The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-23 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

CHARGE OF MURDER ON BOARD AN AFRICAN

TRADER.

Last night, at 7 o'clock, Captain Fain, of the barque King-
ston, Afticau trader, was brought up he Police-otlice, fOr the
purpose of being examined hetOre Mr. Hall, nu a cn.rge of 9-
tog ordered his steward, a man of colour, to be beaten to death
on hoard his ship, whilst lying off New Calabar, on the Coast
of Africa.

. Mr. Curry, appeared on behalf of the prisoner.
John :she, a man of colour, deposed that he shipped as cook
on board the harque Kingston, in Liverpool, in February la't.
They weut a voyage to the coast of Guinea. There were about
or 21 men on board, and a black steward named Lewis Ilan-
ford. They arrived at New Calabar on the lith of April. They
were lying at their mooring's at Calabar river, about 10 miles
front shore. Hansford was pumping some ruin one Saturday,
on the 20th of May. Hansford was called on for some leaden
tacks by one of :he coopers. The steward said he was
busy at
that moment, he could not get the tacks, but he would get them
as soon as he had leisure. In the meanwhile the steward went
to get the tacks. He (witness) was standing at the gallery
trimming his lamps for him, and did not see any more of the
steward till he saw him fetched on board by the Kroomen.
Capt. Kain called out for the Kroobovs; they were coming
from shore in a canoe. It teas not two miuutes before the
Kruomen were on board. Two boys who were from the cowl-
ran out of the cabin hallooing for the Krouboys, as
well as the captain. The captain hallooed for them "to
come and drag this black son of a out of the cabin."
When he called out, the boys were just coining alongside the
ship, and they jumped on board immediately. They rushed
into the cabin and fetched the steward out. He (witness)
saw them bring the steward on the deck to the starboard
side. The captaie bad the cat in his hand at the time. He
took the butt end of it and struck him on the head and knocked
him speechless on the deck. The captain then ordered the
Kroo boys to lay on him and kill him. He said," Damn him kill
him," and he saw the captain kick him on the side, the side of
the head and face, and the steward was crying out for mercy.
There were four kroomen laying on him and from 12 to 18
negroes that came out of a conoe alongside. The captain
ordered the chief mate to cut up a lead-line for the Kroo men to
beat him and kill him. The mate cut up a lead-line into pieces
about two feet long, and the Kroomen took them up and floy-
ged the steward with them. He saw several of the men from
the canoe on shore beating him with stickS. They were beat-
ing hial in this way ftir three quarters of an hour. The Stew-
ard called out "Oh Lord, I'm a dead man." The captain
came forward to !ism and said "cook," be replied " sir." He
said, " I'll shoot you you black son of a bitch you knoW
something about this." He (witness) said—" 1 know nothing
about it Captain Kain." The captain kept walking round and
kicking him and saying " kill him, kill him, a black son of a
bitch; strike me in my cabin." The man never rose from the
deck afterwards, but died under the operation of flogging. He
was carried ashore next morning at day-light and buried. They
flogged him on his shirt. The captain ordered the Krooboys
to take his shirt off him. Ile said " never mind, tear it or cut
it off—Kill him." There were two merchant's ships lying along-
side ; the " Heyworth" and the brig, " Anne." l'here was a
Mau-of-war lying inside the bar. There were no other cap-
tains of ships on board at the time the steward was flogged.
The man was in perfect hualth at the time, and a young active
man.

Examined by Mr. Curry, the Coroner. He observed a wound
and blood at the back of the captain's head. 'rhe cause of it he
said was that the steward bad knocked him down in the
cabin. He, (the witness) had been flogged on board the
vessel by the captain and Krooliovs. This was on the second of
May last. He was flogged for hike reports in the ship about
him. It was said he was going to run away ; but he was going
to do no such thing. Ile had no where to go but amongst the
savages. He and the rest of the crew had not come to tell this
stoi y against the captain through spite, but because it was their
duty; they had been flogged and put in chains, and struck with
cutlasses. Two other men were flogged, named Joseph Gill-
roy and John Lindsay. He could safely swear that there were
from twelve to eighteen persons, men and buys, beating the
steward at once. Ile had been examined by Mr. John Dawson
and by Mr. Hemingway, in the river; he saw they were writing
as he spoke, and the paper produced was read over to him after-
fards. Captain Dawson read it over to him. The account
which he then gave of the transaction, and which was written,
was nut the same as he now gave. The reason that be then
gave a different account, was because he was in danger of his
life. Captain Kahl had not threatened him at all if he did not
sign the paper Captain Bain was present, walking backward
and forward in his cabin as his deposition was being taken, but
did not interfere in any way, though be could hear every thing
that was said.

Edward Jones deposed that he shipped on board the barque
Kingston, in February last, to go to the coast of Africa, as
cooper; Captain Kain was the captain. The crew and officers
were twent v-one in number. They sailed from Liverpool on
the 2nd of March, and arrived in New Calabar on the 17th of
April. They had a black steward on board. On the 20th of
May, they were lying in the river off New Calabar, when at
the commencement of the afternoon the steward passed him
with water, and took the dipperout of the water cask, and began
pumping water into the water cask. Ile then took the pump
when he had got enough of water, and put it into the rum cask.
He then came to witness to ask him if he had any tacks. He
did not see anything more till he heard a scuffle in the cabin.
The captain then came out of the cabin and said the black
rascal had seized hold of him and knocked him down; he walked
about as if in a great passion, and on looking round he saw
three or four black men dragging the steward out of the cabin
door As soon as the steward was pulled on deck, the captain
knocked him down with the handle of the cat, which he held in
his hand. The captain called for the carpenter, Jacob With,
to put the steward in irons, but he was forward, and did not
cause immediately. The carpenter not coming. the captain
gave the cat he had in his hand to Walker, and got others out
of the cabin, which he gave to other two kroo boys, and the
three commenced flogging the steward immediately. After
they had flogged some time the captain called for the deep sea
lead lines, as thick as a finger, and the mate, Carr, by the cap-
tain's orders, cut three pieces off, which he gave to three black
Men, natives of Calabar. They had nine of these natives living
on board, and ten kroo boys. Then others of the black men
began beating the steward without the captain's orders,
with the after hatch teeacle fall. The captain said, " hit'him
about the head, kill him out," and he kicked him. There were
either six or seven on him at a time, including boys, 15 or 16
years of age. He was present during the whole of the flogging.
He had only a shirt, and a pair of trowsers on. The captain
,ordered them to pull his shirt off, and they pulled it off, and
continued flogging on. They flogged three quarters of an hour
good. The men were in a complete perspiration with flogging
hitn, and their arms ached. The steward died under their
flogging. Black man's flesh does not break like a white man's,
it was not broken, but his flesh was blown up like blood and
jelly; he was puffed and swelled all round. He was cut about
the head arid face, as if his eyes were knocked in. As soon as
it was over, one of the men said, " give him to Juju, throw him
overboard,"' but the captain ordered them not. There was no
man of war's man lying near.
Cross-examined by Mr. Curry.—He gave his depositions on
board ship, at Calabar, before twogentletnen, and declared what
he then sated to be true, but he durst nut tell the whole truth,
he was afraid.
By Mr. HALL.—They knocked him up in the night from 10
to 12 o'clock to examine him in the cabin. The captain was
present in the cabin the whole time. Ile durst not tell the
truth, because he was afraid of his life coming home in the ship.
The steward had been sick for a few days, but had got well
again, and gone to his duty.
William Dodd deposed, that he shipped as cooper on board
the barque Kingston, in Liverpool, commanded by the prisoner,
Captain Kain. On Saturday the 20th of May, he saw the
coloured steward dragged out of the cabin by three Krootnen,
Walker, Grey, and Bottle-o'-beer. When be was brought out
of the cabin, the captain stood at the door with the cat with
eight tails, and as soon as he came out the captain struck the
steward with the stump of the cat, and he never rose again.
Ile lay there for a few minutes, and the captain fetched him
several lashes, and said, " you black 1., to try to throw me
down in my cabin, and to catch me by the privates; I'll have
your life this night." He called the three Kroomen, and or-
dered them to go on and flog. The witness then detailed the
sante scene of cruelty as the former witnesses. The: steward
crawled once out of the way under the gunwale, and the cap-
tain kicked him out. There was a Krooboy in the cabin named
Warrahow, who, whenever the steward turned on his face, cut
hint in the eyes. The steward cried out, "Oh Lord, save my
eves." The captain kept crying out "go on, flog him ; I'll
h.ave his life this night." rhere was a native named II ombo,
.who flogged the steward also. There where seven flogging him
at once. Ile saw when he turned round to take his last gasp,
he stretched himself out. He was dreadfully swollen after he
was dead. His head and neck were swollen all of one thickness.
The Heyworth, the Snowden, and the Anne traders were lying
beside them. On his return to England be did not give any
information; he attended the discharge of the ship and never
saw, the captain. On Friday afternoon he saw the captain
going on board another vessel, and he called 'a policeman and
ordered hint to take the captain into custody for murder.
Cross-examined by Mr. Curry.—He saw the captain's head
was wounded when tie came out of the cabin ; it was bleeding
a little. He was examined on board ship by Captains Holmes,
Hemingway, and Dawson. What he said was taken down, but
he durst not tell the the truth then for fear of his life. He was
afraid of speaking the truth, because the captain was a bad
man, and would in a moment have murdered him as he had done
the steward, if he had spoken the truth. He was examined on
board between twelve and one o'clock at night. He was nut in-
duced by any spite to give•evidenee against the •ea'pLaitr4 only
fur justice and for the sake of that man's life. He never said
in Mr. Horsfall's office that he would transport himself to hang
him, What he said was, that "he would sacrifice all his
wanes to have the law of justice go over his head,"

Wm. Gove deposed that he shipped on board the Kingston
at Liverpool, as boatswain, and sailed on the 2d of March last.
They had a black steward on board, named Lewis Ilansford.
He recollected the 20th of May, and seeing the steward beaten.
The witness then proceeded to give the same detail of revolting
cruelty as the last witnesses. He repeatedly cried out for mercy.
His body when dead, was all cut up with cats and lead-lines
wherever they could get a stroke at him. When the carpenter
calicouestoapnu,t, ounse, thtehieronnias,nthweascadpetaadi.n
Thehav captaining ordered some called him, he said
it
water to be thrown over the man ; and when he heard he was
dead he ordered a boat to be sent to the two other ships for the
captains and a doctor, and they came. None of the white crew
assisted to flog the man.
Cross-examined.—He was examined by Captains Dawson
and Hemingway, and his depositions were read over to him.
Ile said then, what was written was right, and he could say no
morea bout it ; he did not say it was true. He durst not do other-
wise than say what he then said, because every Word the cap-
tain used was, " I will blow your brains out with a pistol," or
" Pll run von through with a cutlass," and he durst not speak
the truth till he got to England, where he knew there would be
somebody to take his part; there was no one there. The cap-
tains did not threaten him at the time of his examination.
Jacob With, a Prussian, shipped in Liverpool, in Feb. last,
on hoard the barque Kingston, as carpenter. He corroborated
the former witnesses. Ile heard the steward cry out whilst be-
ing flogged, " Captain, forgive me this time;" but the Captain
said " No, flog him," and kicked him in the side. Capt. Kain
ordered hiM to get irons and put on him, but his arms were stiff,
and he told the Captain he was dead, and the Captain said,
" Never mind the irons for his feet," and sent for some gentle-
men to come on board, one of them a doctor, who looked at the
man, and said he was dead. He made the coffin for the man.
His body was cut and swollen, and so was his face. His eyes
were swollen up, and his face cut.

Mr. Hall at this juncture said, he thought it was unnecessary
to have any more witnesses who were merely corroborative.
There was some evidence on behalf of the prisoner, which he
would take this day at half-past two o'clock. The case was then
adjourned at ten o'clock, and the several witnesses were bound
over in £lOO each, to appear at the Central Criminal Court, and
give evidence against the prisoner.

PICTURES ON VlEW.—There is a small collection of very
fine pictures by the old masters, now exhibiting qt Jack's
Coffee-house, Clayton-square. Any respectable person May
inspect them free of expense, and we assure our readers who
admire this divine art, that they will find some exquisite pro-
ductions amongst the number. nee picture, by Carlo Ma-
retta, particularly struck us as being a charming production.
The subject is the Holy Family.