The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1835-01-07


and arresiiug the members of one of the most ex
tensve gangs of land pirates that ever infested the
u. States The simple facts OF the case are these
About two months since, the James FtsHer, (bound
hence for Philadelphia, and laden with crockery,
silks, calicoes, musins &c. to the value OF nearly
SS000) was cast away the beach at Barnegat
Inlet, Monmouth county, n. ]. The night after
she was cast ashore, she was boarded by gang Of
about one hundred land pirates who carried off the
whole of her cargo in small boats, and las it now
appears) ultimately secreted the goods in their own
dwellings, the main land across the bay, leaving
the ship, where she now is, on the shore. She was
not insured Two weeks after the wreck of the
James Fisher, the sclir Henry Franklin strand
ed at the same place. She was bound from Boston
for Philadelphia, and was loaded with bags of Cof-
fee, barrels of mac!lercl, &c. This vessel was in
sured at the United States and the Commonwealth
Insurance Offices, Boston; and the captain made
his protest. stating the circumstances of the wreck,
&C. to the Justice Of the Peace (Willam Plau Esp
living close by, and told him what his cargo consis
ted of The night after gang of about hun
dred of these pirates (partiay disguised, and with
blackened faces) boarded the stranded vessel while
the captain shore, ordered the mate to leave
her, threatened the guard with deahif they nterier-
ed, drove them off, forced the hatches open and
carried off II bags of Coffee (valuc $7SS l0,) and
35 barrels of nackerel (yalue $lS3 75.) The mate
went and told the captain what going on; the
captain and mate armed themselves, and taking
with them arms for the of the guard who had
been driven from the wreck, went down and put "A
stop to the plunder, the entire cargo would have
been taken away. As soon as the Boston Insurance
Companies received information of the robbery, they
despatched an agent to the New ork Police Office
lie applied to Huntington, and gave him full power
to proceed as he thought proper, and to spend any
reasonable amount of money III order to arrest the
pirates and recover the property. Huntington I'M
medately started on the scent, and before night he
arrested of the ringleaders, Capt. Hulshart, who
then on board his sloop, Ghe NeU Jersey, of
Barnegat,) lying in the North River. After he had
lodged the captain in our Bridewe, he sought out
and secured two sailors, (IIalcomb Eycringham and
another) who were also concerned in plunderng the
Henry Frankhn. lie then procured "A warrant from
Judge Belts, to empower him to remove them to
New Jersey and to have them tried in the u. 5. Cir
cult Court there, and he lodged them safely in New
ark Jail.
1t is here worthy of notice, that nearly twenty
Barnegatvesses were lying in the North River, close
TO the New Jersey at the time of Hushart's arrest,
they all set sail, left the city the same night
and have not been heard of since
The scene ofthe robbery, and the residence of the
pirates, not being within the jurisdiction of our po-
lice, Huntington next applied to Garret ID. Wall,
Esq., the U. :. District Attorney for New Jersey,
for him to issue process against the offending par
ties, Having procured these, Huntington took Gen
Darcy Marshall of New Jersey, along with him
applied to Swarwout, the collector of this port for
the revenue schooner Alert, Capt Gold, which was
placed under his direction and he also employed
Captain Henry Schcnck, with his vessel, to aid in
arresting the robbers. They sailed from here, and
met one of the pirates, Capt. Edward wainwright,
who was coming to New York in his vessel with a
u load of wood. They arrested him and proceeded
up to the inlet they surrounded the beach, and
Huntington proceeded to the tavern of Mr. John
Allen, sen. The old man had made his escape, bnt
he arrested his three sons, Isacc, John and Abraham
all pirates he searched the house, and found goods
which he knew to have formed part of the cargo
of the James Fisher, for he had been on the Phila-
delphia to obtain the private marks from the mcr-
chants who owned the goods. He next arrested
Reuben Grant another tavern keeper on the beach
i'll whose house he found goods that were stolen
from the James Fisher He then crossed the bay
to the main Shore and arrested Joseph and Thomas
BrunnelI, sons of DIR. Brunnell,' store keeper and
farmer; after this he visited the house of no less
person than Wm Plat, Esq, Justice of the Peace
for the purpose of arrestng him and his son, but
they had fled in this house Huntington found
some of the property that had been plundcred
from the General Putaom, wrecked here in 1882
when goods to the value of $50 900 were stolen from
her. Zeph johnson, pirate, i'll the employ of the
justice, was, however, arrested Three of the pris-
oners, Wainwright, and the two Brunnels were held
to bail, by f.. L. Boudinot, Commissioner of the
District Court, who went with them for that pur-
pose the others were roned and put on board Capt
Schenck's schooner to be sent to Newark to await a
trial.
At least two-thrds of the inhabitants of that dis
trict, for an extent of four five miles are imp-
Gated IN this demoni acial business, in which they
were led On by Magistrate. They have carried
on the work of piracy there for years past; it has
been the moinstay of the majority many ofthem have
grown rich aud bought farms with the proceeds OF
their piunder. Heads of families, farmers store
keepers, &c, have, for fear of punishment abscon-
ded and left their lamilise and property behind them
but measures have been taken by which they will
doubtless all be arrested; for their names and per-
sons are all well known to the number of above a
hundred In fact, so numerous have they been
that although the authorities and a few others no,