Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-06-07

AZ ATRoCinrs CAsr or MAssAcRr.-A case of
eNtl anrd1nhry interest has uslhren hear before Jod.e
Belts, OF New oak. The particulars are horrible and
revolving IN no ordinary drgtee. The defendants
were Samuel Tiuslry, second mate. Aaron Nct;ll
first mate, aud William Smith aud William U,rtinaz
Tor, $ amen, belonging 10 The Schooner Ann How
AID. OF New London. Tie charge IS murder
Captain johnson the master of the vessel, is Impl,c,-
ted, but Is not yet arrested.
Happens from the testimony detailed in The New
! otk sun, thu twenty Two mont las since the Ann
Howard sailed from New Bedford, with n l,rre
crew, on n sealing expo Iition in the South Seas.
f'a'ts OF the crew were stationed at various places
lor the purpose of taking seals, aud among the res,
nine were stationed on Graves Island. which lies off
the coast OF Patagonia, near the Straits of Magellan.
On returning 10 thai station FOR the purpose of taking
III those who had been left there, aud the Seals thcy
might have taken, the schooner was anchored ahont
ten miles from the Island near the Pataconian coast :
and shortly acouple of canoes with natives came nea,
The vessels side. On board the canoe were discov.
cred a couple of shirt, 4 tarpanlln hat. and some
other aftie'rS oi Seamcn's apparel, which had the ap-
l'eaflncc pi having come recently into the posses
son oil the natives, which discovery gave rise To a
suspicion that something must have belallen the
Graves Island station.
n boat was sent To the Island ard the but which
had been erected by the hands was demolished. and
no trace oil any oitlose who had been left there
could be discovered, except pieces of their chests,
| lie conclusion was that the natives from Patagonia
u'i ii'"e uesceht upon the station, and plundei ed
and murdered the men. Jackets were then strun,
up IN the rigging OF the schooner, as the usual in.
vliaiion 10 come out aud trade and two canoes
hl'ed win the natives soon came along side. One
OF til" natives attempting to get mp the side of the
vessel lie was pushed back, and thereupon both tn,
canoes fell astern. In the meantime the arms or
board having been loaded for the purpose, the can
tam ordered the crew 10 discharge them upon rl,
natives IN the canoes, which they did. killing the
greater pant OF them. The survivors took TO thci,
paddles, and attempted to escape, but a boat was pu,
oil III pursuit, and one of the canoes oycrtaken-
The otuei got off. In the captured canoe were still
alive Two men, one of whom was killed and the 9th.
er Ieapcd into the water and was shot. and two wo.
mcn were taken on board and there used in a name,
altogether improper fot description. The younce,
one. who was about Is, was put ashore nj onothe,
station about 800 miles of, where il was discoyere,
that instead OF being massacrcd, the Graves Islam,
men had voluntarily LETT their station. some lavine
been taken oil by another vessel, and the temaindc,
having joined the latter station.
Such Is an imperfect abstract Of the circumstances
attendin. Tins singular affair, as they appcared j,
c'ldence gwen by one of the crew, who was ON boo,,
me schooner at the time, and by two others who wer,
taken on board at The station last spoken of, and who
testified is TO what they had heard Others of lhf
1e", WHO weffai the massacre, say IN relation 10 il
VA me arrival ol the schooner, most of the crew
st''teieu, and o. all that were on board 1T the mas
sacfe' the two mates and three of he scamen are nj
MAT are III custody. One of the latter gave the in
formation to the L. 5. authorities, which led Ia TN,
arrest OF The others, aud a disclosure of the a1,,
| he other two, with the two mates, were after IN,
examination, fully committed BY JUDGE Betts. on
charge OF murder.