Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-06-26
f., ,bs Cape Fear Recorder Jane le.

master. hound to the island oil 81. Domin-
90 won't over the bar on the LIST inst. and
s.,,-red On the 9th. in consequence OF
ono Of the crew who had shipped by the
name of Elijah Libby, by birth an English
man, having struck the captain win Inc
char part of an axe, two blows on the
head, which it is supposed will cause his
death. The circumstances, as Tar as
were related by the witnesses that nave
been examined, are these-that from the
time the Delight went over the bar, to the
,orn;,g of the commission of the unfortu-
nate act. which was on Sunday, the 9th,
,t 9 o'clock. A. nj. the prisoner appeared
considerably troubled inshis mind"-that
he conceived, or pretended to conceive,
that there were persons conversing with
him. who were overheard that ne threw
part OF his clothes into the sea and SAID
that the persons eonversing with INN, hau
informed him that the vessel would be loSt
and that he, the prisoner, had no other
way of saving hi. life, than by taking
peice of wood and jumping into the sea
with it, which peice OF wood would turn
Into boat, and take him safe to shore-lie
accordingly got peice OF wood \ Jumped
overheard, upon which he got, and soon
cried on, for help, and requested that the
vessel should not leave him, las he could not
swim. All these acts were supposed TO
proceed from the effects of liquor. which
he mad drank previous to his leaving sport.
He states, that the person who instructed
Milo as to the destruction OF the vessel, al
50 informed him, after he got aboard, he
had NO other method of saving bis life, but
by takin. that of the captain's-which we
are afraid he has succeeded too we'll IN
doing.
One Of the witnesses was at the helm
the captain and prisoner were on the deck
the mate below. The man at the helm
heard the captain cry out on turning
round, he observed the captain IN the act
of falling, and the prisoner in the act OF
repeating the blow, and which he succeed
ed in giving before the witness could pre-
vent il, who Immediately after, with the
assistance of the cook, took the axe from
the prisoner and secured him. Upon the
mates coming on deck, he found that the
edge OF the axe had been struck with
great force into the captains head, IN two
places that he lay on the deck bleeding
mos proiussly and from hls dangerous
situation, he thought it best TO return I'M
mediately to this port, where he arrived
as above stated.
From circumstances that appeared on
the examination, it is TO De feared that
thu symptoms Of insanity. which marked
ths prisoners conduct previous to the I'M
fortunate transaction, was mere pretence,
anu that un Ter item he harbored mos:
diaboical intention. He has been handed
over to the CUSTODY OF the law ; It therefore
III becomes Us TO express any op mo" as 10
his guilt, which may have Iendenc5 10
create amin lropar indIence.
In his possession were found number
Of discharges from the British navy. as
Daniel James and Register OF all AmerI-
can vessel. Ihe last discharge was irsm
his B. VI ship Elur, Robert Spencer, cap
tain, dated the Goth of March, 1917. lie
register 5 for the schooner Catharine, u
bed Hussey, Of Halloweil, (Mass. owner
James Hussey, master, register, POO, tenn
porary, issued at the custom house oil bos-
ton an, CharIestown, and dated the "a oil
November, lGl6. The register is now in
the hands OF the collector OF this port,
who nas, with his accustomed promptness,
taken the necessary steps 10 ascertain Inc
facts connected with 1t.
We conclude by remarking that amer
Che prisoner had committed the act he ap-
pealeI perfectly rational; and onh's exam
inst,on. recollected every thing that had
,ranspired while he was ON BOARD the schoo'
ner, and tina; from threats that he had made
that &c mad designs against the lives OF all
tfle crew, with the exception OF the mate.
CAPT. Lark is at Fort Johnson, and from
the nature of his wound it is almost impos-
sible that he can recover.
We understand the prisoner is branded
in the hand he may, therefore, be an Old
offender.
Calcutta Feb Of