The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-21 00:00:00

BUMMER ASS] Z OS.

NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—LIVERPOOL, AUG. 19.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Baron Watson.)
CHARGE OF MURDER QN THE HIGH SEAS.—ATROCIOUS
CRUELTIES TO A SEAMAN.
Henry Rogers, 37, ,master mariner, William Miles, 27,
seaman, and Charles Edward Seymour, 25, seaman, were
indicted for the murder, on the high seas, on the 6th .of
June last, of a seaman named Andrew Rose.
Mr. Attorney-General Bliss, Q.C., with Mr. E, James,
Q.C., and Mr. Whitby -Seymour, appeared for the prose-
cution ; Mr, Moak, Q.C., for Rogers ; and Mr. Aspinall
forthe other prisoners.
The case, as stated by Mr. Bliss, revealed a series of the
most atrocious and horrible cruelties perpetrated by the
prisoners. Rogers was the master of the British barque
Mf.rtha and Jane, and the other two prisoners the first and
second mates. Last year the vessel sailed from Hartlepool
to Calcutta. Here there was a change in masters, and the
vessel afterwards sailed to Demerara, and thence to Barba-
does, where another change-in masters took place, and
where Rogers joined as captain. The deceased joined the
ship at Barbadoes also, and went on board on April 29,
1357, having signed articles as an able seaman. Soon after
his going on board the second mate found fault with the
mode in which the deceased performed some duty, and
beat him. Having been advised by some of the brew to
do so; Rose ran away, but was afterwards captured and
brought back on the 9th or 10th of May. He was put in
irons, and on the 11th of 'May the vessel sailed. The de-
ceased was released soon afterwards from the irons, and
was again beaten both by the captain and second mate.
From this time until a day or two before the vessel made
land he was abused almost every day by one or more of the
prisoners, and frequently when he was in irons. When
the deceased joined the ship he was an " able seaman."
He had his hair closely cut, and from 'some other circum-
stances it was considered that his intellect was somewhat
deranged. He used frequently to sing; and one Sunday he
was singing " Oh, that will be joyful !" on the forecastle
when the captain came to him and ordered him to desist.
He obeyed, upon which the captain said to him, "I will
make you sorrowful." The mates then, by direction of the
captain, brought an iron bolt, which the captain forced into
the deceased's mouth, and fastened with spun yarn round
the back of his head. He was thus kept for about an hour
and a half. A subsequent act of cruelty was the training of
a dog which was on board, named " Watch," to bite the
deceased, and whenever the dot saw the captain besting
Rose, it would fly at him and bite pieces out of his legs,
and when he put his hands down to protect his legs when in
irons, the d ,g would bite pieces out of hisarms and hand-.
On one occasion, after the deceased had come down from
the furling rails, he was again sent up nakod, with a
bucket of water in his hands, and the chief mate followed
him and beat him with a whip until the blood flowed from
the wounds. Other acts of cruelty are too shocking to be
described. The final atrocity was as follows :—The cap-
tain was heard to say to the deceased, " I wish you would
either hang or drown yourself." The deceased replied
that the captain ought to do this, whereupon the captain
made-a running noose, put it round the deceased's neck,
and bad him hoisted about three feet from the deck. In
this position the deceased remained for about two minutes,
and when let down he was unable to stand ; be frothed at
the mouth, and his eyes were starting from his head. The
captain was heard to say that if Rose had hung another
half minute he would have been " done for." The de-
ceased, after this, was removed to the forecastle, but from
this time his mindl and body got weaker and weaker, and
on the sth of June he was brought up on deck, where he
lay down and died.
Thomas Hayes, an able seaman, who -was examined by
Mr. James, corroborated the statements of the ledrned
counsel fn. the p;osecution. Wh"n the deceased came on
board ho appeared to be in a bad state of health. Witness
never heard the deoeased disobey orders.
In cr ,ss-examinatioh by Mr. Monk, it was eUrite,l that
the deceased frequently soiled the deck and "his clothes ;
that when not in irons he always did his work; and that
on ono occasion, when he appeared to be either drunk or
mad, the crew tied the deceased up by the wrists.
The other evidence adduced was generally corroborative
of the statements for the prosecution. Medical evidence
was adduced also, to show that the treatment which the
deceased had received had accelerated his death.
Mr. Monk addressed the jury on behalf of the prisoner
Ropers at considerable length. He alluded to the respon-
sible position in which a commander of a vessel was placed,
who was answerable not only for the property under his
charge, but also for the lives of his crow, He asked if it
was probable that the prisoners should wish to weaken
their crew by-removing the deceased, lasing into conside-
ration the fact that the crew was already three man short
of the complement. He did not for a moment wish to
justify such foolish proceedings as putting a man iu a cask.
Mr. Aspinall, on behalf of the mates, urged that they
were bound as the capt Lin's inferiors to obey his orders ;
and that what they did was done in carrying out those
orders.
The learned judge then summed up the evidence, and the
jury retired to consider their verdict.
At twenty minutes before 11 o'clock the jury returned a
verdict of Guilty against all the prisoners.
Tho learned judge then proceeded to pass sentence of
death upon the three prisoners.

LAYING THE FOUNDA7'IOv-saluNE OF
SILLOTH DOCKS.

SPEECH OF SIR JAMES GRATTAN.
A. special edition of the Carlisle Examiner contains a
report of the proceedings on the occasion of laying the
foundation stone of Silloth Dock on Tuesday last, Sir J.
Graham, M.P., officiating. The shops were closed at Car-
lisle, and the day kept as a general holiday.
In the course of a speech, oelivered while standing on
the stone, the right hon. baronet said—" Gentlemen, in the
prayer which we have just heard allusion is made to the
prosperity of this great kingdom of which we are members.
I cannot on an occasion like this dissemble from you that
great national disasters have suddenly come upon us. Many
of us here have probably, in a distant part of the British
dominions, sons, • daughters, and relatives whom we love,
and whose position there we regard with anxiety. When
there is a tire raging, it does not become us to ask what are
the causes of that fire. Our first duty as men is to extin-
guish it. (Hear.) lam sure I appeal to the united hearts
of every portion of the British people when I say that that
empire which our fathers won by their gallantry, by their
courage, and by their constancy, it would be unworthy in
us—we should be degenerated indeed—if that which a
century has won, by our timid misconduct we lost in an
hour. (Hear, hear.) I am satisfied, therefore, that the
determination of the British people will be unanimous, that
that empire which we have won with our best heart's blood
and with the blood of our children, we are ready to preserve
—and that as one man we shall rise in defence of our great
possessions in India. (Hear, hear.) Tile loss of that empire
would be the commencement of our downfall—the mainte-
Dance of it would prove that we have not degenerated. And
as I have before told you that concord is strength and a
certain security of success, so let all miuer divisions and
strifes be forgotten among us. Let us as a united people
make a great effort, and sustain the honour and integrity
of the British dominions." (Hear, hoar.)
On the completion of the ceremonial, the shareholders
and their guests proceeded to the spacious engine abed,
which hal been handsomely fitted up as a dining hall.
The chairman (lir. P. J. Dixon), and the vice-chairman
(lir. J. Irving), presided at either end of the room. Seve-
ral interesting speeches were delivered.
Sir J. GRAHAM, responding to a complimentary toast,
again alluded to pantie; events in India. He said—" I
have the deepest conviction that neither the army nor the
navy of the present day will be found to be degenerated.
(Cheers) That army and that navy, all forced and com-
pulsory service being now at an end, are volunteers. They
are drawn from the great body of the people of this coun-
try. I Fay with pride and satisfaction that now
growing an old man, I do perceive iu the great
boly of the people of this country within the
last quarter of a century, the most marked
improvement. They are more highly intelligent. They ,
are better instructed. Their love of liberty is not abated ;
but the love of order is universally pervading. And a
people so free, so instructed, by nature so gallant, cannot,
in my opinion, fail to send forth to the most distant parts
of the earth soldiers and sailors—freemen like themselves,
volunteers, to uphold the honour of their native land, to
sustain the renown of our flag, and to prevent that igno-
miny that such an empire as ours should perish. (Cheers.)
Ido not believe it. An empire which the Olives and Wel-
lesleys have won a Canning will not lose. As relates to
our army, there are traits in the character of the men who
have gone forth to take the command which, did des-
pondency exist in any quarter, would forbid it to be
general. Just think of Sir Colin Campbell. (Cheers.) I
will mention a trait, with respect to him. He was not
chosen for the Commander-in-Chief in the Crimea when the
late lamented Lord Raglan died, though senior officer. A.
junior officer was appointed. Her Majesty notified to Sir
, Colin Campbell that it would be to the great disadvantage
of this country if he did not take the place of second in
command ; and regardless of all routine and the precedents
of the service he went out and served under his junior
officer. (Loud cheers.) That man has now gone to take
the command-in-chief in India. He knows that country
well; he was a follower of Sir Charles Napier; he is
embued with the spirit of a soldier and Highlander, and
if he failed to do his duty that right hand would indeed
have forgot its cunning. (Cheers.) Then there is Wind-
ham of the Redan, member of the county of Norfolk, occu-
pying a position in the House of Commons which any
man might be proud of. He scatters every personal con-
sideration to the wind. While there was peace in India
he refused a command. When war breaks out, he offers
his services, leaves parliament and Norfolk, and everything
attractive, and goes forth to take the second plow under
Sir Colin Campbell. (Cheers). I might multiply instances,
but I bid you not for a moment to think of desponding. . le
am satisfied that those who have gone forth partake of. the
spirit spirit which actuates the people of this countrar,tna
have not degenerated, that the difficulty will be_overcome,
applied,
overcome,receiv:
legislature. Proper remedies must and will
blessing
ci
thatfortu
fortune
when l
but the empire must be saved, and by th
Providence I have no doubt th at we shall prospei."
Cheers). them osct causes
su anxious
thatoas
considerationbn led ti3eetah oef
pplimt the:

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