The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-06-15
CAPITAL. CoNvIcr1nNs

board the brig Orbit, came on week before last
at the U. S. Court. Gaudet was tried on Tues
day and Wednesday, Collinett on Friday, and
both convicted The following is the state
ment of the principal witness in the case as
published in the Courier:
"The man supposed te have been murdered
was M. Woodbury., master and part owner of
the brig Orbit of New York. The vessel sail
ed from that port in the summer of 1928, bound
ultimately for the coast Of Africa. The last
regular advices left her at Bahia, in Brazil at
which port the witness first shipped. She sail
ed thence ON or about the 18th of January, 1880,
and arrived ON tile African coast after a voyage
OF about forty days. Here SOME months seem
TO have been pissed i'll trading at various points
along the coast, and considerable quantity of
ivory, palm oil, and other articles taken on
board including some hundred Spanish dollars,
and five bottles of gold dust. At Cape Coast,
Capt Woodbury. discharged his chief mate and
one man at Whyda the second mate and two
others being the whole of his original crow
with the exception of William Strike and
Bowen the other witness. The Orbit commence
ed her return voyage towards The last Of July,
ana the affair in question took place on the
night OF the 18th of August. About week
previous to this, Bowen says that he heard it
hrst spoken of by Collinott, who used certain
expressions on one occasion, concerning the
policy of numbering Woodbury. and taking the
vessel and the cargo Afterwards he heard
Gaudet express himself to the same effect, say.
ing among other things that he thought the
proposal good one he himself had wife and
child TO take care of; and share of this
money would enable him to live like gen.
tleman." On the night of the 18th, which was
very dark, the Captains watch consisted of one
OF the Italians called Joe, Strike, and Colinet.
The other watch was Bowen himself, the Ital-
IAN, and Portuguese. The Office of the latter
seems to have commenced at ~ O'Clock, when
:he Captain, who had been at the helm, left it
In the hands OF Bowen, and threw himself down
on the starboard hencoop of the vessel to sleep
having previously directed Bowen to wake him
II the wind should breeze up much, and ordered
the first watch to go below. This was u few
minutes past midnight.
The first who made his appearance on the
quarter deck after this, was the Portuguese,
(ot the second watch) who came aft and looked
INTO the pinnacle at the compass. Bowen ask
ed what he was doing there. Never mind +"
said the Portuguese" hope you are not
mad, or something to this effect! He then
retired, ana Bowen heard him talking immedi-
ately alter with some person unseen and I'M
known. He returned in few minutes to that
part of the quarter deck where captain lay
asleep, and struck several blows with an axe in
the coop, and as Bowen sopposes, upon the
Captain, tho latter making no struggle and
very little noise. These blows were followed
up by several slabs of knife, and the body is
supposed to have been thrown overheard few
moments after. At the first blows given by the
Portuguese, Bowen was startled and cried out
8" in the name of God, what are you about!
The only answer was, Hush !" About this
time Bowen observed Gaudet standing with
harpoon in his hand, on the lsrboard side OF the
companion way. The watch who had gone be-
low, were now called up by the Portuguese, we
believe, or by Collnett, Zone or both OF whom
used sonle ambiguous expressions about thedeath
Of the Ca2tain,) and arrangements were made
for the management of the vessel till morning
division Of the money and gold dust was then
made among all on board.
An entry was alss written by Gaudet in the
log hook, 10 the effect that Capt Woodbury. had
departed this life, at such an hour, &c, af-
ter lingering fever, &c. This was signed by
every man in the vessel, Bowen being called
upon to sign first, as the Oldest on board From
this time, the Portuguese, Collinett, and eau
det, slept habitually in the Captains cabin,
(where they mad never slept before) and the
others occupied the force castle as usual.
On falling in with the brig Mentor Of Bos-
ton, Capt. Jennings, Sept. 1lth, a boat was sent
alongside the latter from the Orbit, TO get nau.
teal information, and for some other purpose.
Other communications followed 10 and fro; sus-
picions were awakened, and Bowen or Strike,
or both, being Questioned by the Mentors crew,
Immediately divulged the whole affair After
some consultation, they were retained on board
the Mentor, and the pirates, with their vessel,
were suffered, as matter OF necessity to take
their own course and escape. The two wit
nesses lust named, were brought to 'Boston last
fall, indicted and discharged. The two prison.
ers were subsequently arrested and put in irons
at St. Vineents taken thence to Havana in the
Shark thence to this port in the Peacock,
which arrived on the 23d of April. With them
were found two trunks, containing many pa.
pers of Capt Woodbury., canvass bag, and
some other baggage.
1t is known that two of tile witnesses
on these trials were Bowen, mulatto, and
Strike, white man, two of the crew, who
were States witnesses. Last Monday, eau
dst and Coliinet were brought up before
the Circuit to be sentenced On being asked
the usual question, what they had to say why
sentence of death should not be pronounced &C.
cordlng to law, Gaudet said few words IN
desutOry manner, the import of which was that
he was innocent, and that the other two of tho
crew who were witnesses were guilty. When
he had finished, Collinet addressed the Court
and gave detail of the whole voyage. lie al
said That ne was innocent ana imputed all
the guilt to the two witnesses above named, and
to Portuguese and an Italian who were on
board. He spoke for half an hour, and express
ed himself in hiethodical and intelligent man.
ner 1t should however be observed, that the
testimony of Bowen and Strike was in many
respects corroborated by other and credible wit
nesses, and however guilty they might have
been, still the guilt of Gaudet and COlinet was
established in the estimation of the Court and
Jury. When the prisoners had said all that
they had to offer, Judge Story pronounced the
awful sentence of death in most impressive
manner, and appointed the first day of July
next, between the hours of Z and ii, A. NJ. for
their execution. Both prisoners are colored
persons, and they heard their sentence without
visible emotion.
The news of the dissolution of the Cabinet
was carried out to Havana by the Catharire,
and it excited much interest there day or
two after her arrival, small Cape Cod schoon
er, displaying the old State Flag of Massachu
setts arhu fIfn In rhnr=-ih e Snn MIA rds wprp