Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-05-10
THE TRIAL OF HOLMES.

The trial of A. w. Holmes at Philadelphia, for
manslaughter, for throwing overheard, from the
long boat, OF the ship William Brown, Francis At
kins, was concluded on Saturday. after occupying
I six days. The testimony was that of persons on
board. 1t established that the ship struck an ice
berg in the night of April 18th SO of those got into
the long boat. Holmes, the prisoner made consid
cradle effort to get sick girl into the boat and
gave her his cravat and rowscrs to wrap about her
feet. The captain, who went into the olly boat,
kept alongside the long boat until morning. took
all the names of those on board and gave them
compass and chart. On his leaving the mate said
TO HIM, Captain We'll have to draw LOTS the
Captain replied, Il know what you mean | don't
want to hear moro abou, it.. 1t rained good deal
and the boat had to be continually bailed out
When the next night came, the sea became calm
there was plenty of room in the boat, and none of
those board were frozen or insensible. Some
one cried out the boat was sinking-the mate said
1--WE must 60 to work-this work won't do'-and
then commenced the terrible tragedy of throwing
the passel gers into the deep. OF this one of the
survivors, Mary Carr gives the following account:
- Can't recolect who throw over until they
came to Frank Atkins; the sailors came TO him:
he said to them, ''Ill not 90 out you know work
well all the time; II work like a till morning
and do what can TO keep The boat clear of water;
have five soverei gns, and III give it for nv life
till morning, and when morning comes, if God does
not help US we will cast lots, and I'll 90 out like
man II II Is my turn; don't put me out till get a
speaking few words to Mrs. Edgar Mrs Edgar
Mrs Edgar, can't you do something for me-" she
made no reply that | could hear; then they put him
out.
Mary his youngest sister was crying about him;
oh says she, "don't put out my brother-if you
put hun out, put me out too, I'm willing to die the
death OF my brother, but don't part me and my
brotheri' Immediately they laid hold on her and
threw her out after him.
There was lark Stetcop Mrrro,y uol,,o, nd
Charley Smith, but which of the four it was threw
Atkins overheard, | cannot say; they all catched
him and dragged him, when they put over Mary,
Ellen, the other sister was crying, they catched
hold of Ellen, and when they had taken her up
"Oh, says she, ''don't put me over naked, all re-
quest is to give me my mantle; some of the sailors
lifted up something and threw in after her, but it
was not her mantle; | heard Charles Conln say,
"Holmes, dear, you won't put me over" Charles
says he, "you must CO., and Immediately he laid
hold Of him; said to Holmes. "Homcs, spare his
life, he is all that remains out of fifteen of VIM. Lid
don's family
He lifted him up and put him over, and as he
went down heard the plunge; heard him crying
and praying, "thc Lord have mercy on me" | saw
one assisting Holiness there were sixteen thrown
overheard; short time after daylight, on Wednes-
day l heard a man crying out that he the
mast of VESSEL; they took and shawl that
belonged to me for flag don't know how long
1t was, but as soon as the vessel come to US, the
captain put ladders down to the sides of vessel and
took up on deck | heard that there were 81
went down with the vessel; there was thrown
over, don't know his name, but Rhodes looked
at the man who threw him over, and said, "Oh,
cruel! cruel!''
The testimony for the defence related merely to
the manner in which the throwing overheard was
accomplished; thcfe were variations of any I'M
portance. George M. Dallas, Esq, and William
Meredith, the District Attorney, conducted the
cause for the prosecution, and Mr.. Hazzlehurst,
and David Paul Brown for the defence. The
charge of Judge Baldwin full and lucid, al
the Jury, after long absence, came IN with YER
dict of GuILTY-recommending him TO the mercy
of the court.