Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-01-28

prove tha, more than yeas ago, it was one of the
amuscments Of Mr. Spencer, to relate to the young
children Of one Of the Professors Of Geneva Col
lege, in whose family he was domesicated, 'mur.
dercus stores and tales Of blood that the chief and
favorite theme Of his conversation was pirstica
pios, and the pleasures Of pirates life; that the
great otiect Of his ambition was rcnown as p-
rate that the DO ,k which he oaenes read and
which on leaving Geneva College TO embark in
whaler, he presented TO the Students Library
the Pirates Own Book and that it still remains
there with his name in it ; that on stepping into
the stage coach to leave Geneva the last words he
said to friend who took leave Of him, were, that
he would next he hearJ Of as pirate.
Witnesses are now in attendance upon the court,
to Prove that, throughout the period Of his service
in the Potomac from Rio to Boston, the possbili-
sy Of capturing her, and the use to ne subsequently
made Of her as pirate, were the subject of his
thought, AMI the theme Of his conversation to three
a, least other forward officers to how many Of
the crew he may have unfolded his plans. is no,
known that he detailed them in the presence Of
three, can be proved.
IL Nou bc VlONSu, lhdt ne eNplAl0eO now the OIL
GERS might be murdered in the night, and the ship
captured. That, although he objected TO the size
Of the Potomac, if he could obtain smaller YES.
sci, he was still desrous Of undertaking his pro-
ject in her that, he offered the First Lieuenancy
of,he Potomac, ifhe could obtain possession of her.
TO ole Of her forward officers ,ha, with her, he
proposed to capture some Of the packets of New
York that, from the captured vessels, he hoped
to w"ure few choice spirits, and gradually
change and Thin of his crew, until he got perfect
one that he proposed also, to get in the track of
outward hound Indiamen, and made particular
inquiry as 10 the part of those vessels in which they
usually slowed the specie for the purchase Of their
return cargo that he also inquired if the masters
Of the lndamen did not usually carry their fami>
lies with them; that he minu,ely into all the
details OF the discipline necessary to restrain the
crew Of pirate. the means Of refnng and water
ing in remote and unfrequented seas. am pre-
psred to prove that, during passage Of nearly fifty
lavs from Rio to Boston. in the Potomac this con.
sti,u,cj Mr.. Sp"ncers chief topic of conversation,
among the forward officers and among the crew,
= and ,hs, Interior project, when he found his
: plans for carrying the Potomac coud not be ma.
tured, he proposed to equip, by some means clip
$ per brig a, Batmore and arranged all the details
e for manning and arming her after he should be
:. dismissed tIDm the naval service.
e lam ISepared 20 Prove by John Ford, former
Q ward. loom steward of the S,mers that the night
: before the Soners sailed, Daniel Mckinley told
him that there would probably be mutiny
i board the Soncrs,
With regard to Samuel A. Cromwell, am pre-.
pared to prove that for mutinous conduct he was
turned out Of his ship, aud towed ashore srst
ing that very shortly before the departure Of the
Somers from New York. he asserted in a tar-room
: in the Bowery OF New York, that there would pros
l. bahly he mutiny board Of her before her re-.
n turn, Charas A. Wilson being at the time in hi.
company. am prepared 20 prove by Lieutenant
=, Mon gomery Lewis, tha, when employed in the
, Florida hotills under Lieutenant Mclaughlin, on
one occasion, when in boat expedition under
;. ! Lieut.. Rodgers, Cromwell, having been put in l.
= rons for drunkenness and mutnous conduct, me-
naced Lieut.. Lewis ty telling him that the next
l. time they fell in with the Indians, other shot:
T. Indians; and tha, there would be some killed. BY
Edwin Alfred, seaman, now on board Of this
ship, that during the greater part of night he
parsded isforc the teot of Lt Lewis, with loaded
csrbinc, and with the avowed purpose Of Shooting
him, should he come out that he had two sePast,
VI projects for creating @utiay among the seamen
the expedition; a, one time to turn all the officer
ne sdrift in boat with single to proceed will
= the boats TO Cuba. aud the Isle of Pines, with al
RS the Of which, snd OF the Reighboring
'n he proessed TO be familiar, and thea TO engage il
piracy.
D. Whatever the Cour, may decide, 10 the evi
dence thus offered to prove the early piratiea pro
ei pensties, and the p,stca PROJECT in another ship
j. of Mr.. Spencer, trust it will, at any rate, depar
he sufficiently from its rules 10 ecei~e the entire ties
in tmony offered to prove the piratical tendencies
y, Cromwell He alone, Of the three mutineers VIII
were executed, persisted to the tss in protesting
n, his Innocence, even whilst asking forgiveness @
=, Licut G nsevoort. Such is the secret character
a. muriNy and Inc precautions with which prac
ri-ed lira,e especially would hide his guilty plot
s ings against the lives Of his comrades and the hone
20, of his country, that is impossible TO sddaoe
be before tis Court all the evidence which ,enders
"a. the guih OF Cromwell paipatle to his officers an
messms,es, and divcsted Il of all doubt many II
fling incidents ths, had we;eAt at the time are &,