The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-18 00:00:00

AMERICAN BARB A RITIES.

The Rio Grande city correspondent of the Texas
Ranchero gives the following little history, which
sounds as if it related to the days of Salem witch-
craft and Puritan superstition. The letter, how-
ever, is dated February, 23, 1860 :
" There is a man living in. Camargo (Villa
Nueva) named Ambrosio Ramierez, who had been
for some time suffering from a loathsome disease.
As he had been unable to recover by the medical
treatment he had received, both himself and wife
concluded that he had been bewitched by an inoffen-
sive woman, named Antonia Alanis. An American
citizen and resident of Roma, or a few miles from
Roma, Marias Ramierez, the father of this Am-
brosio Ramierez, who is one of the most wealthy
Mexicans on the river, owning a large tract of
land and much stock on this side, sent a party of
men t' the house of the poor Antonia Alanis to
kidnap and take her to Camargo. This they did
in the most brutal manner. They lassoed her and
dragged her on the ground until they feared she
would die, and they not be able to gut• her to Ca-
margo.

" They beat one of her daughters badly for inter-
fering to protect her poor mother ; shot at another
for the same reason, but finally succeeded in taking
the old woman across at Roma. She was taken
to Camargo, severely beaten, and her body stuck
full of thorns of prickly pear, and this beat-
ing, &e., repeated as soon as she recovered suffi-
ciently to be able to endure it, for the space of
two weeks. This treatment of the witch did not,
however, improve the health of the Galileo, and the
witch-doctor then told them that they must
burn her ; that the sick man had pigeon bones in

his head, and that as soon as the witch commenced
burning the bones would protrude, and he (the
witch-doctor) would then pull them out, and this
was actually done. The poor woman was tied up
and corn shuks lighted under her feet, and she was
kept in this horrid torture until she was so badly
burnt that there remained no possible chance .f her
recovery, and I understand she soon afterwards
died."

A somewhat similar instance of barbarous in-
humanity in Arkansas is related in the New _Fork
Tribune:—

" In the township of Extra, in Ashley county,
Arkansas, the discovery was made that a widow,
named Hill, and a slave woman belonging to Mr.
J. L. M-, who lived with her, has been murdered,
and the house burnt to conceal the deed. The
alarm soon spread, and an investigation was insti-
tuted by Mr. M---, in connection with many of
the leading citizens. Suspicion fell upon a slave
Ike, belonging to a man named Perdue. Ike was
whipped nearly to death, in order to extort from
him a confession, but lie persisted in denying any
knowledge of the affair. Mr. M- then poured
upon his bleeding back spirits of turpentine, and
set it on fire ! Ike then confessed that he and a
negro, namcdlack, belonging to I. F. Norrell, were
hired by one Mille to assist in performing the deed.
Ono fact, however, greatly invalidated this testi-
mony, and that was that Mr. M- - = and Mr. Nor-
rell were deadly enemies, and Ike must have known
that nothing could have pleased Mr. M-- more
than to convict lack, thus subjecting his most bitter
enemy to the loss of a favourite slave, worth from
1,200 dols. to 1,500 dols. Jack was, however, im-
mediately arrested and brought before the regula-
tors, and certain circumstances seeming in some
degree to corroborate Ike's statement stakes were
driven into the ground, and the two slaves
chained to them. A large quantity of fat pine was
piled around them, and J. L. M- set it on fire.
In a few minutes nothing but charred and blackened
corpses remained. A subscription was circulated
to indemnify the owners for their losses. At the
time this occurred I was in the adjoining county of
Drew, but during the fall my business called me
into the vicinity of the tragedy. I was at the plan-
tation of Mr. Norrell the 14th of November, and
there heard their version of the affair. Mr. Norrell
told me that when the flames were rising 10 feet
above Jack's head he said to the dying slave, ' I
have raised you, Jack, and I never caught you in a
lie. You are going to die ; nothing can save you ;
and now tell me truly, as you hope for Heaven, are
you guilty ?' Jack answered from the fiamcs-, 'Mas-
ter, I don't know any more about it than you do,'
Mr. Norrell and all his family believed Jack to

have been innocent, and shed tears as they spoke
of him."

---
MIS7'ERIOUS DEATI).

On Saturday a most important investigation was
concluded before Mr. Walley, and a jury of in-
habitants of Camden Town, at the Victoria Tavern,
Mornin gton-road, as to the death of Mr. John
Lewis, aged 34, which took place some weeks back,
under circumstances of a most mysterious and sus-
picious character.
The investigation had been several times pre-
viously adjourned, and in consequence of the very
mysterious and truly suspicious nature of the cir-
cumstances connected with the deceased's death,
not only had the coroner found it necessary to order
a post-mortem examination, but the contents of the
deceased's stomach to be analysed, and also to place
the matter in the hands of the detective police.
The evidence taken at the several sittings of the
jury was exceedingly voluminous, but the following
will be found to be a correct summary :
It appeared that the deceased, Mr. John Lewis,
had held a good position in the establishment of a
highly repectable tailor's firm at the West-end,
and that he occupied apartments at the house of
a friend also in the same line of business, Mr.
James Keane, of 68, Arlington-street, Camden
Town. In January last the deceased was about
to commence business in partnership with
Mr. Warren, in Tichborne-street,
llaymarket.
In fact, the establishment was opened, and
the partnership commenced, although the capi-
tal which the deceased was to throw into the
concern was not paid. The mcmey, about £lOO, all
in notes, had, however, been seen by Mr. Warren
in the deceased's possession, and on the evening
before his death Mr. Warren, Mr. Carter, and some
other friends, had been in company together in
Tichborne-street, and Mr. 'Carter deposed to
having accompanied deceased on his way home,
and to having parted with him at All Souli' Church,
Langham-place, about a quarter-past eleven o'clock.
He was:then perfectly sober and in his usual health
and spirits. It would take about a quarter of an
hour, or 20 minutes at the outside, to walk from
All Souls' Church to reach his residence in Arling-
ton-street, but nothing more was heard of him
or could be traced until be reached home at 20
, minutes to one o'clock, when he was able himself to
open the street door with a latch key, whichhaving
done, he is represented as having fallen prostrate
in the passage, in a state of insensibility, in
which state he was found by Mr. Keane, the land-
lord, who, with his wife, Mrs. Keane, had been
sitting up for deceased. Finding him in this insen-
sible state, it appears that, instead of taking him
up to his own bedroom, they took him down stairs
into the kitchen, and a mattress was brought down,
on which deceased was laid. He took nothing, and
uttered nothing except faintly in answer to ques-
tions," It's all right, Jim," meaning, it is supposed,
Mr. Keane, whose name is James, and exclaiming
" Oh, my head." In this state he was permitted
to lie until he died, about six o'clock the same
evening—a period of nearly 18 hours—without any
medical assistance, when, after the repeated
requests of the deceased's son, a boy of about 11
years of age, who lived with him, a surgeon was
sent for, and Mr. M‘Donagh, of 29, Albert-street,
Itegent'syark, attended and pronounced him dead.
Oa the jury assembling, and these facts being
elicited, a post-mortem examination was made, and
the cote* of the stomach tested by Mr. DlTenagh

and Mr. Rodgers, another medical gentleman. There
was a clot of blood found on the brain, and a suffi-
cient quantity of morphia found in the contents of
the stomach to kill the strongest man. This, coupled - -
with the circumstance that the lower part of the
abdomen, the thighs, and other parts of deceased's
person were lacerated and excoriated, and bleeding,
evidently the result of being torn by the nails of -
human hands, showed that between the period
which elapsed between deceased parting with his -
friend (Mr. Carter), at All Souls' Church, and his
*aching Arlington-street, the deceased had been
subjected to the most foul and diabolical violence.
The motes had been seen in his possession, and it
was his practice.to carry a quantity of money about
with him. A. great deal of the money he is known
to have_ possessed could not be accounted for ;
but, strange to state, when he arrived home, he Ind
still got his watch and two or three pounds in his
pocket.
Mr, James Keane, the landlord, excused hjjnsclf
for not having sent for a medical man by stating
that he was under a belief that his friend the de-
ceased was intoxicated, and that after a fey; hours
sleep he thought he Would be all right, and lie left -
home expecting to see him down at business dur-
ing the day.
The detective police expreseed their inability to
throw any light upon the, deceased's whereabouts
between leaving Mr. Carter at All Souls' Church
and his arrival home.

The Coroner said there was a great deal of my-
stery hanging over that lapse of time, and no one
could hear the evidence without coming to the con-
clusion that the deceased had met his death by foul
play ; and in that case the jury, if they considered
so, could do no other than return a veraiet of" Wil-
ful rmiraer." _ .

Mr. H. 0. Nodes, the foreman, and the jury, said
they fully concurred with the coroner, and they
unhesitatingly returned a verdict of " Wilful mur-
der against some person or persons unknown." The
jury also begged to add the following remarks to
the verdict :—" The jury feel that they cannot se-
parate without expressing a strong opinion upon the
folly of persons arriving at a conclusion that a man
is drunk because insensible, thereby practically
preventing the access of any medical attendant."
Mr. Keane was called before the coroner and jury,
and the addenda to the verdict read over to him.
The coroner having complimented the two me-
dical gentlemen for the clear way in which they
had given their evidence, and the pains they had
taken in elucidating the case, the proceedings of
this truly mysterious affair, so far as the inquest is
concerned, terminated.

ME NAVY.

._-_----..-..--

The Forte; 51, screw, Capt. E. Turnout., flag of
Rear-Admiral Hon. Sir H. Keppell, K.C. 8., steamed
into Portsmouth harbour from Spithead yesterday
morning. She moves into the steam basin on the
19th inst., and the following day will be placed in
No. 7 dock to repair the leak in her stern.
Orders have been received by the authorities in
Portsmouth dockyard for the commission of the
Bacchante, 51, screw, as flagship of Rear-Admiral
Sir Thomas Maitland, C.B.- She is expected to
hoist the pendant this morning.
The Osborne, paddle yacht, Master Commandant
G. K. Bowers, will move out of the basin prior to
her trial of the superheating steam apparatus; and
the Elfin, Royal paddle yacht, Master Commander
Balliston, will be undocked from No. 8 deck.
The Victoria, 121, screw, and the Nelson, 91,
screw, will both get up &team in the steam basin
for the purpose of testing their machinery in the
course of a few days.
The Hornet, 17, screw, is complete in repairs to
her hull, and coppered in No. 1 dock at Portsmouth,
but is in the hands of the steam factory staff.
The Vigilant, 6, screw, in No. 5 dock, is nearly
completed in repairs to her hull and ready for cop-
perin g.
The Alban, padde, in No. 4 dock, has no hands
employed upon her at present, and from the state
of her hull it is expected she will be broken up.
This vessel was built as a 10-gun brig at Deptford ;
was afterwards lengthened and altered to a paddle
steamer. She is of 405 tons burden, and 100-horse
nominal power.
The crew of the sailing sloop Atalanta, 16, Com-
mander T. M. Pasley, were mustered and inspected
on Monday by Sir Barrington Reynolds, K.C.B.
Yards were manned when the Admiral boarded.
The Atalanta discharged her powder the same day,
and was towed by the tug Zephyr from PlytiOuth
Sound into Hamoaze, and placed alongside Devon-
port Dockyard to be dismantled.
Her Majesty's steam storeship Rhadamanthus,
Master Commander Sturdee, having been detained
beyond the time appointed for sailing in shipping
stores and gear for the voyage, sailed yesterday
from Woolwich for Portsmouth, on an experi-
mental trial of speed and consumption of fuel,
under ordinary steam, in preparation for being
fitted with Mr. WTethercd's superheating apparatus.
Mr. John Dinnen, Admiralty inspector of steam
machinery afloat, took passage in the ship from
Greenhithe for the purpose of carrying out obser-
vations and rendering a circumstantial report for
their lordships' information. 100 smart lads, re-
cently entered on board the Fisgard and fully
equipped for sea, haying been inspected on the
dockyard-parade by, the Commodore Superinten-
dent, sailed in the Rhadamanthus, as well as 40
supernumerary seamen, for -the fleet.
Mr. Richard Parkins, gunner' of her Majesty's
ship Nile, tried by court-martial at Plymouth on
Monday on a charge of drunkenness, pleaded guilty
and was sentenced to be dismissed from the Nile,
and to be reduced to the rank of gunner of the third
class.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Alfred 'l'. Dale, to
the Ranger ; Lieut. Francis Ilem son, to the Wasp ;
Lieut. Philip J. Patriekson, to the Asia; Lieut.
Francis M. Prattent, Lieut. the lion. Maurice IL
Wingfield, and Lieut. Arthur M. Byani, to the
l3acehante ; Lieut. Richard 11. Napier, to the Re-
cruit ; Charles Bowden, master, to the Bacchante;
J. F. L. St. Aubyn and J. A. U. Buckner, masters'
assistants, to the Bacchante ; F. Whalley, master's
assistant, to the Firebrand; William Anderson (b)
assist.-surg., confirmed in the Mersey ' • John K.
Stuallhorn, assist.-surd., confirmed in the Supply ;
Richard Biddle, confirmed in the rank of first-class
assist-engineer in the Gannet ; James Ireland, pro-
moted to the rank of second class assist.-engineer
in the Himalaya ; Frederick Pugh, promoted to the
rank of acting second class assist-engineer in the
classScyllaTse icoo
im ;
daascs
assist.-engineer
W. C.
Crook,.
.aC.
esns
eeeoenamrtgleoitiiyl
promoted
r ttpromotedihonett
ihlAec l
cal).
Alacrity
the rank
abrnei
iityono; r;
ssSamuel
mc of
Georgesecond
Windley, promoted to the rank of second class
assist-engineer in the Fisgard, for service in gun-
boats coming forward ; Thomas Brindlcy, promoted
to the rank of second class assist.-engineer to the
Bastard; and Herbert Birch, promoted to the rank
of second class assist.-engineer to the Porcupine.