The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-01 00:00:00

CONFESSION OF GEORGE JONES.

I, George Jones, first joiner of the Saladin, at Val-
paritiao, crew twelve in number, and two others (Captain
Fielding and and his son Ge-orge),• was working my
passage as sail-maker, but acted as steward, by Captain
M'Kenzie's request, until after passing Cape Horn, when
J. Galloway took the situation, and I repaired some of
the sails. While in the cabin, as steward, frequent dif-
ferences occurred between Captain McKeezie said Captain
.Fielding. The latter,' in conseqberiCe, Would' often -re-
fuse to come to table at meals ; and I have heard Captain
M'Kenzie say to the mate on these occasions, that it
served him right for giving Fielding a passage free.
When Captain M' Kenzie came on deck, Fielding several
times cursed him, and used abusive language. Used
then to come to me and tell me what he had said about
his quarrels with Captain M'Kenzie, and then talk of the
amount of money on board, and what a fine prize a pirate
would make of them. Asked me .I would fight
against them if attacked. He would not. Cap-
tain M'Kenzie used to- drink i'gOod deal. Field-
ing on one occasion said to - me—" Now, Jones,
if you want to save your life, now is the time. I have
spoken to the carpenter, and I intend to be master of i
-this ship." At another time Fielding, in my presence,
made a motion to show how he would cut Captain
McKenzie's throat, saying, at the same time,
-"'Damn
you." This was when Captain M'Kenzie was on the
ladder piing from the cabin to the deck, and had his
back to him (Fielding). When I attempted to acquaint
Captain McKenzie of it he stopped me, saying, " You
damned Irishman,. I want to hear nothing." While I
acted as steward I scarcely ever had a civil word from
him. He was continually cursing and swearing at me.
One afternoon Captain Fielding said to me, " You did
not come on deck, as I requested, last night ; you
had best do it. You will lose your own life if you
don't. The other watch will do it, and you will
be killed." I understood that he meant by this
that we were to take possession of the vessel. I soon
after mentioned this to Hazelton, in the galley, .by
Fielding's directions. Hazelton laughed, and said, with
an oath, there could not be a better chance ; there was a
great deal of money on board. Hazelton went out. Wm.
Johnston then came in, and I said to him, "There is
curious work going on ; that Fielding is a queer
man. He wants to make a haul—Hazelton will probably
let you know about - it." Before night it was known to
Hazelton, Johnston, and myself. They both told me
Fielding had spoken to- them about it, and that all was
right. A day or two passed over, and on Friday we
were bending sails. The Dutchman was getting them I
out, and I said to him, " There is going to be curions
wqrk on" boarii." He asked what was that, and I said
that Fielding, Jack, and them, were going to take the
ship, and kill Sandy (meaning Captain McKenzie, thus
named by the men). Andersen replied to this imme-
diately, " By God, I'll take a knife and cut his throat
(meaning Captain M'Kenzie). He shall no more strike
me away from the helm." I then mentioned to Hazelton
what Anderson had said, and he replied that he would
get him all right ; and he would talk to him. He did
so when in the foretop, and Anderson willingly consented,
and expressed more satisfaction than any one on board.
He talked and laughed about it. Captain Fielding then
came to me and said the vessel must be taken that
night (Friday). I did not go on deck that night
(being sailmaker I had no regular watch to keep), but
all the persons engaged in the plot expected me, and
afterwards asked me why I did `not come. These were
Fielding, Johnston, Hazelton, and Anderson. I excused
myself to Fielding by saying I did not think he expected
me, to which he replied, " It is of no use making a fool
of yourself ; if you go back your life is no more. Next
day (Saturday) Capt. M'Kenzie and Fielding had a seri•
ous quarrel on the poop, which was heard by all the men
on deck, about the ship's gig. After this Fielding said,
" This night it must be done ; they were all ready, and,
if I did not come up, my life would be no more." I went
to bed in the forecastle ; Johnston, Hazelton, and An-
derson were in the same watch under the mate, and the
deed was to be done in their watch that night. I went
en deck between twelve and four, while they were on
the watch. I was-then told it was arranged that Field-
ing should keep up a conversation with the mate,
during which Johnston should strike him with an
axe. The mate was lying on the hencoop. Fielding
C4MO forward and said to us, Johnston, Anderson,
and myself,- " Now is the time ; the mate is asleep."
He-said it was best to send for Jack to see what he said
about it, that there might be no mistake. Johnston ac-
cordingly relieved Hazelton. The latter agreed to pro-
ceed,and returned to the helm. - It was then proposed
I should take the helm and Johnston kill the mate, and
that Fielding, Hazelton, ' and Anderson should go down
to attack the captain in the cabin. I accordingly went
to the helm. I saw Johnston then strke.the mate with
an axe. I think Anderson also struck him. Fielding,
Johnston, and Anderson threw the' body overboard.
Some time was then spent consulting what to do, and I
afterwards learned they were in doubt how next to pro-
ceed. Anderson.' and Hazelton went into the —cabin
to attack the captain, but returned, fearing as they said,
the dog would bite them. It was then agreed to make
an alarm, and strike the captain as he came up from
'the cabin. Nothing more was done for a quarter of an
hour, when the captain rang hia'bell three or four times,
but no answer was given to it. I was much agitated
whilst at the helm ; it was, several times taken from me
by Fielding and Hazelton, in consequence- -of getting
the ship in the wind. Fielding and the others went
to the main-deck, and I heard nothing for some time,
until I heard the carpenter's voice in the water. This
alarmed me, as I understood-the captain was to be killed
before the carpenter was to be disturbed, and I exclaim-
ed, " Oh, Lord, there is a man overboard !" With this
Fielding ran 'immediately on the poop, and shouted, " A.
man overboard !" as loud as he could, the Swede follow-
ing. him. The captain (M'Kenzie) ran out the com-
panion, and as he came tip Anderson struck him ; the
'blow did not kill hiin ; he ran after Anderson round the'
cOmpanioh. Fielding' then called me, "Damn you, why
' d.,n't yOu run after him.; if you don't lay hold of him I
will give you a clout that will kill you. I let go the
helm and4ent round the companion, and the Swede and
Captain M'Kenzie were struggling' together. Fielding
again said, " Damn you, why don't you lay hold of him ?"
I then took hold of his -heads, and Fielding struck him
two blowa with the axe, which killed him. While in
the act of striking. McKenzie, exclaimed, " Oh, Cap-
tain Fielding ! oh, Captain Fielding, don't Fielding
" Oh, damn -you, give it to you 4" Field.
ing hauled him forward -in front of the com-
panion, and struck him again, and then threw him over-
heat-V. When Fielding, Hazelton, Anderson, and John-
ston, went down to take some liquor, and said, "The ves-
sel is naw.our own." I was relieved from the helm, and
went below to get a drink, I came on deck, and Field-
ing addressed his son, saying, " I am captain." Tho son
said, " It was a pity that I had not a -blow at Sandy.",
They all assembled on the qnarter-deck, and consulted
how they were to dispose of the rest of the crew, who
were forward. Fielding proposed calling the watch ;
they all agreed that Hazleton and Johnston were to go
forward and call the watch ; that Ishould lie down in the
long-boat ; that 'Anderson was to stand by the mainmast,
pretending to be asleep ; Fielding in the companion.
When the man came to relieve the helm, they agreed to
take his life. During this time Collins came on deck
and went on the head. When the watch was called,
JeM came up ; he went to relieve the helm ;
Anderson struck him, a 3 I understood, with a
hammer, and. he was thrown overboard.' I heard
no noise in the boat. The other two men
Moffatt and- Rollins, who had gone done again, were
then called up. They came up, and Moffat sat down on
the spars, fore part of the galley. Hazelton struck him,
as I understood, ,with en axe, and killed him. I heard
the blow, and after I came out of,the boat I saw his
body; I assisted Ariderton 'and Johnston in throwing
the Ipody overboard. Before Moffatt way thrown over-
. beaill Anderson went forward, struck Collins tin the
head, and'he fell into the water. I did not see the blow,
but I heard Collin's exclamation on .receiving it. Some
time after this it was proposed by Wielding to do away
with the cook, Carr, and the steward Galloway, but the
rest would not consent. Fielding then said, be would
-let them work, -and-. he would find, a, way to get .rid of.
them. The' cook came aft about six o'clock. Was
alarmed when Captain Fielding told him the ship was
ours; that all the crew remaining were on the poop.
The cook asked what it meant; he was told,. and ap-
peared quite- satisfied. Galloway came aft laughing,
-OA when b. was infbrmed of what had marred

did not appear alerniedl ito said it was a pity lie 4id iiot
know abotit it; as bewould liefe liked td.htt4e liad a,btit
at Sandy, niettning Captain M'keniie. Stifiln time after,
on the sante day(Stinday) we all swore on a Bible to be
loyal and brotherly to eaoh other. The day after a
carving knife, which had been in the cabin, was missed,
which Faye us all some uneasiness: A pelt of ptstole
were discevered titiclek a table by Johnston, and Wheil
he Wait going oh deck he beekOned to me glen
to 0,4
however, *eta tip • Fieldkng *astheneck;
and confuted a screch put down tne skylight in the after
cabin. fle said he wished it to. air the cabin? Haziten
and Johnston} came afterwards on deck, end t4l) •
latter told the former a,l!ont the. pistols Under the table
which, eatised its all alarm, as we had thrown, as we
&night, all the fire-arms overboard, except a musket in
- the after•cabin, which Fielding wished to keep to shoot
fowl. We went below and asked Fielding what
he knew about the pistols; he said he knew no-
thin. After search we found a large copper vessel
with powder, and threw it and the pistols over-
board, with which Fielding expressed himself satisfied.
Anderson informed us then that Fielding purposed to do
away with the cook, Galloway, Johnston, and myself
when we heard this, we accused Fielding, who tlenied
it. After this we discovered a bottle of poison in a
locker, of which Fielding had kept the key, and the
carving knife which had been mis6ing. The cook then
said he Would not rest until Fielding was thrown over-
board. Fielding was 'then secured by Johnston, his
hands and-feet being tied ;he was kept thus for sodie
time, asking us to heave him overboard, screaming and
shouting so that Johnston gagged him by cur request.
He was led upon deck by Hazleton and Johnston,
and was laid down close to the quarter. After
breakfast, while we were all sitting on the hencoop,
the cook and Galloway requested that he might be
thrown overboard. We all then agreed he should go, and
the cook and Galloway went immediately forward, with-
out saying to us what they purposed doing. The first
we beard were the screams of the boy as they were put-
ting'him overboard. While clinging to Galloway the
boy (Fielding's son George) tore some of Galloway's
clothes. We then agreed that Galloway should take
charge of the ship as navigator, he being the best scholar.
It was proposed to go to the Coast of Cape Breton, or
Newfoundland, to scuttle the vessel, and take the long-
boat up the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The money was di-
vided amongst us all.
On the night before the mate was killed, when I came
on deck,. I was going aft with Captain Fielding and An-
derson •, we stopped about the mainmast, and I turned
back, being frightened, and there seemed a sort of panic,
from whichlthought they might give up the plan altogether.
Fielding then came after me, and asked" What is the
matter ?" • My answer was not satisfactory. He then
said, " D— you, it you don't go back and not make a
fool of yourself, I will kill you right out." Fielding had
a carpenter's adze .in his hand at the time. I was quite
alarmed by the threat and returned with him.
(Signed) . GEO. JONES.
The confession voluntarily made in the presence of
Hon. MICH. TOBIN,
Hon. J. W. JOHNSTON, Attorney-Gen.,
J. J. SAWYER, Esq. High Sheriff.
From the foregoing confession it. y be, inferred that
it was. the wish of the wretch Fielding to murder the
Whole of the ship's company, with the object of possess-
ing himself of the entire treasure on board, although it.
is true that in so doing ho would have left but himself
and youthful son on board.

The following details in connection with.the affair,
condensed and extracted from a file of the Halifax
Courier, will show that an act of murder and piracy, per-
haps unexampled in atrocity, has been committed, and
no less than eight persons barbarously massacred.
The Saladin was a Newcastle ship, sailed from Val-
paraiso on the 17th of February, having a rich cargo on
board, consisting of 70 tons of copper, 13 bars of silver,
each weighing 1501bs. weight ; 9,000 dollars in specie ;
and a large quantity of guano. The Saladin was 550
tons burden, and commanded by Captain Mackenzie.
The first suspicions of the horrible affair were aroused on
the 20th ultimo, when the ship ran ashore on the back of
an island in a country harbour near Halifax. On being
boarded, the crew reported that the captain had
died at sea on the sth ultimo, and the mate three
days subsequently, and that two of the crew
had fallen into the sea. They stated that they
had latterly been sailing they knew not
where, and were astonished to find that they had
reached Nova Scotia, of which place they alleged they
had never heard. Captain Cunningham was the first per-
son who went on board. He found all in disorder ; the
men were well dressed, and had evidently been faring
sumptuously for several days. Bottles were lying about
in every direction, a chest of dollars was open, and the
ship's papers, and all sorts of valuables scattered about.
There were indications of a female and a little child
having been on board ; but of these the crew made no
mention, and the entries in the log-book ceased on the
14th of April. The agent for Lloyd's (the Hon. Michael
Tobin) on learning these particulars, hastened to the spot
and arrived at the same conclusion that Captain Cun-
ningham' had previously done, namely, that the crew had
mutinied, and seized the vesseL The parties on board
were taken into custody and conveyed to Halifax, where
in the course of a very few days disclosures in relation
to the melancholy affair were made, full of horrible
details.
The two individuals who have confessed are Carr and
Galloway, who held the respective offices of cook and
steward of the ship. Their confession was made to the
Hon. Mr. Tobin, Lloyd's agent at Halifax, in the pre-
sence of the Sheriff, the gaoler, and subsequently of the
Attorney-General. Carr, the cook, is a native of New-
castle-upon-Tyne, and a middle-aged man. Galloway,
the steward, is a native of Scotland, and not more than
nineteen years of age. Both of them were shipped at
Newcastle, and had accompanied the Saladin throughout
her voyage.,
From this statement then it appears that several of
the crew of the Saladin having deserted at Valparaiso,
others were shipped to supply their places ; among
these a man named Fielding, who had formerly com-
manded a vessel which had been seized by the Chilian
Government and confiscated for an infringement of the
revenue laws of that country ; this man had a son slur
on board, a lad about fifteen or sixteen years of age.
The Saladin sailed from Valparaiso, having a crew
in all of fourteen persons. All seems to nave
gone on well until about the middle of April.
when a plan to murder the captain, mate, and a portion
of the crew was concocted by Fielding and the sailmaker,
who engaged in their scheme the assistance of a Swede
and two others of the crew shipped at Valparaiso. The
whole plot was planned and executed in less than forty-
eight hours. It was on a Sunday night in the larboard
(a mate's) watch that the mutiny broke forth. The
mate was the first victim. He was in a delicate state of
health, and while reclining on the poop he was struck
with an axe and knocked overboard without the least
noise being made. The captain's watch was then called,
and as the men came on deck they were knocked on the
head and pitched overboard almost without a groan.
Two of the murderers then went below to dispatch
the captain, but his faithful dog was beside him on
the berth, and they were afraid to approach him lest he
might be aroused by its barking. Anelher man, who
came on deck about this time, and who was in the mizen
chains, had his head split open with an axe, and he fell
into the sea, his blood streaming on the deck. The
wretches at this juncture, in order to draw the captain out
of his cabin, raised the cry " A man overboard I " The
plan succeeded but too well, and, as he ascended the
companion-ladder, he received a blow on the head with
a hammer from one of the mutineers. The blow did not,
however, take good effect, and he rushed upon the deck
with the hope of defending himself, but was attacked by
others, soon overpowered, - and thrown overboard.
Carr and Galloway state that they first heard an alarm
at this period, having been exempt from keeping watch.
Car; went on deck, and upon inquiring what was the
matter, was informed of all that had occurred, and then
saw before him those who remained of the crew, except
Galloway, who was still below. The attack appeared to
have been most systematic. Six men were lost without
a struggle, and almost without leaving a trace of murder
behind.
Fielding, who seems to have been a most desperate
villain, soon after the murders became suspicious and
fearful, he threw overboard all the arms and ammu-
nition in the ship, except a brace of pistols, which he
secreted under the cabin table, and a large carving-knife
'in the possession of his son. Galloway states that he
made a proposal to him to murder all the crew,
except •• two besides themselves, run the ship ashore,
sink her, and then make their escape. Galloway would
not consent to this hellish project, and told the crew of
the, proposal. They immediately became aroused at
.Fielding's treachery, and resolved to pitch both, him and
his son. overheard in self-defence. The money on board
was previously divided, and, as is generally the case on
such occasions, the ring-leaders were not satisfied with
an equal share of the plunder.
Fielding and his son, however, were tied hand and
foot, and left in the captain's cabin during the whole of
one night, and thrown overboard the next morning ;
the former by Carr and others, -he (Carr) having been
obliged to act, and the latter by Galloway, also against
his will. •
After FieldinWs death Galloway was the only navi-
gator on board the ship, and., his intention was to have
gone up the St. Lawrence, where the crew were to
s have .scuttled ;the. vessel, and escaped with the specie and
bullion. They were, however, led astray by the com-
mander of an. American schooner, which they spoke only
a few days previous to the time when the Saladin struck
and this, providentially,' has been the cause of the mur-
derers being brought to justice.
Fielding's chief associates in the bloody scheme appear
to have been four men, named Johnston, Anderson,
Jones, and Hazen. The murdered mate's name was
Byerley, and the names.o£ three of the seamen are stated
to have been James, Moffatt, and Collins.
The Halifax Herald of June 12 says, " We understand
from good authority that all the miscreants will plead
guilty.. The judge,. of the Adreiralty,,who is at present
staying at his country seat, .has been sent for, and the
triaLis expected to take place in about ten days."
The Saladin belongs to Messrs. Johnson and Cargill,
of Newcastle.

WHY Ecno as FEMININE.—When the exhibition
was over, and we were plodding up the Gap, I asked Spil-
lane why Echo was always of the feminine gender! The
bugler scratched his head, as if trying to elicit something
from his brain ; but soon acknowledged that he was unable
to give a satisfactory answer. He observed that, although
he heard her every day. yet he had never seen her, and could
not tell whether she wore petticoats Or small-clothes. All at
once Spillane seemed struck with sonte new ideas, and ex-
claimed, " Maybe, your honour, that Echo is represented as
a female, because she, always has the last word." A newly-
married couple were walking with us when Spillane delivered
himself of this brilliant conception, and to the bride I re-
ferred the solution of the enigma.. She quickly and spirit-
edly replied, " What, Sir, would the lords of the creation
• wish to engross both the first and the last word? In that
case, we poor women might lock up our tongues, as we do our
jewels, to be used only on gala days."—Dr. James Johnson's
Tour in Irdami.

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