The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-01-18 00:00:00

MANSLAUGHTER BY AN AMERICAN.

Towards midnight on Wednesday last, an affray Uri!
place between two seamen on board the American 5'14,
Guy Mannering, which resulted in one of them mortal 4
stabbing the other. The vessel had being lying in t 7,
river for three or four days, outward bound for New Yojei
and on the evening in question a portion of the crew PA'
been ashore. At half-past eleven o'clock they return;
in a boat belonging to some boatmen, and adjourned Lit
the forecastle, where a quarrel ensued between two of t;
sailors, named William Christie and Massiano da Costs,:
foreigner. Both men were armed with knives, and Da CoSt7
it is said, followed Christie on deck, and, unsheatb.iol
his weapon, chased him with the intention of stabblor
him. One of the boatmen interposed, and succeedeAr
obtaining possession of the knife which Da Costa hell"
his hand. Christie, seeing his opponent disarmed,fAi
attacked Da Costa in a furious manner, with his knife,%o
stabbed him savagely in the abdomen, the back, and
tion of the circumstance was promptly forwarded to t°
appearance.
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presentedrht
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Police-office, when police-officer Carlisle and some more
men went on board the Guy Mannering, and secured
Christie. On the officers making their appearance,
attempted to commit suicide by jumping into the I'll;
but he was prevented from committing this act by t'a
manlnhf oo
rrd 17,111
promptitude of the officers, who quickly tied a rope rouge
his waist, and conveyed him ashore in a small boat.
body of Da Costa remained on board the Guy Mannerinv
until Thursday, when it was removed to the dead-house.t
The inquest commenced on Thursday afternoon, a -
half-past two o'clock, before P. F. Curry, Esq.. t"j
borough coroner. I. L. Crittenden, Esq., the Unite
States consul at this port, was present.
The other particulars are contained in the evidence °i'
William Harris, which is corroborated by that of 11enr'd
Thompson, seaman, George H. Baker, seaman, lirov
Eves, mate of the Guy Mannering, William Allan, a seas
man, John Hughes, John Da Costa, brother of the or
ceased, and others.
-•

William Hairisworn.—l remember the evening of theF
murder, and the deceased coming on board. I was lendii
a hand to get his things on board. Prisoner was on bo
about half an hour before. Deceased was not much ri
worse for liquor. After the things were got on boar6'ls
saw the prisoner in the forecastle. Prisoner said, " That t.
my chest with the single lashing round it. Any one tke.
wants anything out of it may take it, and I'll make it 11
before I get to New York." Ryley, one of the shiPPllne
masters' runners, came into the forecastle, and said ther;
were four Spaniards coming on board. After that be"
been said, prisoner called out, " Come and join with 03e,
and we'll run the d•—d sons of bitches out of the OLP'
They've no business on board here." Everything "'
still for about a quarter of an hour after that. Peisoner.
then went' to the starboard side of the forecastle, and
went over after him, and saw prisoner and deceased take
hold of each other. They were talking about sleeping, together. Da Costa said, ' You a very good man, o°,
me a very good man too, and I have plenty of money i"
buy drink for us both to-morrow." Deceased then took
out two purses with money and knocked them together'
Deceased said, " I'm no blackballer ; but I've money!'
and I intend to protect myself." Prisoner seemed
td
think deceased was hinting at him, and said, " You d-1(
son of a b—h, I'll pull your big black whiskers out of P.
,
before we get to New York.." Deceased then put hr
band to his breast, as if he was feeling for a knife. ri.';
soner then pulled a knife out of his sheath which was a"
his side, and raising his arm said, " You d—d son of is
b—li, come on, then," and rushed out of the forecastle'
Deceased drew a knife and followed him. Two or WI
men got hold of this man (meaning the prisoner), an
they all fell over some tackling on the deck. Decease:
followed them and they were kicking up a row at th,l
captain's door. One of the boatmen came on board, an
getting hold of &ceased's wrist very tight, made hill
drop drop the knife, which he (the boatman) put into his
pocket. Deceased got hold of the mate, and gave his° t
shove. The knives were then put away, and all was qwe
for about seven minutes. Prisoner then was on the
lar-
board rail, and deceased near the after skylight. T saw the.
prisoner make a dart at the deceased, having a knife in 1110.
right hand. He made a stab at the deceased somewhere
about the left shoulder. Prisoner then took his knife
again and jobbed into his body. He drew the knife on
and threw it overboard. Deceased staggered for a littler
and then dropped. said, "The man is not dead—brim
him a smelling. bottle." The mate came and rendered a,
the assistance he could, hut Da Costa died in about thrnev
quarters of an hour. Prisoner, after the murder, well
forward, and turned his " sou-wester" inside out, as
he didn't want anybody to know him.
George Henry Baker, seaman, sworn.—l was on boars
T,
the Guy Mannering on tee night of the occurrence.
a,
only difference in his version was that, in the convereag,
tion about " blackballers, the deceased said to wile!'
" There are plenty blackballers on board this ship," for
prisoner replied, " D—n your eyes, do you mean that
me ?" and hence the quarrel arose between them. , of
The jury, after a short consultation, found a veralc"
" manslaughter."

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-The olg'