Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-11-20

H TRIAL OF THE PIRATEs.-The trial of the
thirteen individuals charged with having COM
mitted an act Of piracy on board the brig
Mexican, of Salem, is still progressing at Bos-
ton before the U. s. Circuit Court, Judges
Story and Davis. The following outline of
the commission of the act for which the pris-
oners were indicted, was given by Mr.. Dun
lap, counsel for the government, on the open
ing of the trial:
/ He said that the brig MEXICAN, belonging
to Salem, and owned by one of the most cml-
nent merchants of that place, having on board
a valuable cargo, and twenty thousand dollars
in specie, sailed from Salem for Rio Janeiro,
on the Goth August, 1882, under the command
of captain Butman. While pursuing her voy-
age over the common pathway Of natons,and
having arrived in 33 deg n lat, and "a, 80,
w long. she fell in with u suspicious looking
vessel from which she made many efforts
but unsuccessful, to escape. This vessel, a
schooner, having come up with the Mexican,
fired gun, and the captain of the latter, see
ing that the schooner was armed with one
long ond two small guns, and that her decks
were crowded with men, felt himself obliged
to submit, and accordingly hove to. lie was
then hailed and ordered to come on board the
strange vessel, which mandate he obeyed in
his own boat but on reaching the schooner,
five men jumped into the boat, and ordered it
to be rowed back to the brig. On arriving
OH board the brig, they directed the captain
to accompany them into the cabin, where,
brandshing their knives, threatening g. beat
ing him, they compelled him to acknowledge
and give up the money which was in his pos
session. A communication was then made
with their companions OH board the schooner,
who sent launch, and carried away the
treasure. The party on board the Mexican
then left, after confining the crew below,
breaking the compasses, and destroying the
rigging and tackle. They also set fire to the
camboose, in which they placed tub fcom-
bustibles and lowered the mainsail in such a
way that it would speedily ignite. A short
time afterwards, however, the captain con-
trived to get upon deck and extinguished the
fire before it had caught the mainsail. They
then repaired their damages rs well as they
were able, and returned to Salem, where
they arrived on the I'd October. Information
of what had taken place was Immediately dis
seminated throughout this and other coun-
tries, and reached the coast Of Africa, where
captain Trotter, commanding the British brig
of war Curlew, was then cruising. Clrcum-
stances led that gentleman to believe that the
schooner Panda, then lying in the river Naz-
arcth, was the vessel which had captured the
Mexican. He Immediately, therefore, pro-
ceeded to take measures against her. These
measures resulted in the capture of the Pan
da, but the escape for the time of her crew.
No ships papers or log book were found on
board of her. although diligently sought for;
and owing to some accident she shortly af-
terwards blew up, thereby killing some ofthe
Curlew's men. Captain Trotter then sailed
to other ports, still making efforts to discover
the crew of the Panda, and at last succeeded
in arresting six Of the present prisoners at
Fernando Pc, and the remainder at Cape Lo-
pez. One Of these men named Perez, had
confessed, and would appear as a witness.