The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-25 00:00:00

MURDER ON THE HIGII SEAS.

Yesterday, Francis Boland, a seaman, aged 48,
was brought up at the Thames police-court, charged
with the wilful murder of Edward Hyland, an-
other saman, on the high seas, on thellth of July

last.
Mr. Y: C. Evans, superintendent of the Thames
police, said the depositions in thii case had been
taken by the British Consul at Lagos, on the West
Coast of Africa, and by him transmitted to the
Board of Trade. The ship Medina, in which the
alleged murder was committed, arrived with the
witnesses in the St. Katharine Dock on Wednes-
day afternoon, and, he caused the prisoner to be ar-
rested, and ordered the attendance of the witnesses
who came home in the Medina. The British Consul
had sent home in the same versel a black man, who
was not one of the crew, but a labourer on board,
and he would give evidence of the transaction. Mr.
Evans handed in the papers connected with the
case, and the investigation, which extended until a
late hour, was proceeded with.
Mr. George Mortimer Farrow, chief mate of the
Medina on her late voyage to Africa and back, said
the deceased Hyland was an able seaman on board.
On the 11th of July the ship was at anchor in
Lagos Roads. The captain was absent on sire,
and the witness had the command of the vessel.
Ile was taken ill two or three days before the
transaction occurred. At eight o'clock on the even-
ing of the 11th of July he was about tp set the
anchor watch, ar d heard a disturbance. He went on
deck and was met by the cook, who said the deceased
and the prisoner were fighting, and that Boland
was using a knife. Witness was very ill at the
time and could do nothing. The cook had
just left him for the purpose of going to the com-
batants when Hyland fell upon the deck. The
cook said he was stabbed—was killed, and the blood
rushed from the deceased's wounds on to the deck.
He went up to the deceased, who was insensible.
The prisoner came up to him, and he said to him,

" You have been using a knife ; what is the cause
of this ?" He believed the prisoner said he had no
knife. The prisoner was partially intoxicated.
Witness ordered a boat to be lowered, and sent for
the doctor on board her Majesty's ship Medusa.
There were three wounds inflicted on the deceased ;
one of them was in the abdomen, and the bowels
protruded. While the deceased was on the cabin
floor the prisoner said to the surgeon of the Medusa
—" All he has got was intended for me ; if ho had
not taken a knife to me I would not have taken
one to him ; he has cut me on the head." There
was not the slightest appearance of a wound on
the prisoner's head. He did not find the knife
with which the wounds were inflicted.
In answer to questions by Mr. Selfe, the witness
said the crew bad been plundering the ship'sstores,
and that was the cause of the fatal occurrence.
The seamen got at the champagne and ale. When
I found the prisoner partially intoxicated after the
occurrence, I asked him where he got drink from?
He said, "We have been down in the hold and
taken a cask of ale, and all hands will pay their
share of it." In consequence of what I heard, I
ordered some bottles to be passed up from the fore-
crstle. A man named Woodness passed up 16
bottles of ale. I asked him if there were any more,
and he replied in the negative. I opened a case of
champagne. There-were five bottles missing.
After some further evidence, the prisoner was
committed for trial on a charge of wilful murder.