The Sun.
London, England, 1829-12-09 00:00:00

EXECUTIONS IN JAMAICA.

BUFF BAY,'ST. GEORGE'S, SEPT. I.—The awful
sentence of the law was carried into effect at a.quar-
ter past eleven this forenoon, on the persons of
Allick Brown, Dtvid Carmichael, Thompson Brown,
and George Norman, slaves in the possession of
Mr-. Isabella Graham (of colour), for the murder
of her husband, William Graham (of colour), in
June, 1827.
The criminals approached and nscended the gar-
lows in the most firm and collected u,anner, after
which they requested permission to address their
ftllow slaves, that they might advise them not to
follow their example. They reiterated a confession
of their guilt, which they had made the preceding
day, and declared that they had not of themselves
any intention of committing murder, but had been
induced by Mrs. Graham, Mss E. Ohlson, and
Robert Dant, to murder Mr. Graham. Alliek
Brown said, that Mrs. Graham first told him to
do it, or otherwise the negroes would he sold for
debts of Mr. Graham, and they would lose their
houses and grgnnds. replied, he could
not do it; he did not regard his losses, he would
find " fire and water" every where. The ..laves
were repeatedly urged ; and tin the night of
the murder Robert Ducat, about ten o'clock,
Went to their houses and called them up,
and said they most kill Mr. Graham. Thus urged,
they executed the horrid deed. The criminals asked
for the Gutter Head family, and for I-aac Johnson
(the Crown witness), and for John Wray, and said
they ought to have attended, that they (the cri-
minals) might prove to them that, though they had
brought them to the gallows, they forgave them ;
they said they died in peace and goodwill with eves
licitly; They repeatedly spoke to their wives and
childrett etui dtherg, and recommended them to live
well, to take Cate of one another, and to avoid
advice, and not to da as they had done Allici,
BrOwn called a woman by name, and desired her lA7
Canvey his remembrance to the Gutter Head family,
and tell them he forgave them. lie uttered a most
affecting prayer. The others also prayed, and they
all evincedsa fortitude and resignation surpassing
what I could have imagined it possible for people
to do standing in their terrible situations, with ropes
aboOt their necks, ready to be launched into eternity.
The MY. Mr. Griffiths attended, and prayed
with them in tt manner that sensibly touched the
feelings of all present. The struggles of the dyin4
sufferers were very soon ended; in three MilltiteS
they all appeared dead. Mr. Griffiths was most
assiduous in his endeavour; and
particularly since
Saturday last, to bring their
h,,,:rts to penitence.
They continued hardened up to Tuesna" last ;b"c
on his taking leave of them that day, oavic Car-
michael
requested he would come to them in the
morning, and they would tell him something. He
visited them accordingly, accompanied by his
Honour the Custos, when they confessed as follows :
The murder was p:anncd by all the family at
Gutter Head, except Harriet °bison (she is the
mother of Robert and Allick Ducat). The critni•
nals and other slaves were repeatedly tried by ti:6
family to be induced to murder Graham, hilt they
would not. That on one occasion Mrs. Grabstra
went to Buff Bay, leaving word to have her husband
dispatched ; and that when she returned, and
found it not done, she was very angry. On the
day of the night of the murder Mrs. Graham
had his bedstead taken down and his sheets
sent to the river, ordering at the same time a shake-
down (i. c. a pallet) to be made in the hall (which
has a dirt floor) for him that night. She went to Duff
Bay in the evening, leaving directions to have him
• killed—his place of sleeping was changed to the half,
that the murderers might have more room to get
round him ; that, about ten o'clock at night, Robe' t
Ducat went to the negroes' houses, and called them
up, when they proceeded tO the Buckra-house;
Elizabeth Ohlson gave them plenty of rum to drink,
before they could make up their minde to do the
horrid deed. They went into Graham's apartment,
and seized him ; he jumped up, and cried out, Yery
loudly, " Murder! murder !" They were fright-
ened, and about to desist, when Robert Ducat
looked on and said, " If you don't finish the work
now, he will play the devil with you all." They
then grasped him, and murdered him, as related by

Isaac-Johnson, whose testimony they corroborated,
except as to the use of a cord. Allick Brown
said he had no cord—he strangled Graham with his
hands. Robert Ducat and Elizabeth Ohlson, and
two slaves, named John Brown and John Wray,
looked on. Allick Ducat walked up and down the
piazza adjoining.
They declared no reward was promised them,
and none given. They said all the slaves of Gutter
Head knew of the murder.
The other criminals said George Norman ought
not to be executed, as he only looked on, and (lid not
assist in the murder, though he did in the convey-
ance of the body to the river.
They asked why the Gutter Head family were
not taken up to be hanged as well as they, and said
it was because they were poor slaves. They said
they would have confessed before, but that Robert
Ducat spoke to them at night through the grating
of the gaol, and told them they must not tell any
thing, and he would get them free from trouble. He
gave them some cigars.
Thus has been brought to light, and partly to
justice, one of the most atrocious murders that stains
the annals of the island—a wife instigating her slaves
to the murder of her husband !—and for the mer-
cenary consideration of securing her property from
. .

sale for the payment of his debis.
Let us earnestly hope that justice will, ere long,
overtake those who are infinitely more guilty than
the unfortunate slaves who have suffered.

It is really surprising that while so many persons
were acquainted with the murder, upwards of three
years transpired before its discovery. Much error
exists as to the manner in which this discovery was
made. The facts are these—One of the Gutter
Head slaves, named Jane Williams, a Creole, spoke
of it to some of her friends, and said she believed
her sickness of late was occasioned by her conceal-
ment of the murder. This reached the ears of Mr.
Sterne, of Buff-bay; and he, on or about the 15th
of July made an affidavit of the circumstances before
his Honour the Custos, who thereupon issued his
warrant to apprehend her and her husband, William
Robertson. On examination they mentioned the
names of the murderers; they were apprehended on
the 17th, when Isaac Johnson confessed it unhesi-
tatingly. George Norman and Thompson Browns
also confessed it. Allick Brown and David Carmi-
chael persisted in denying it till the day before their
execution.

With this knowledge of the confession by three of
the murderers, it was matter of great astonishment
to every one that Mrs. Graham employed Coun-
sellor Dallas on behalf of the criminals, and made
the insidious attempt of proving, by perjured wit-
nesses, au alibi in favour of Thompson Brown and
David Carmichael.
She went to Kingston after the condemnation of
the criminals, but 1 have not learnt whether she
made any application to his Excellency the Gover-
nor for their pardon. It i 3 thought she did. I
send you the inquest on Graham. In the face of
evidence, then thought respectable, the Jury could
not bring in any other verdict than they did,—
Royal Gazette, Oct. 3.

A Correspondent informs us that 250 attor-
nies were admitted last Term.

It appears from the corn inspector's returns
that the sum of 52,1181. 6s. 10d. has been laid out in our
market in the purchase of grain in the month ending on
Saturday last.—Boston Gazette.
CHEAP TRAVELLING.-13y advertisements
in the first page, it will be seen that the proprietors of
one coach from hence to London—a distance of neatly 120
miles—offer to take passengers the whole dist..nce for
s
ten shillings ! or about a penny per mile. Another
coach advertises its fares at eight shillings thi is opposi-
doll with a vengeance. We believe that in consequence
of the low prices charged, many passengers have come from
Lincoln, Grantham, and other towns, to B uston, to go to
LOnd.9l4.—Bo,ston Gazette.