The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-18 00:00:00

MURDER AT SEA.

HavaE, AUG. 14. —The melancholy ia; of the six-
teen passengers of the William Brown had not been
effaced from our sad remembrances, nor our indigna-
tion lessened that such enormities had been allowed to
pass, under the plea, of " necessity," without a public
investigation, when another and more horrid murder,
without the plea of " necessity" being advanced to jus-
tify it, is made known in Havre ; and I much fear
the perpetrator of this bloody act is likely to escape.
The sufferers of the William Brown were poor crea-
tures—British subjects—seeking under a friendly flag
shelter in a foreign country, where they might earn a
livelihwd by their daily labour. This new victim was a
British sailor engaged under the protection of another
friendly flag to perform his voyage from Monte Video to
Havre. We shall by and by be enabled to ascertain
what is the protection of " friendly flags" afforded to
British passengers and British sailors. The ship Leo-
poldina Rosa, belonging to Monte Video, left that
place in the month of • May, hound for Havre.
The crew was composed of English and American
seamen, the captain and mate were Frenchmen ; there
were sixteen passengers on board ; the men stipulated
for coffee for breakfast and a full ration of meat. They
had not been at sea more than a week when the meat
was reduced to half allowance, and two sardines
were substituted for their coffee. Two of the men
remonstrated, and were placed by the captain in
irons, but liberated after a confinement of three days ;
they were marked, however, as objects for annoy-
ance. On the 16th of May, the captain, after abusing
one of these two, an Englishman, named James Dickson,
struck him; a scuffle ensued. The third mate took a
handspike, and attempting to strike the seaman, missed
him, but struck the Captain on the head. The men came
up, and the row was put an end to, the man, Dickson,
retiring with the remainder of the men to the forecastle.
The Captain retired to his cabin, with the mates, and hav-
ing provided himself with a sword, and given the mates a
pistol each, came on deck ; not finding Dickson, he went
to the top of the ladder of the forecastle, asked if he was
there, and being answered in the affirmative, sprung
down, and instantly ran the man through the body three
times. He then came on deck, arid desired the men to
bring the fellow up, they replied they could not, as his
bowels were hanging out, and he was bleeding away.
The surgeon of the ship came forward for the purpose
of assisting the poor wretch, but the captain refused
to allow him to touch him or render him the least as-
sistance. The miserable man soon died, and three hours
after his body was thrown overboard. On the arrival of the
vessel in Havre a report of what had occurred reached
the police, the Captain was arrested and sent to prison ;
the passengers were examined, and their deposi-
tions taken by the Procureur du Roi, who re-
ported the case to the Procureur-General. Strange
to relate, an order was immediately sent down
for the instant liberation of the Captain, on the
ground " that no notice could be taken by the French
authorities of any act committed at sea under the flag
of a foreign power." The Captain was set at liberty.
The English Consul having examined the crew, who,
with the passengers, declare there was no attempt at
mutiny, and agree in the details of the murder, demanded
the recommittal of the captain, the murdered man being
a British subject. This, as well as a copy of the deposi-
tions of the passengers taken before the Procureur du
Roi, has been refused, and the murderer is walking about
the streets with complete impunity.