New-York daily tribune., 1843-01-06

v. : =
| ys-,s,;o,. +s,dinr IN show whether there was Z
r.,,f;nx or no, en- beard the Soaners- ihe grounds
,,birb 1-drced ne 10 form the opinion that res
c,c ,as N be attempted, and that the execution
vvas necessary were, that thefe were great many
-.,.ers -, he Quarter deck, and did no. know
bo., ,ra,v more were league3 with stssln anzo1g
| the c,ew and also from the testimony rec@ived
f-, The seau1en examined before Inc Cclncli, " 40
! thought they were very dangerous ctnfsc'srs- /
thought also that the were dlatsry IL sflrrlng
and performing their duties during tae time The
,yhole of the rrisoners we're in irons tie deck.
This, think, disappeared entirely alter TIE exc
cution
O Mas t;le Commander attentive 20 tie COM
fort Of the sick, aud did he ask you to send for
food from the Captains Table for those in delicate
health
4. He was uniformly attentive, and rocoIlsce
bis sending food from his table 20 the sick
@. Did the Commander, N every port, ask you
20 make requs;toRs for fresh fruit .or the sc' and
crew, ard did he show desire to save the public
| expense in other waysg
4. think IN every port We went nc desired me
TO make acquisitions for fresh fruit and such other
articles as would administer 70 the comfort CT the
@. Was any of the f1uir thus purchased at the
expense OF the Hospital fund furnished to the Com
| uaander or any other officers
A. No, sir.
Q. Do you or you no, know that the Sonners
was alnoSt constantly at sea, and that by consta5;
attention to their comfort frequent bathing clean
ress, and other things, the health Of the crew
constantly improved from the time OF leaving the
port of New-York tiil lis return?
H. The health of the grew was generally good,
and most OF the cases were slight and trivial com
plai.ts, occasioned by bruises, tlc from number
af the boys not having been at sea before. The
health Of the crew was improving.
O. Was there any unnecessary punishment on
board the Somers, and was the punishment OF the
| crew cruel or humane
Il. There was no unjust punishment, and the
punishment OF the crew was humane.
@. Were efforts made TO improve the boys, dis
courage quarreiing, and make them good seaInen3
a. As far as came TO my knowledge.
O. Do you believe that from the arrest OF Spen-
| Ger 10 the execution the Somer5 could have been
taken into action with prospect of honor TO the
American flag
@. Do you believe that the somers could have
been brought into port by her officers if the execu
ton had not taken place
H. ttint; il would have been emnently hazard
ous-almost impossible
@. From the time OF the arrest of Mr.. Spencer
ill the arrival Of the Soncrs in port did you OBJ
serve that the officers exhibited any signs OF un-
manly fear, OF of desperate temper, or of any
thing unbecoming the character of an officer aud
gentleman
4. No, sir.
The testimony of the witness was then read over
to him, and hc retired
1lidahipman Henry Rogers, sworn.-I was
senior Midshipman on board the Somers during
II. nf tpa
26th Of November Immediately after the arrest of
Mr.. Spencer. At evening quarters, on going for
ward report the first division, the first Lieuten
ant ordered NE to remain the quarter deck and
ar the same time for all the officers the
quarter deck but Mr.. Hayes The witness went
on to describe the arrest of Spencer, his conduct
and all the conversation which took place between
him and the Captain at the time of the arrest. i
also assisted in searching MIR. Spencer lockers,
where they found the razorcase with the paper IN
it. with writing in Greek characters, of words in
| English This was a list OF his accompces,
headed certain, doubtful, and those to be retained
| on board noiens volenS. There were also three
explanatory paragraphs. These the first Lieuten-
| an, took, and | shortly afterwards decyPhered
| them for the Commander. Between and 4
o'clock on The 9th, heard the officer of the deck
give the order the skysails, and SHORTLY af-
| tciwards take them in again, when the top-galiant
mast was carried away. | went on deck, and saw
| Cromwell, Small, WIson, and several others in
| Mr.. SpeRcer's list, collected about the man-top-
| mast head. They were out of their stations, and
| were not usually jealous on such occasions,
and it therefore struck me that they had gone aofi
either for the purpose of plotting putting in exc
cu,ion somo previously formed plot. As soon as it
became dark the FiIst Lieutenant armed each OF
| he officers with pistols and cuass ard stationed
me at the lee gangway, with orders TO watch that
rigging strictly, as he expected they would con.e
down that way. They however came down the
| weather rigging, and Cromwell and Small We're
arrested and confined IN irons soon as they came
on deck The witness here related the orders
given respecting the security of the prisoners, as
has been previously reported. as also the arrest of
the four other men; the sending of the letter by
Capt. Mackenzie 10 the eiicers the assembling of
| the Council examining Witnesses deliberating
and decision as to the necessity of the execution
and also the execution Of the prisoners. saw
! Small addressing the crew, but did not hear what
| he said. heard Cromwell call ont that 8 he
innocent. They were buried about O'Clock, the
| funeral service being read oyeIIhem. Mr. Sper-
Ger messmate of mine, and messed in the
steerage. The dag before his arrest be came up
to where | was sitting in the steerage and
asked me abruptly If our chronometer was a good
one. told him did not know, but supposed it
was very good one. He then asked me if |
knew the rate OF it l replied that l did not, and
he dropped the conversation. Two or three weeks
previous 10 his arrest he was speaking CT fortune
| telling, and said that he could tell fortunes. |
asked him if he could tell nine 10y examining my
hand. He said lie could, and having examined
my hand be told me tha, my death woaid be vio-
lent and sudden one my life would be short ard that
would be gambler. He told Midshipman Thorl-