Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1839-09-19

Ne
! iards and the court. The poor prisoner did
not understand word in either language.
and stood mute spectator. although inter.
ostcd in the event.
Several bundles of letters were produced.
saved from the Amistad, and such as were
unsealed read. The contents being simpIv
commercial can be of no interest to the read
er. Among the papers were two licences
from the Governor of Havana, Gen. Ezpela.
ia, one for three slaves, owned bv Pedro
Montez, one ofthe men saved, and 80 owned
by Senior Don Jose Ruiz, the other that has
escaped, allowing the said slaves to be trans.
ported to Principe, and commanding said
owners TO report their arrival to the terrific.
rial Judge Of the district, in which Princ;ne
is situated. A license was found permitting
Pedro Montcz, merchant of Principe. to
proceed TO Matanzas, and transact business.
which was endorsed by the Governor of
Havana, and the officer Of the port. Regu-
lar passports were produced, allowing the
passengers to proceed to their destination
A license was found permitting Selestino
Ferrers, mulatto, owned by Captain RAJ
man Ferrers, and employed as cook. to pro.
coed on the voyage. Other licenses for each
sailor were produced and read, all of which
were regularly signed, and endorsed by the
proper authorities.
The Custom House clearance, dated the
18th May, 1889, was produced. Also anoth
er dated 9th June, 1889, all regular. Sew
eral licenses permitting goods to be shipped
ded to be regular. ft
Lieut.. B. w. Meade testified that he was
in the boat which boarded the Amistad. and
demanded the papers, which were unhcsita-
tingly delivered. Previous to this demand
Senior Don Jose Ruiz had claimed protection
for himself and Don Pedro MonteZ, the only
two white men on board. The protection
was Immediately granted and the vessel
brought to New London.
Many of the events which are detailed in
the narrative were omitted in the evidence as
having no bearing on the guilt or innocence
Of the accused, in the present state of the pro-
ceedings.
Senior Don Jose Ruiz was next sworn, and
testified as follows. bought 40 slaves in
Havana, and shipped them on board the
schooner Mnistad. We sailed for Guanaia,
the intermediate port for Principe. For the
four first days every thing went on well. In
the night heard q noise in the forecastle.-
All of us were asleep except the man at the
helm. Do not know how things began was
awoke by the noise. This man, Joseph, /
saw. Cannot tell how mary were engaged.
/ =
took up an oar and tried to quell the mutiny !;
cried no! no! ! then heard one of the
crew cry murder. then heard the captain
order the cabin boy to 60 below and get
some bread to throw to them, in hope to paci-
| fy the negroes. went below and called on
Montez to follow me, and told them not to
kill me did not see the captain killed
They called me on deck, and told me
should not be hurt. Iasked them as favor
to spare theo man. They did so. After
this they went below and ransaclscd the
trunks belonging to the passengers. Before
doing this, they tied our hands. We went
on our course-don't know who was at the
helm. Next day missed Capt. Raman
Ferrcr, two sailors, Manuel Pagilla, Yacinto
| -, and Selestina the cook. We all
slept on deck. The slaves told us next day
that they had killed all; but the cabin boy
said they had killed only the captain and
cook. The other two he said had escaped
in the canoe-a small boat. The cabin boy
is an African by birth, but has lived long
time in Cuba. His name is Antonio, and be-
longed to the captain. From this time we
were compelled to steer east by day: but
sometimes the wind would not allow us to
steer east, then they would threaten us with
death. In the night we steered west, and
kept to the noSthward as much as possible.
We were six or seven leagues from land
when the outbreak took place. Antonio is
yet alive. They would have killed him, but
he acted as interpreter between US, as he un-
derstood both languages. He is now on
board the schooner. Principe is about two
days sail from Havana, or 100 leagues. reck-
oning three miles to league. Sometimes
when the winds are adverse, the passage oc-
cupies 15days. s
Senior DON Pedro Montez was next sworn.
This witness testified altogether in Spanish,
Ii. K. w Meade, interpreter.
| We left Havana on the 26th OF June.
owned slaves, females and male. For
3 days the wind was ahead, and all went
well. Between IL and ~ at night, just as
the moon was rising, sky dark and cloudy.
weather very rainy on the 4th night, laid
down on O rIaatrass Between and a was
awakened by noise which was caused by
blows given to the mulatto cook. went on
deck, and they attacked me. ! seized a
stick and a knife, with q view to defend my
I self. Ibid not wish TO kill or hurt them. At
this time, the prisoner wounded me on the
head severely, with one of the sugar knives,
also on the arm. / then ran below, and
slowed myself between two barrels, wrap
ped up in sail. (E1eTe the prisoner mo-
toned for his snuff box) The prisoner rush
cd after me, and attempted 70 XIII me, out
was prevented by the interference OF anoth-
er man. Irecollect who struck me, but was
not sufficiently sensible to distinguish the
man who saved me. was faint from loss OF
blood. l then was taken on deck and tied to
the hand of Ruiz. After this they commanded
me to steer for their country. told them
did not know the way. was much 0fraid.
and had lost my senses. so cannot recollect
who tied me. On the second day after the
mutiny, heavy gale came on. 1still steer
Il ed, having once been master of a vessel
4 When recovered, / stored for Havana. in
the night by the stars. but by the sun IN the
day, taking care to make no more way than