The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-23 00:00:00

Al LEGED MURDER ON TEE ILIGIF SEAS.

On Saturday Captain J. A. Christie and James
Millard, the one commander and the other first
officer of the barque Elizabeth, were placed before
Mr. Mansfield, the stipendiary magistrate at Liver-
pool, charged wish the murder of Francisco Rod-
riguez, a Spanish seaman.
The barque Elizabeth, of that port, has recently
arrived from New Calabar, after touching at King-
ston, where it is said the crew was changed. How-
ever, the former crew, or some of them, have got 1 o
Liverpool, and they allege that the captain, John
Anderson Christie, and first mate, James Millard,
caused the death, at sea, of Francisco Rodriguez,
a Spanish seaman, by brutal and deliberate ill-
usage. The charge was of so serious a nature, that
a preliminary investigation was held at the Sailor's
Home on Friday afternoon, at which Mr. Mansfield,
the Stipendiary magistrate, was present. The ex-
amination was conducted with closed doors, but
the result was manifest by the immediate apprehen-
sion of both captain and mate on a charge of
murder.

Mr. Kehee, one of the inspectors of the detec-
tive force, stated the case at great length, from
which it appears that the Elizabeth sailed from
Liverpool on the 20th January last, for New Calabar,
under Captain Pickering. After the arrival at
New Calabar, some misunderstanning took place
between the trading master and Captain Pickering,
which ended in Captain Pickering leaving the ship
and returning home. When the Elizabeth was
nearly loaded, Captain Christie arrived at
New Calabar in the ship Faith, and he was shortly
afterwards transferred from the Faitk to the
Elizabeth. He brought with him three of his old
crew, amongst whom was Francisco Rodriguez, the
unhappy subject of the outrages. When ho came
on board the Elizabeth, it is said, he was robust
and healthy, and so continued until he was brutally
treated. One evening, about the latter end of
September, after they had been 50 or 60 days out,
Rodriguez was trimming the binnacle lamp at the
cabin door. He accidentally broke one of the glasses,
and the captain, hearing the smashing of the glass,
came up from his cabin and inquired what was the
matter. The steward. explained that the Spaniard
had broken his binnacle 1 tmp. The captain seized
Rodriguez by the back of the head, threw him
down, and than began to kick him all over the body.
It is said he kicked him for five minutes, or more,
with all his might, at the same time using abusing
epithets, and saying, " You worthless scoundrel,
I'll murder you ; you shall never live to see Liver-
pool." After he had kicked him all over his body
and head, the captain lifted his foot several times,
and stamped his heel with all his force on the Inver
part of the unfortunate man's back. Rodriguez
cried out for mercy, and crawled forward to the
forecastle. He there said to some of the crew that
the captain had killed him. He exhibited his
body and back, and it is said they were black
and blue, and that something like a joint pro-
jected at the lower pit of his back where the
captain had stamped upon him. The poor fel-
low was unable to turu out the next mornin.
Towards the afternoon the
captain came out,
and, shouting to him, said, You Russian, if you
don't turn out, I'll clap a tackle on you and drag
you out." Rodriguez struggled to come out of the
forecastle, but he was in a very feeble state, and he
walked with a limp ; indeed, he could scarcely
move at all. There was a lump visible os the right
side of his head, where the captain had kicked him ;
and his face was disfigured with bruises. He also
began to spit blood soon after the ill-usage, and this
continued some time. The second mate gave him
some seanot to make rope. At his proper turn he
took the wheel as usual, but he complained that he
was unable to manage it. Nearly every day from
this the captain used a rope's-end to him, often
very severely, and all over his body. About a
week after this, the chief mate one night came for-
ward and asked whose look-out it was. Some one
replied, " Rodriguez's." The mate called to him,
You -- worthless scoundrel, why have you not
relieved the look-out ?" The mate seized him by
the throat with both hand, throttling him, threw
him en his back violently, and kicked him, it is
said, as hard as he could, thirteen times. The poor
fellow exclaimed, "If you want to kill me, take a
hatchet, and cut my head off." The mate then
compelled him to go up to the look-out. Rodriguez
crawled on his hands and knees to the top of the
look-out, but he said he could not see, as the blood
was gushing to his eyes every moment. He sat
down, but even then he fell down twice. He very
often exclaimed that he was dying. Some of the
crew were compelled to help him down the ladder
into the forecastle, and next morning he was
not able to turn out. The captain came as be-
fore, saying, " You -- lazy scoundrel, if you
don't come up, I'll clap a tackle upon you and
drag you up." Rodriguez crawled out, assisting
himself by whatever he could lay his hands on,
and he sat down on some spars on the deck. He
never took the wheel after this, but he tried some
plaiing. A few days after this the captain again
kicked him on the face. Tess last scene of violence
is represented as having occurred about seven days
after the mate's attack. Rodriguez was on the
quarter-deck for the purpose of hearing the lead.
As he could not walk without assistance, he leaned
on the poop for support. The captain addressed
him, saying, "You lazy dog, do you come upon
the quarter-deck to act the sick man ? Move
quicker, or I'll hurry you along." The poor fellow
was not able to move quicker. Upon this the cap-
tain seized him by the hair of the head, and threw
him violently on the deck and kicked him all over
the body. Rodriguez crawled forward on his hands
and knees and belly to the forecastle. He told the
crew that his inside was broken, and that he was a
ot
dying man, He never got on his feet afterwards.
Tie stowed his body again, and it was a mass of
bruises, particularly on his breast and right side.
thrown
was overboard,
Before
I n eo
mf Or
rICoe hr o fivehad closed h
dayscl he diede,
statement
of and his body
the case on behalf of the prosecution, a remand was
asked and granted, and the case stands adjourned
to Saturday neki.

don.
Mr. SALMON said, although there was such a
clause in the Imperial Company's Act, he knew
many instances where they had made such payment
compulsory on condition of their supply. (Hear.)
Dr. BACHOFFNER—Then there is no doubt the
company could be proceeded against in every such
case. (Hear, hear.)
Mr, SALMON, in reply to questions from Mr.
REERIJIT'iNG IN TIIE LiIEIRPOOL DisTRIC. 'Re- Vesey, Mr, Grange, Mr. Bridgman, and other
cruitiog has been gOiog oti iq this district ll to the lite,
Indian Heave with Unprecedented vigouf ; but during the Ware that the vestry had not the power to erect
members of the vestry, said the deputation were not
last few dais the sal
ha
stinewhat abated. I t is.l4 fact parochial gasworks. He thought if they had not,
worthy of note tbat at the pply e time when the gloomiest they could ato Parliament and get such power.
news was received from the ta,t, an 4 whet, the bard. They had no site to suggest for gasworks. The
senthuei npe
ships of the soldier wera fresh in every ttiltd the
proportion
ttiioa la aorf dwo :
well
edueat diffuseded
ratepayers looked to the vestry to ascertain those
applications for enlistment were at their height. This things. He considered that, should gas be sup •
amply
plfyorimll plied by the vestry, and any profits arise, it could
among the people. The recruiting officers say that at not be devoted to a better purpose than the im-
eurstrpaet
romp rovemeut of the parish.
and likely young men so numerous.
Th •
reisodthewag
Their proportion is P Mr. W INGFIELD was understood to second Dr.
Bachhoffner,s to
now about 83 per cent. as contrasted with the unedu- motion,refer the resolutions to
sated, This may be accounted for by the depressed committee.
the gas
state of trade, by the pleadings of the press for justice
Mr. TODD move 9.the
dtb t motion go on the paper,
to the private soldier, and by the effects of improved and
1 certaw .)steiw, of e'im ation. From the 25th of A ug. but 1• t was overruled by the chairman.
'Emir said a tradesman might as well
to the sth of Nov. 3,325 recruits passed the Liverpool Mr' M
1 district recruiting-office, being an avers ge of 277 U. 1911 it e •
-expect money to be lent upon his book debt as the
week.—Liverpool Journal. parish to raise money to build gas works upon the.