The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-19 00:00:00

C tiA.R.GB OF MURDER AT SEA.

Yesterday William Brookholding Webb, aged 35,
the chief mate of the barqUe Brierly Hill, from Aus-
tralia, and now lying in the Victoria Dock, was
brought before Mr. Selfe, at the Thames .Police
Court, charged with he wilful )nurder of William
Brown, otherwise Lancaster, an a•
;le seaman, on
i,`,l2e high seas, near the Island of Ascen,sim, on the

6th of kkgust last.
Mr. Gomm, from the office of Mr. Chas'., young,
solicitor, defended the visoner.
Mr. J. C-Evans, superintendent of the Than:es
Police, put in the official log-book of the Brierly
and otber documents, and said that a com-
munication having been 'made to' the Board of
Trade by a shipping master of the port of London,
the Home Secretary had directed the apprehension
of the prisoner. He (Mr. Evans) had also been di-
rected by the Commissioner of Poice to summon
the captain, officers, and crew of the ship, who
were in attendance.
Henry Farrow, a very respectable and intelligent
man, was the first witness called. He said—l was
a seaman on board the Brierley Hill, on a voyage
from London to Australia and back. The prisoner
was chief mate. William Brown, now dead, was
an able seaman on board. About the 4th of
August last there were great complaints respecting
the water, .which was not good. On Sunday
morning, the sth of August, we made. a complaint
to Captain Vincent, the master of the ship, that
the water was very bad. On the following morn-
ing, which was Monday, the 6th, we had no break-
' fast,,because the coffee was salt, and not drinkable.
I and Brown, and five others of the crew went aft
on Monday morning, the 6th, to complain of the
coffee. The captain was in his cabin, and the pri-
soner called him, and he came on deck. A seaman
asked the captain to taste the coffee. The captain
did so, and said it was not bad, only a little brack-
ish; and not to be refused. William Brown said,
" Captain, will you go into the Island of Ascension
for good water ?"
Mr. Selfe—Stop. How far were you from the
Island of Ascension at that time ?
Witness—We were from 24 to 30 hours' sail of
the island then. The captain answered "No" to
Brown's question. The deceased then spoke up
and said, " Captain, if you will not go into the
Island of Ascension you will havl to be tied down
until you do." The chief mate immediately went
to his cabin and brought up a pistol, and said, " I'll
blow the first man's brains out that lays a hand on
the captain," and as he uttered those words he
pointed the pistol at Brown, fired, and the man
fell dead at his feet.
Mr. Selfe—Had Brown done or said anything
more thhn you have stated, or touched the captain ?
Witness—He did not touch the captain or offer
to molest him, or go near him with any hostile
intention.
Mr. Selfe—How was the mate holding the
pistol ?
The witness extended his right arm and hand
to4ards the magistrate, and replied—This way he
presented the pistol at Brown.
Mr. Selfe—Are you quite sure that nothing was•
said or done by Brown after using the words you
have mentioned ?
Witness—Nothing was said or done after he
used those words.
In answer to other questions by Mr. Selfe, the

witness said—l saw the chief mate's finger between
the trigger on the lock of the pistol. It was full
cock. I did notsee it was on full cock when it was
brought out of the cabin. The prisoner handed the
pistol he had fired to the carpenter, and took a
second pistol from the carpenter's hands, and said,
" If you don't go forward, I will shoot every one of
you. We left the dead body of Brown on the
poop; and went forward. At nine o'clock, about
three-quarters of an hour after the deceased had
been shot, the captain called us aft. The chief
mate was present, and said he was very sorry any-
thing of this sort should have happened in his
ship, and we then returned to our duty.
Mr. Selfe—Did the chief mate say anything at
that time ?
Witness—He said the pistol went off by accident.
Mr. Selfe—Any thing more ?
Witness—Nothing else at that time., In the
afternoon the • captain called us aft again. The
chief mate was present. An entry in the log-book
was read over to us by the captain. in the chief
mate's presence.
Mr. Selfe,' after reading the entry of the occur-
rence in the qfficial log-book, but not aloud, asked
if it was true that Brown attempted to lay hands
on the captain before the chief mate presented the
pistol.
Witness—lt is false, sir.
Mr. Selfe—Be careful. Are you quite certain of
that ?
Witness—l am quite certain of it. I was quite
close to Brown.
Mr. Selfe—Did Brown put his hands behind him
to draw a knife ?
Witness—No, sir.
Mr. Selfe—Did he put his hands behind him at all?
Witness—No, sir.
Mr. Selfe—Did he carry a knife ?
Witness—Yes, sir, in a sheath by his side.
Mr. Selfe—Did any knife fall from him as he fell
when he was shot ?
Witness—No, sir. I saw no knife fall from him.
The poor man was buried the same night. We
afterwards did go to Ascension, got fresh water
there, and I came home in the vessel to London.
The witness underwent a long and, severe cross-
examination by Mr. Gomm. He said no attempt
was made by any one to touch the captain before
the prisoner shot the deceased. When the hands
were mustered at 9 o'clock the chief mate said,
" This is whit becomes of your mutiny. I did not
intend the pistol to go off." The prisoner must have
passed the pistol after he had fired it into the com-
panion. He would not swear the same pistol was
handed back to the prisoner or a fresh one.
By Mr. Selfe—The crew consisted of 18 persons,
12 forward and 6 aft. The persons aft consisted of
the captain, two mates, the carpenter, steward, and
an apprentice. There was no agreement as to what
we should do before we went aft. We said if the
captain refused to go into Ascension we would ask
the officers to do so.
Christopher Kearnan, an able seaman, who gave
his evidence with the same distinctness as the last
witness, said—l went aft with Brown, the last wit-
ness, and four others. There was no agreement
what we should do. I took a small drop of tea in
a pannikin which I had received from the cook that
morning. I was unable to drink it, owing to its
being so very salt. I went to the poop. I asked
' the steward to fetch the captain, and said I wanted
to speak to him. When the captain came upon
deck I handed the tea to him. He asked me what was
the matter with it. I said it was salt, and could not
drink it. The captain tasted it, and made answer
that he could taste nothing bad. in it ; it was a 'little
brackish and we could. drink it. I walked off the
poop, and Brown passed me, went to the captain and
said, " Capt.•Vhicent, will you go into the Island of
Ascension and get some fresh water ?" The captain
replied, " No, Brown, I will not go into any place."
Brown said, " Well, Capt. Vincent, well then, you
will have to be tied down until you go." That was
all that was said, and all I heard. The chief mate
went down to his cabin immediately, returned with
a large horse pistol, and said the first man that lays
hands on the captain I will blow his brains out.
Mr. Selfe—How near was Brown to the captain
when the prisoner said that ?
Witness—He was close to the captain—within
reach of him. Brown said to the chief mate, " Will
you ?" With that the prisoner deliberately pointed
the pistol at the deceased's breast and shot him, dead.
Mr. Selfe—Did Brown touch the captain, or raise
his hand to him ?
Witness—He did not, sir.
Mr. Selfe—How near was the pistol to the de-
ceased when he was shot ?
Witness—The pistol almost touched the man. It
was not more than two or three inches from him.
The pistol was on full cock .when t
it was presented
at Brown. I saw the prisoner pu it on f cock
when he came out of the cabin. lam quite certain
of that. Time deceased fell. He was shot through
the breast. It was instant death. He made a groan
and was a corpse. The chief mate then turned
'
round to the cabin door and took another pistol. I
believe from the carpenter. I saw him put it on
full cock the same as the first one. It was down on
the nipple when he took it from the carpenter.
Inspector Cox, of the Thames police, produced
the pistol in question, awl said the captain told him
he believed that was the one with which the, pri-
soner shot the deceased.
In answer to Mr. Selfe, the witness said Brown
did nothing with his hands behind him, and had no
knife in his hand, or ever offered to take a knife. It
is not true that a knife fell from his hand when he
fell. His knife was in his sheath when he was shot.
I heard the prisoner say, after he got the second
pistol, "If you do not all go forward I will shoot
every man of you. Brown then lay dead at his feet.
Cross-examined by Mr. Gomm-1 did not see the
' deceased move his hand towards the captain and
mate when he was shot. The prisoner handed down
the pistol to the carpenter after it was fired. The
second pistol was capped. I was eight or nine feet
off when it was brought upon the poop deck.' Henry
Ferrow was about the same distance off. On the
same morning, about 9 o'clock, when the crew were
ordered to get aft, the chief mate said some such
words as these--:--that he did not mean to shoot the
man, and that the pistol went off accidentally. The
mate also said, " See what your mutiny has come
to." Brown had been dead half an hour when these
words were said. I never quarrelled with the chief