The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-01-20 00:00:00

as observed examin-

lly working

..nknife on i piece of a tail of a devil-fish with
1 ..,......... aad fashioned a ring for his cravat. He had also
got love-devices wrought on his arm by one of the crew, and
had been inquiring respecting the rate of his chronometer.
- cret conference with Crom-

ie had been likewise seen in
cell and Small. He had given tr
rid he had also given tobacco to the appren
efiance of the orders of the Navy Department
wn repeated orders. He bad also caused tl

to sever

of the crew,

!s, in direct

nd of my

ward to steal brandy from the storeroom, and had himself
,ot drunk when be could escape observation. He was also
in the habit of amusing the crew by making music with his
jaw. On some occasions Spencer loaded the commander of
the Somers with blasphemous vituperation. He on one oc-
casion drew the picture of a brig with n black title, and asked
some of the crew what they thought of that, telling them at
the same time that the brig could be easily captured. He
also inspected the band of midshipman Rogers, told his for-
tune, and predicted his early and violent death. These cir-
cumstances led me to regard the information 1 received from
Lieutenant Gansevoort in a much more serious light, and
recalled to my mind all I have known of the past career of
Mr. Spencer. When he reported himself to me in New
York, I at once gave him my hand and a courteous welcome
on board the Somers. I beard afterwards that he had been
dismissed from the Brazil squadron on account of drunken-
ness and other improper Conduct, and this made me very
desirous that he should be dismissed from the brig, on ac-
count of the young men who were to sail with me, two of
whom were connected with myself by blood, two of them
by alliance, and all four placed under my immediate care.
The circumstance of *his being the son of an officer high in
the government enhanced his baseness in my estimation,
and made me more de,irotts to get rid of him. Having
beard that he would be willing to join the Grampus,
I desired Lieutenant Gansevoort to state to Mr. Spencer
that, if he would apply to Commodore Perry to detach
him from the Somers, I would second his application.
The application was accordingly made and I seconded it,
earnestly urging that it might be granted in order to secure
the comfort of the young officers. Commodore Perry, how-
ever, declined to detach Midshipman Spencer. I observed
that Spencer was in the habit of associating little with the
other officers, but that he was continually intimate with the
crew. He was often in the habit of joking with them, and
smiling whenever he met them with a smile never known but
on such occasions ; and I had frequently observed in him a
strange flashing of the eye. In the evening 1 gave orders to
Mr. Perry, my clerk, to have all the officers to come aft upon
the quarter-deck. When they were brought up I approached
Spencer and addressed him thus :—" I understand, Sir, that
you aspire to the command of the Somers." With a defe-
rential air he replied, " Oh, no, Sir !" " Did you not," said
I, " tell Mr. Wales that you had a mutinous project on foot
—that you intended to kill the commander and the officers of
the Somers, and such of the crew as you could not seduce
to your plans, and to enter upon a course of piracy ?" " I
may have told him something like it," he replied, "but it
was only in joke." " You admit, then, that you told him of
such a plan ?" "Yes, Sir." " This, Sir," I continued,
" you must know is joking upon a forbidden subject. This
joke, Sir, may cost you your life. Be pleased, Sir, to re-
move your neckerchief." He did so. I took it and opened
it, but there was nothing in it. I asked him what he had
done with the paper that was in it ? " The paper," he
said, " which had been in it contained my da, and
I destroyed it." "It is_a strange place. '

s work
' said 1, '

keep Iyoiar accounts." He acquiesced with .an air Of the
greatest deference and blandness. I said to him, " Your
design was to make yourself commander of this vessel. You
must have been aware that you could compass it only by
and over the dead bodies of all
You had laid out for yourself,

passing over t
the officers of

Ch... . It is my duty to confine you."
Turning to Lieutenant Gansevoort, I said, " Arrest Mr,
Spencer, and place him in double irons." Lieutenant Ganse-
voort stepped forward, and received from Mr. Spencer his
sword. Mr. Spencer was then ordered to sit down; he did so.
Double irons were then put upon him, as were also handcuffs,
for the sake of greater security. I directed Lieutenant Ganse-
voort to place a watch over Mr. Spencer, and to give orders to
put him to instant death if he was detected in speaking or hold-
-.

1y dead body,
the Some/
!al to do

Sir, a g

ny communication wit'',

ny of the cr

pencer

they proved to contain the plan for the proposed mutiny.
There was a list of the different members of the crew, some of
whom were marked certain and others doubtful • some were
marked to be kept at all events, and others to be destroyed.

Those were designated who were
the various departments; others

to do the work of murder in

and the stations of all were assigned. The following day
was Sunday, and after supper I determined to arrest Crom-
well. I asked him about the conversation he had had with
Spencer. He denied that it was he, and said, "It was not
me, sir; it was Small." (Cromwell was the tallest man on
board the vessel, and Small the shortest.) Cromwell was
immediately put in irons. Small being thus accused by an
associate, was also ironed. The next morning, the 28th of
November, I addressed the crew. The effect of my address
on them was various. Many of them seemed delighted at
their narrow delivery, and others seemed struck with horror
at the thought of the terrible danger they had escaped.
Some seemed overwhelmed with terror at the anticipation of
punishment that awaited them ; others were overcome by
thoughts of returning home, and wept profusely at the men-
tion of the friends they hoped so soon to set

The day after

Spencer's tobacco was stopped his spirits gave way. He
would sit for a long time with his face buried in his cloak,
and when he raised his head his face was bathed in tears.
He was touched by the kind attention of Mr. Gansevoort.
He told him that he was not then in a state to speak of any-
thing, but that he would the next day tell him all—would
answer any question that might be put to him. On Tuesday
there was reason to fear, that on that very night a rescue
would be attempted. I considered the imminent peril which
hung over the lives of the officers and crew. I thought of
the seas traversed in every direction by merchantmen, un-
armed and defenceless. I thought of what was due to the
interests of commerce, to the safety of the lives of thousands
upon the deep, to the sanctity of the American flag intrusted
to my care, and to my own honour. I took counsel with the
first lieutenant and all my officers. On the Ist of December
the first lieutenant presented me with a letter, in which the
officers said, " We are convinced, that in the existing state
of things it will be impossible to carry the prisoners to the
United States: We think that safety for our lives and
honour to the flag entrusted to our charge requires that
the prisoners be put to death, as the course best cal-
culated to make a salutary impression upon the rest of
the crew." In the necessity of my position I found
my law. I judged of the characters whom I could trust,
and determined to arm them. I ordered preparations
also to be made for the execution of the three. All
hands were called to witness the punishment. The whips
were arranged, the officers were stationed about the deck:
and the petty officers were directed to cut down every one
who should let go his whip or fail to haul when ordered. I
put on my full uniform. came on deck, and proceeded to ex-
ecute the most painful duty that ever devolved upon any
officer in the American navy—the announcement to the
•. .
soners of

pr,
Spencer and said to him—
Mr. Spencer, without provoca,._
slightest offence. You intended to kill n.
• while I was buried in sleep, without

.-Lion, v bout cause or the
.ended tr I suddenly, in the
-ried in sleep giving me a sin-
gle moment to send one word or anection to my wife, one
prayer to God for her welfare. Your life is now forfeited,
and the necessity of the case compels me to take it. Ido
not intend, however, to imitate you in the mode of claiming
the sacrifice. If there be in your breast one feeling true to
nature, you will be grateful for the premature disclosure of
your horrible designs. You surely ought to be thankful that
you have been prevented from the terrible deeds you medi-
tated. If you have any word to send to your father, any
satisfaction to express to him- that youwere not allowed to
become a pirate, as you ought to do, you will have ten mi-
nutes granted in which to write it. Spencer seemed over-
come with emotion. He burst into a flood of tears, sank on
his knees, and said he was not fit to die. I repeated to him
the catechism, and begged him to offer sincere prayers for
the Divineforgivepess. I recommended to him the English
Prayerbook, assuring him that he would find in it something
suited to all his necessities. Cromwell fell upon his knees,
protesting his innocence, and invoking the name of his wife.
Spencer declared that Cromwell was innocent, and begged
that this might be believed. This, I confess, staggered me;
but the evidence of his guilt was conclusive. 1 told Spen-
cer, Cromwell had said of him and another person, that
there was a " fool on one side, and a knave or,
the other," and told him that Cromwell would have allowed
him live only so long as he could have made him useful to
himself. This roused him, and from that time he said no
more of Cromwell's innocence. Subsequently circum-
stances induced me to believe that Spencer wished
to save him, probably from the hope that he would yet
get possession of the vessel, carry out his original design, and
effect his rescue. He wished, at the same time, to persuade me
that Small was only an alias for some one else on his list—
though this was proved to be false. Small alone was the one
we bad set down as the poltroon of the three; yet he re-
ceived the announcement of his fate with
He was asked what preparations he Risl.
said he had none : " Nobody cares for mt
poor old mother, and I would r.“-

great composure

what has become of me," I returned to Spencer. tie said
he "feared this would injure his father." Had you suc-
ceeded," I replied. "

Lue injury you would have done him
have been much greater." If it had been possibl-
take him home, as I at first intended, I told

would have it

at clear, as in America
ends would always be c]

jan with money and

a would injure his father

course

an
He said that

:t again

home and be

Ad attempted the same thing on board the John Adams and
the Potomac, but bad been unsuccessful. Be asked if I had
not exaggerated the danger?
_I said "No ; that his at-

attempts to corrupt the crew had been too widely successful;
:hat I knew of the existence of the conspiracy, but did not
• -- " Spencer asked for a Bible and
id, " I'm a

Low how_eAtensiv

Prayerbook ; they cv(
)ehever,_ but do you

yen to him. li

my repentance will be ac-

epted ?" I called
old him that God',

neeled down and

he added

and asked if I had Anne

laid, he thought

!cl ine." Sr

r asked to See M;

" Wales, I hor

our manner
. Wales. I

11 about it.'