point Bolivar, and High islands.
At this place they were sent to pick up wood. A man
of the name of Conk then took them in wagaonstao:hs:
pass. They then crossed the Sabine, and encamped at
Straughan's Bluff ; a man named Gurney met them in a
negroes to sell ;" to which Taylor
replied, " No, they are not for sale."
piroguerraign Barbadian and said,
foreign
" I understand Y°ll have some fin'
However, he
came on board, and he and Taylor had some conversa-
tion in the cabin.
sentence
The witness then made some further statements,
leading to tl:e conclusion that he had been sold.
oinfgthaissinCcoe
A number of other negroes gave
similar testimony,
and after Captain Hamilton, agant for the Crown, had
been examined, the Jury returned a verdict of Guilt.
EjsicEt
the aei-cis7 n Court
sincere regardt
after
rte,
for your aged and respectable parents, it gives me great
The CHIEF
pain that I should be placed in a situation where it is
my duty to pronounce
You are
the verdict of the Jury. sentenced to transpor-
tation for the term of fourteen years."

DUEL IN LOUISIANA.--Tile
is from the Courrier de la Louisiane :
i ppolyte Throuct and Paulin Prue, both
as atrocious in the mode of conducting
i,, as it was disastrous in its result, has just taken place
following
... , F
‘‘
re RIGHTFUL
no nnarrative
trile,
and long resident in this city. It
originated in a bitterly contested law suit, and took place
b*FertewnecebnmeMnMb.y
in the following manner:—The principals were placed at
five paces' distance from each other, back to back, with a
pistol in each hand. At a signal agreed on, they were to turn
round, until they found themselves face to face, and half an
exposed,fie hwithout any means of de-
fence,ho was given them to fire. At the first discharge, which
presented his bosom to
tour r k place instantaneously, they fibl‘re.
aersd
pdtroiesgsceehntah:egrte,rdebnuilnbt
l'atih'nietgliaofiuor
.tr.
effect. Prue then took his second pistol into his right
seconds interposed, and, the bystanders, of
the fate which awaited Prue, cried out from their places,
I ia
him,t id,
abtnuodt s
hisos a precipitately
vbcei,ir,rptsih;at 'raj
adversary
el),',atthans,tueimvteeral
of
but
ts
the
demand-
ing who dared to interfere in a matter of the sort, invited
Throuct to discharge
.his pistol ag4inst
his opponent,
SeDeioung'thfiimres;e'l'f
whom there were
net the ;nvitatiou ; but, having kept bath
Throuot needeo
Prue and tile bystanders for a considerable time in a state
of the most painful suspense, still holdinff Prue covered
with his pistol, and grinning ferociously, fired at last, and
the ball passing through Prue's body, the unfortunate
I man died instantaneously.