Litchfield enquirer., 1830-12-09

PinncyaEd Mwrder.-Great excitement was erehted in this city on Wednesday lasis by the intelligence that four sailors had been taken up and lodged tn the jail at Flatbusi, l.. i-' charged with the crime Of piracy and the murder of the captain and mate of the brig l Vineyard Of Boston, on her passage from | New Orleans tO Philadelphia. This atrO- cious act was committed SO recently as the 23d ult. The Vineyard left New Orleans on the 8th ult. with S5O,OOO in specie. The only persons on board it seems, were the captain, (ThOrnby) mate, (ROberts) and seven hands. viz. Charles Gibbs, Thomas Williams. (ihe steward) Robert Dawes, John BrOwnrigg, Henry AtweII, Church, Ca cOlOred man) and a white man called Jim. The first four are now in the jail at FIatbush. They came tO the house of Samuel Leonard of Gravesend. L.. !. on Tuesday last. In his examination before the Judges, MT. Leonard being duly sworn, testified. that on Tuesday four men came [" his house, and one of them engaged him t0 take them down to Brooklyn for three dollars -that after getting nearly ready to do so. one of them, who called his name John Brown rigg, said they should go no further,--that they were murderers, and had murdered the captain and mate. Brownrigg spoke these words tO a man who calls himself Charles Gibbs, and a cOlOred man who calls himself Thomas Williams. The other person of the four called himself Robert Dawes; and he ai- so said afterwards. that what Brownrigg had said, was true. Soon after this conversation. Gibbs asked drpOnent to step aside with him, and hurried him to carry them to Brooklyn. and offered them S1OO to do so.
 Browning, heinz sworn, testified that he is a native of Great Britain, and that he was lately sailor on board of the brig Vineyard, of BostOn-that the brig sailed from New n,l, OeN oHnr far Phladelphia-tl1at a culorrd man, the stew ard of the brig. (WEliams) informed him and others of the crew, that thero was mOHey on board for Stephen Girard of Philadelphia that on Tuesday night the 23d November, deponent was up in the rigging, attending to his duties, and while there, he heard some one cry, "Oh! oh! oh!"-that when he came down, Atwell said, We have taken charge" Deponent then asked where the Captain was, and AtweIl answered that he was Overboard-deponent further says that after this Gibbs acted as Captain, and Atwell as mate. Gibbs was the only man left on board the brig who was navigator. The steward washed up the blood on the quarter deck and on the cabin ladder. Gibbs and Atwell engaged in overhauling the papers and cargo. There were ten kegs of silver money, in Mexican dollars. They counted three of t!:e kegs. and found that each keg contained about S5,O4O. They continued to sail the brig until last Sunday, about 12 o'clock at night, when, in sight of light off Long IsI- and. they got into the boats. Gibbs, the Steward. Dawes, and depOnent, got into the long boat, and Atwcll, Church. and Jim, got into the jolly boat. Before leaving the brig she was scuttled, and also set on fire in the cabin. When the crew left the brig, each one had his share of the money on board the boat he was in. Deponent took share of the money to save his fife; as hs was afraid they would kill him if he did not Depo- nent heard a paper read while on board the brig. after the murder of the Captain and Mate. called an invoice. The amount of money mentioned in said invoices, was S5O,- 900. After leaving the brig, and about seven or eight o'clock on Monday morning last, de- pOnent saw the mast of the jolly boat go over her side-the sea was then very heavy, and drponcnt believes the jolly boat to have sunk After leaving the brig. they threw over con- siderable money for fear the boat would sink. The money was taken from the kegs and put into small boxes and bags before they left the brig. The principal part of what was brought ashore, and which deponent thinks would amount to 5000 or 5000. was buried in the sand near where they first landed. The man called Jim, who went in the jolly boat. and uePOneht, hau pr'Vateiy agreed tO discover the criminals as soon as they could get ashore and do it in safety, and deponant says that hs did give the information the first opportunity he had.
 Robert Dawes being sworn, stated that he shipped on board the brig Vineyard, Captain William ThOrnbse, bound for Philadelphia. The mates name was William Roberts. On the passage. one day in the latter part of No vember, as the hands were at work in the fore part of the vessel, the steward came for ward and said there was money on board.-l The crew began to talk among themselves, and concluded to kill the captain and mate and take charge of the vessel. The mems names were Charles Gibbs. A. Church, and the steward. They asked James Talbot and Jack tBrownrigg) if they would join, but they refused. when they concluded to kill them also. They determined, one night after that, l to commence the business, and witness was afraid to say any thing, as they threatened to l ed to kill them also. They got their deck | deck ready. but concluded to put it off, till l another night. because they did not wish to l kill Talbot and Jack, (Brownrigg.) On the 1 22d of November they got every thing ready 1 at night, but did nothing. On the q:,d, be- tween l2 and A. M. while Jack was aloft. | witness tolG the steward to come aft and trim | the light The steward came with knife in |