The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-01-20
Court OF Enquiry on. Board tho North


Carolina.
Alter the opening Of Il Court, Captain Mackenzie pre-
sented the communication the Court which he offered
yesterday, as amended and modified by the direction Of
the Court II is as follows
May 1t please the Court:I prepared to prove that
more than year ago il Of the amusements Of
Mr. Spencer to relate the young children Of of the
Professors Of Geneva College, in whose family he
domesticated murderous and tales of blood that
the chief and tavorte theme of his conversation p
ratcal exploits and the pleasures of pirates e that the
great object Of his ambition was renown pirate; that
the book which he otenest read and which leaving
Geneva College to embark in whaer he presented TO the
Students Library the Prdtes Own Book and that
into the stage coach to leave Geneva he
said to friend no took leave of him were that he would
next he heard of pirate.
Witnesses are now in attendance upon the court to
prove that throughout the period of his service in the Po
tomac from the Rio to Boston, the possibility of capturing
her. and the use to be subsequently made of her pirate
were the subject of his thoughts and the theme of his
versaton to three at leas, forward officers to how
many of the he may have unioded his plans is
knovn that he detailed them in the presence Of three
be proved.
II can be proved tina, he explained how the officers
might be murieredfn the night, and the ship captured
That although he objected TO the OF the Potomac
he could obtain smaller vessel he still DESTROYS OF
undertaking his project in her that he offered the First
Lieuenancy Of the Potomac if he could obtain possession
Of her. to one Of her forward ocers that with her. he
proposed TO capture Of the packets off New York.
that from the captured vessels he hoped procure few
choice spirits, and gradually change and thin Oft his
prOpOSet
to get the track Of bound Indsmen and made
particular enquiry to the part of those vessels in which
they usually slowed the specie for the purchase of their
return cargo that he also enquired the masters of the
Indamen did not usually carry their families with them;
that he went mnuely into all the details Of the discipline
necessary TO restrain the of pirate the Of
refttng and watering in remote and unfrequened
am prepared to prove that during passage of nearly
fifty days Rio to Boston, in tn Potomac this cons
tuted Mr.. Spencers chief topic of conversation among
the forward officers and among the and that
Interior project when he found his plans for carrying the
hav hn Cd ia hy
some means, clipper brig at Baltimore, and arranged all
the details for manning and armng her after he should be
dismissed from the naval service.
am prepared prove by John Ford, former wardroom
steward Of the somers that the before the semers
sailed Daniel Mckinley told him that there would proba
bly, be mutiny on board the Somers,
With regard to Samuel A. Cromwell, lam prepared to
for mutnous conduct he turned out OF his
fore the departure of the Somers from New York, he
serted in bar room in the Bowery of New York that
there would probably be mutiuy board Of her before
her return, Charles A. Wilson being at the time in his
company. am prepared to prove by Lieut. Montgomery
Lieutenant Mclaughlin, on occasion, when in q boat
expedition under Lieut. Rodgers Cromwell having been
put in irons for drunkenness and mutnous conduct me-
naced Lieut. Lewis by telling him that the next time they
fell in with Indians, other shots would be received
than those that were fired by Indians and that there
board of this Ship that during the greater part of
night he paraded before the tent of 1t. Lewis, with
him. should he out; that he had two separate pro-
ects for creating mutiny among the seamen OF the ex
petition; at one time to turn all the officers adrt IN boat
with single oar; to proceed with the boats 10 Cuba and
the se Of Pines with all the Of which, and of
the neighboring coast he professed to be familiar and
then to engage In piracy.
Whatever the Court may decide, the evidence thus
Offered prove the early pratical proPsnsits and the
will at any rate depart sufcently from its rules to re-
ceive the entire testimony offered TO the pirstcal
tendencies of Cromwell He alone Of the three muneers
who we're executed persisted to the last in protesting his
innocence even while asking forgiveness of Lieutenant
Gansevoort Such the secret character of muny and
would hide his guilty plottngs against the lives of his
comrades and the honor of his country that imposs
which rendered tho guilt of Cromwell papable to his off,
GERS and messmates and Invested it Of all doubt many tr
many consisting of looks end motions significant enough
to those who Them cannot be described. Though it is
the Court to the guilt of Cromwell yet with the
means Of showing his previous mutnous and piratica
propenstes at hand it rot desirable go step further
and satisfy them who strangers alike to the peculiar
position Of ships company alone upon the and the
dire necessity that may grow out of condition Of that
company rare in any navy, and happily unparalleled in
have the honor to be- very respectfully, your obed
ALEX. sLIDELL MACKENZIE.
U. s. s. N. Carolina, 10th Jan. ls43.
GEORGE RICE then and examined. live at
Cromwell by sight am no, sure had nephew on
boari the Somers, named John Primrose went along
side the brig in boat to see him was told could not
go on board went again and they told me the boy was
in confinement did not ascertain for what he
fined THE witness about relate story about
conversation with two Sailors but being found that all
this occurred time before the last cruze Of the So
mers the evidence could not be admitted in accordance
with the decision of the Court yesterday The log book
Of the Somers was then produced end ascertaned
that Cromwell had not then joined the brig and after
some further examination, that this witness could not
have had conversation with Cromwell, whom 1t was
very doubtful that he even knew
No other witnesses were forthcoming on the part Of
Captain Mckenzie, and the Court was then cleared.
The deliberations OF the Court will be conducted
in private and continue from day to day until the deci-
sion Of the Court be formed with which the public will
become acquainted in due time.
The THEATRICAL REvoIurIoN.-The revolution
in thea'ricals is going ahead south and north
Here Is curious statement on the subiect:-
The New Orleans Tropic Of the It'll inst, contains
card from Mr. James H. Caldwell, manager Of the
American Theatre in thst city, which Mr. c. announ.
that he s compelled to close that establishmeno
throw up the Of management, and withdraw alto.
Sether from the theatrical profession Mr. Caldwell
signs as for taking this STEP that the drama has
sustained shock not only in this country but in Europe,
from which it cannot recover in generation he there.
fore looks to other field of enterprise by which
sustain his fortunes He announces that since the OPEN
ing Of bis theatre the loss has exceeded 5000
night and he further states the astounding that
the completion OF the st. Charles Theatre the 30h of
November 1885, to its conagraon the lath Of March,
1912 he incurred losses in supporting to the amount Of
100000.
We differ entirely in views of the drama.
Theatrical taste is Just prevalent ever-but the
mi Ynust no lowered tn allow neonle h ind,,loe in