The Sun.
London, England, 1828-07-01 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY CATASTROPHE.

(From the Cork Constitution of Saturday.) ,
An event without a parallel in the annals of matt
misfortune occurred OR board the brig Mary Ruse.
of this port, commanded by a person of the name of Stewel'•
which arrived on Thursday in Cove harbour, from *
badoes. Besides the master just mentioned, there were/
board a mate, eight seamen, and four boys, fourteen pi
sons in all, besides Capt. Baynes, of the Hibernia, who
passenger. On the arrival of the Mary Russell at Co
seven men were found murdered in the cabin, includV
Captain Raynes, and a son of Mr. Sullivan, of the Quad'
house of this city. All the murdered persons were natiO
of Cerk or its neighbourhood. This horrible fact is 'Of
posed to have occurred in this way. Stewart, the MIS
who, for the honour of human nature we must consider
have been seized with a fit of madness, was possessed wit,
the apprehension of being put to death by his crew—anal.
craft of the snout subtle kind is often allied with the nsni
decided insanity, he contrived to induce his victims to el
scend into his cabin one by one, and as they descended,)
succeeded in persuading them to submit to be tied ;
when he had thus rendered them incapable of making sO
resistance—we sicken in the heart while we state it—he led
out their brains with a crow-bar ! That those men shoot
submit to be tied upon any representation, which such a nts-
could have made, is a compliance so inexplicable that reacti
recoils from any attempt at explanation. The fact is t
stated—terrible and unaccountable, Smith, the mate, at,
Howes, a sailor, although wounded, contrived to escape t)
fate of their companions. It appears that the four bol
already mentioned as belonging to the vessel, were aboutf.
be slaughtered as the ethers were, and that Stewart At
in the act of tying them preparatory to his destroying thee
when the Mary Stubbs of Belfast, Capt. Callender, hot
in sight, which interrupted the design. Capt. Callen*
kept close to the Mary Russell until her arrival; aed If
the mean time he saved Stewart who had leaped overbonft
twice, with the resolution of drowning himself. 0
Wednesday morning for the third time, this wretehei
being flung himself overboard off Berehaven, but As
taken up by a hooker—the Mary Stubbs, being then
large, at the rate of six or seven knots an hour./,
We avoid- touching upon any of the rumours eon',
nected with this incomprehensible piece of atrocity/.
especially as the matter is in train of authentic inves;
tigation. Stewart, it seems, has been apprehend
in Skibbereen ; and will be brought in to-day./
Upon a case of such enormous novelty, we adroit'
as we have already signified, our inability to offer any Eli
tisfactory exposition. Stewart is said to be a mild en''
humane man—if so his wickedness is altogether reierahle
to the subvention of his reason. A mad man's atrocity 0,
conceivable—but seven men submitting to be tied are
bound by one man, who had no authority to exercise ayi
restraint over them—is an enigna,a most difficult of solo'
tion. The progress of the Coroner'. Inquest may throw
some light upon it, which just now we are denied.
Since the above was written, the Coroner's inquisition
has decided that the unfortunaie man was a maniac when
he committed the horrid deed.