Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-01-11

John SMITH

1A'ee SeVe'0t indictments far Piracy, mn.
der tie Act Of Congress IF 1919, were pre-
ferret against tie defendant. Join .Suith,
and u tn1'Hed by die Grand Jurg.
Tie FrSt indictment charges that the de
te'ldant on the high seas, sailing an GER
tam reSsei called tie Columbia or Arra
gonta, wiM force and arms did piraticalIy
and JeloniouSiy b,eak and enter certain
schooner name uns"0wn, property Of sn6
7eetS of the King Of France, thot the said
defen6ant did make qh assault upon tie ma {.
,1nerS Of The said schooner, PIT them an Jodi
~ fear, Gnd did UiOientiy, feiomomsiy, and
piFafic"ity steal, tahs. and carry array one
rom inch hdWSer uGiae tWeufy dollars and
ons deck duHing Of tie vains of fire dollars,
Of tile goods and cAattets Of persons ua
lnovn.
Tile second indictment is the same as the
FIRST but the piracy charged is tile taking Of
Tie brig antelope or General Ramirez and
the apparel and tackle. ofthe vaiue of So, 600.
alleged 10 6c the property 1T certain sab
JecfS cf'the King Of Spain, to the jurors um
hno,cn
Ihe third indictment. Tile piracy chayg
ed as the taking of'the ship or upSseI, name
m"hGoc". being the property of subjects of
He hmg V Portugal tothe Jurors nnkno,cn.
and her apparel Of tie vaiue Of S 600.
II appeared, an cpidence, ihat tie defan
da"t acied as first officer ofthe Patriot arm
ed reSSef the Columbia or ArragOafa Don
Simeon MefcaT commnndcr, smiling nde,.
the tug IF tie ArHgan government. That
he INT an ms possession commission under
the hand md seal Of jose Artigas. Gouern
or NJ tie Oriental RtpuJic. as a cdptai, an
the HaUaf service of the said government
TINT Mere WdS q commission Sgned bV Ar
tgGs on board the Arag0nia That aftey.
the detention IF the French schooner. tie IA,
rag0nta was carried into Sierra Leone IN the
British squadron and there discharred
INT otter the capture IF he Antei0pe. the
Columbia UdS WTeeked on the Coasi of Bra
ri, and her commission and pdpcrS lost. II
further appeared. ~ evidence. Mat az was
the practice 0f ArhgdS To furnish his com
mdnderS lCiM copies Of commissions and ee
neral instructions to g0UerH tier conduct ;
nat these cpies uere generally fa,mshed tO
Prise masters endDrSed 6y tie cOmnan,ier.
SHcha copy U7s JoW'fia the possession of the
dcfenddu accompanied bV The usual iaSttUc
tioHs of fhe ArGgaH gOUernmem Tut tie
french Sch0OnfT which rus detained 0ne
! Wght, wdS 60Mm to a port Of an encpy OF
me government " drtigas, haUiHg one 6oard
| mn'Hions Of ,car; Ma np0a The detention Of
fhe sqm schooner, tie defendant. Smith
made (or~af protest against tie act Of tie
co0nmoHdant. MetcaD
Ire evidence 0tSO dSctrfaiHed that the he
| ffmaH, 0hcagS acted uiihin the limits am
authority Ofthe personal commission, and til,
| cOPg n The commission If tie Arragonta
whih @ere fog'id IN his possession Uhen Il,
~as ak1 II also appeared, that .Smitj
waS barn ~ the UWtsd Sfatcs bit hqd becr
| for three orJou 2 mrs paSt az office, ~ III
patriof serCice appointed tn different res
set sailing under the .fag Of ArHgas
Tie dHteiopc. under the command If M
! ddeadaDt. ,c0s ofierWards tokea off the Fi0
risa corst By Me United States cuftsr mt
las, and brought into tie pert Of Seraa
nah