The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1819-01-08
FROM TIE BOSTON, ;i,ss. oEsTiEEl, OF
DEcEMER 81.

| 3 DECEMER 81. 80
CASE OF PIRACY AND MURDER
The trial of John Villains, John Pete
Hog, Francis Frederk, Niles Peterson
Fogeigneen and Nathniel White Glass,
mutineers on board te schr. Plattsbure,
| lately under the command OF VIM. Han
ket' and then bel6ngig' TO Isaac McKim,
| esq. OF Baltimore, commenced on Monday
last az the Circuit (ourt of the Uniteds
States, for this tiistrit, before the homo
rable judge Story an Judge Davis, antll
closed yesterday at O'Clock PM The
prosecution wasconlictedby Geo. Blake
esq, attorney fortbe n. 8. in theirjbehalf,
and by Sam. l.. Knapp and Stephen Hoop
or, esqrs nebehalf of tho prisomcrss Ste,
phep b. Onion, and Edward !Sammerson,
part oftheicrew osthe Plattsburg. were.
admitted evidences in behalf. OF the! GO
vernment rs g.. .....5.
There was very little variation in the,
Testimony either Of Onion. or Of Sammer-
son, each knew:that the .Plassburg sailed
from Baltimore ora voyage to Smyrna,
with cargo Of coffee and $4,000 dollaps,
IN specie; that at the moment of sailing,
there hae been a dispute between the
master and John Williams, one of the de-
PENDANTS, which howcverw was soon q,iieted
| they pursued their voyage uatil'the God
July When being off the Island of Madeira,
an attenlptwas made, in which Williams
was the chief agent, to poison the master,
| mate and supercargo, but owing to some
4 derai'gemeTt in the plan, il failed. A day
or two after, they made the Western ISL
ands, and then it was proposed to seize on
| the officers as they were taking an obscr-
walton OF the sun, and embark them into
the boat that they. might land on one of
the lslands-for this purpose, Williams
carried cord in his bosom 10 bind the
| captain, but the hearts of his associates
failing shern, he desisted from the pio-
ject. -
! On the 9Th day Of July, at mldniglN,
beng then about 100 miles. from land,
| blowing very strong, a cry was made from
| the foreeastle by Rog or Williams, that
there was sail under the bow, UPON
winch the mate and second mate ran for
ward, whc the mate was knocked down
by one ofthe mutiTeers; about the;same
time the second mate received blow
which Le supposed at first might be eaus-
ed by the Tapping of the jib lbu. he was
directly after. seized by Williams, who
exclaimed tthere is enc Of Che damned
rasca'sp; thecaptain making lis appear
ance at this instant, Williams left his hold
on Onion and attacked him Onion di-
rectly made for the cabin, whence he
heardsthe crew call upon the supercargo
III an angry tone, 10 repair Immediately
Il 20
| sammersqn, who was stated to have
been tilfthis time below IN his birth, was
ordered on deck, saw the supercargo, MIR.
Baynard, Ieyins On his back a corpse =
IN few moments, Williams, Rog and
Peterson, came down into the. cabin in
search of Onion: Immediately consul
tatlen was held whether his lite should be
spared; twas finally determined that it
should be spared, provided he shoalG take.
an oath of fidelity, and hewas thus admit.
ted member og this hefarious fraternity. )
Strornner one Of the crew, was then an.
pointed master-Wi liiains; mate-and
Onion was continued as before. On the
succeeding morning, the specie was
brought on deck and divided by hats and
tin pots, about $4,000 to a share, of which,
Onion was directed, and did consent to
receive his proportion. A, second CON.
sultation was hels and it was decided,
that they should shape their course for
Norway Onion was employed to alter
the invoices and letters consiening the
cargo to Mr.. Myers o, Hamburg viii
liams altered the log book TO Correspond.
Shortly after their arrival at NORWAY.
Onion, Williams, Rog, and Sammerson,
left the schr. after dividing the clothes of
the murdeted men, and took passage for
Copenhagen, where they purchased mer-
chsndize with intent to appear as traders,
but suspicious circumstances unfolding
themselves, directions were given for their
apprehension, which vas accordingly
done; part OF the specie and coffee with
the vessel has been recovered.
The prisoners on trial, with other of
the crew, arrived within this district, in
Nov: last, III the Hornet, dispatched Ivy
the President for this purpose The cir
cult court being;theDin session, the grand
jury were called in, and they preferred
FIVE bills against these defendants for the
murder of Ws. Hacket, the master, OF
Frederick Englehcart Yeizer, mate, and
Thomas Baynard, snpereargo; fourth
for piracy, and a. fifth for revolt. The
prisoners wereeried OH the indictment for
murder of Thomas Bayparel. @
Ihe defence qset UP by their counsel
Il .Ex.~l