Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-12-09

I Horrible sftr0citr. 1t IS Win inc ueepest
| regret we submit the following painful state
ment, derived from evidence now IN our pos
session taken before the authorities al Sierra
Leone on the 22d ofJuly last. Towards the
end Of last year Mr.. John Martin, as brave a
seaman as ever stepped a deck, visited Ser
"a Leone, for the purpose Of purchasing an
oak built schoonerJ was seized during his So
journ with the fever of the tropics, and lay
for months in a critical state. At length he
recovered, completed his purchase, christen-
ed his vessel the maggie Lauder, and en-
barked for England on the first or second of
the month already named. The crew con-
sisted OF eight men, himself as Master and
owner; an English mate of the name o fAdam
Iurged, two Spaniards Poppy and Morrillo-
the latter second mate; and four free blacks
or negroes. Early or the morning of the
tenth day after leaving port, Thomas Cole
and George Thomas, another black sailor,
had charge Of the middle watch, and while
Cole was steering, Morillo came Up, took the
helm, and minated to both that they might
go below. They accordingly obeyed, and
retired to their hanlmocks, but had not been
absent above half an hour, when Moriilo
came TO the forecastle and called them up.
On ascending to the deck they were taken
to the cabin which had become the scene ola
most atr0cious murder, and there beheld, not
without horror, the mangled corpses of the
master and mate, both deep besmeared with
gore, the one piled above the other. The
poer men III the simplicity Of their hearts, in
quired Of Morillo and his ruf1iaa countrvman
'swhat they killed the mate and captain for?"
and received for answer, "'thcy were too sau.
cy." This expression is repeated verbatim
by three witnesses, and by a fourth, with this
slight variation. '-tfsey were too bad" Pre-
vious to this stage Of the bloody tragedy. a.
mother black sailor, Of the name Of SHAY,
while sleeping on deck, under the boat, along
with the cook was awakened by thu sound Of
the mates voice, e~xclaiininS in bis extremity,
''oh Lord! Oh Loru!n He Immediately ran
aft, and OF looking into the cabin. saw Mo-
rillo and Poppy with knives in their hands,
standing over the bodies of the captain and
mate, which were then extended lifeIess on
the floor.
In a brief space the sanguinary %rufIians
told the trembling Hacks what they had done;
repeatedly threatened them a similar fate III
tliay refused to obey their new masters, and
compelled them to assist in throwing the 10.
dies overheard. They then washed the cabin
floor, aud buried in the sea the captains
hooks. papers and clothes-in short. every
81 ~ tfioh SShAs 31ttkC fNIt ADtft " . 1Cdd W
tie detection of the crime they had commit
ted. They next altered the ships course, in
to steer for the Cape dc Vcrd Islands,
aud told the negroes that they would be bet
ter treated there than at Sierra Leone: or, If
they wished it, would obtain a passage home.
They also Instructed them 10 say, that the
had died after a long illness, and the
mate fran excessive drinking. But there is
u Power above all that sets all their villain
Gus plans at nought--that had seen them
glide like ghosts 10 the chamber Of their vic
and there ruthlessly stab them to the
heart While asleep, and unconscious Of the
approach Of danger.
On the following day Poppy went to the
mast head to look out for ships-Morillo TO
the cao;n, to ummag for the murdered
property-and during the interval thati
the crew concerted how they conll
best regain the slip-lhe resolution it as-
pears, was speedily taken, and when MORT
10 r~e-appcared on the cabin stairs, he was
struck and stunned by Thomas Cole; and
" hale IN that state, bound hand and foot The
next Step was to watch for Poppy, but he
seeing the fate Of his companions, leapcd in
to the open sea, and was drowned, without
an eye 10 pity, or a solitary arm extended to
save. The crew, hswcvcr, reduced in num-
bcr. again altered the vessels course, set sail
Tor SIERRA Leone, and arrived there on the
ED OF Jaly. Mcriilo, when examined, admit ]
ted his s!aire IN the bloody tragedy, was or
dcrtd lor tei.i. and IN ali probability has al
ready eXplatcd his crimes on the scaifold.
.Netaachoiy Oceuyrcncc.-It becomes our
painful duty to mention, that al u shooting
match, in Franklin township, on Saturday
last, MIR. DAVID BLUBAUoH was killed in
by the discharge of a rifle in the
OF Mr. JOSEPH TAYLOR, ir. A Coro-
ner's Inquest was held on the following day,
who have reported, we understand, an iatei,-
fioa TO kiU, on the part Of Mir. Taylor. He
has been arrested, and is now in the prison
OF this town. We lorbear making any re.
MARKS, for the present-as the matter is 10
undergo a general investigation.
The ball entered the side Of the deceased.
and lodged in the opposite shoulder. When
he received the wound, he placed his hand
upon his side, staggered forward a few PAGES,
fell upon his face, aud in three minutes was a
corpse.
a5-Since the above was in type, a number
oil circumstances have been detailed 10 us.
which render it most probable, that this me
lancholy occurrence was entirely the result
OF aecident-.4dasHs Sentinel.
.9,gW Wmning!-A man named George
.jacoLs. of Hampshire county, Va aged above
h0years, was found dead in the road. near
4 ~n a. ct. ~ ~.