Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-08-17
From the New York Tribune oiIhe 9Th.
The Murder and Piracy on board
Schooner Sarah Layinia.

Il David Babe and William Matthews, the
men charged with Piracy and Murder on
board the Sarah Lavlna, were yesterday ex-
anned before s. Rapeljr, Esq. u. s. com.
missioner. aIrssrs. Ogden Hoffman nnd
Wm. e.. Barrett appeared on the part Of the
United States. and Mcssrs Price, Nash and
Philips, for The prisoners. The following is
the irslhnony presented!
\ George T.. IHcD:Gs swon.-Relongs 10
Aicxandria. Is part owner Of The Sarah LA
v,nla. She lrh Alexandra on the 1T July.
Charles VI. Dearborn was con,m,nIer, and
/. Walter A. kichoi. mate. Dearborn was
aged 30 or ~, aud Nicholl % or 2,. When
she leit she had on board three seanien, o
cook. captain and mate. The cooks name
was John johnson. linve not seen the YES.
sci since che sailed. nor llle captain, ,nato or
cook. F! cannot identify either of the PRISON.
rrs as positively belonging to The crew, but /,
from n general recollection think that the
1 large man was one of them.
Nm {. sfayrH stSOrn.-Resides at Paw
tncke:, 4. !. My occupation Is consiing
found The shore. | au attached to sloop
b, mnuIng To Providence. Know the sch'r
Lnvinin. A week ago last Sunday morning
:}Olh July, we started from New Bedford tor
I N. York. A boy on board saw n vessel lying
there. We saw The vessel about six miles
from the Hen aud Chickens and IL from
Seconci. There was o forrtnckle and other
rpglng over the side. ] boarded, and the
Grsi thing saw was an axe lying wlthla Iho
I cabin door. Saw there was no person on
board. On gong 10 the tnsecastle heard
the water running in and found IN anger
hole ab"pf an inch IN diameter, " hlch ] stop
ped. The re were four irrt water in the hold.
The matches were ca!ked down. When we
began 10 hoist The sail saw iresh blood on
one of the ropes. the fore sheet. On going
To the cabin saw n "southwrster" n sea.
mans hat IN the Captains berth The p.
la, lruk 1t up and said there's blooc on that
hat. We also saw blood Oh Il fur cap lying
on tho cabin h'"r. They are now here and
have blood on them. There wus few drops
oi blood on the captains BERTH and one m
'he c"n'.c of the bed. Saw The shipping pa
pcrs md other documents, now exhibited, -
We niterward discovered that n trunnel had
been knocked out. winch caused the hole.
They had cut away tie deck TO make hole
bu, finding the ,sunnel. it saved them the
trouble. We worked the vessel into New
Bedford. All her sails were bent when we
discovered her. The vessel was loaded with
Josrph COn,pnY siporn Resides at Alcxan
dr'a q; knew Walter y. Nnh"I,, the ma,c.-
lie was my cousin; saw hin, for the last
time III July ! saw a watch upon his person.
and wooid know il IT saw ii again. The
watch here shown ia the same. 1t is the
gold watch sold by Babe in Broadway IL
When saw the mate he had on brown linen
panial"ons, checked shirt. and small topped
L.,
writing on The log book here shown is his.
The witness also identified some of the
clothing shaving nnalerlals, &c. as belonging
10 the mate.
faster Iiokham sioo,n keeps n jcwelry |
store III Broadway saw the watch now
here before it was brought 10 my store BY
The largest "i the two prisoners on The l-i oi
August; he told me that he had been
boarding IN the CITY son.o time nnJ owed
about $50, had an opportunity 10 ship for
Baltimore. and wished To raise nancy he
said he bought the watch three years ago mi
Liverpool gave him IN exchange a silver
watch, gold key, ring and knife, and $50
IN money he came to the store alone did
not observe my person outside.
Um. o. Rnss,H s,roru-Rcsdes IN New
Dcdiord.-know the prisoners by sight
FIRST saw them when | arrested them las,
Thursday forenoon. The small oTe was
hrs, pointed on, to nc and secured li,a. |
asked him If he had any baggage which he |
longed I" lm lie said yes, and pointed to
hair truuk, lie said there was u lso q chest
whlcl, came on board aud belonged to Babe.
ihare was small chest, on which the ,rnuk
lay. | arrested him at Mr.. Knowles's in
Washington street. lie sand that hr had
been sailor on bonrd the Sarah LayInln. !
told him what the offence waa--that he was
arrested for piracy aud murder ON the high .
seas. He at first said hc knew nnhing about
il. In two or three minutes utter we left
the house .ie offered to tell the whole story
replied TO him that Whatever he said 10 IN"
must be Voluntarily made. that should make
him no promises rs TO lis nilordlng him any
benefit. lie appeared Ia be very much de-
pressed. After we got into the sta,e.rnom
took off his hat and wanied him 10 hold up
hs head and tell me where the others were
IIc told me where Babe was, bu, would say
rot.ing as To Webster, who had gone some.
vherc else with friend nfhi-.
Matthews said he brloHgcd 10 the scl'r.-
He stated that on the lih or 18Th Of July .
the mate and Blbe's night watch was On
deck. nc (Malhewsi aud Webster were
below. Babe came 10 the iorcas,e and said
that the capinin and maze had got into Il
quarrel and had fallen nvcrboa-d.- lie would, ,
!ic said. take The vessel in, They spoke n
vessel. the captain Of which told Babe that
tho nearest po,t was B'rmnda, which was
West, aud New Yuik was NV. They kept
IN about four days before they got in. Babe
ra,lIc To Webster and hun aud told them
they must assist him to make nwny with The
cook. They asked him what for. lie re-
piled the cook wou;I inform npon them
They then asked il hc had not hri.cr put him
nn board some vessel. On Saiur..ays before
they arrived, he told them they must tack
ship and directed the cook To liasl aft the
fore silec,, when Babe took up mallet, and
split his head open, and then with Webster,
thew hIts erbnard.-Thcy then sicsrcd IN
for The land
Babe cut hole in the cabin with broad !
axe FOR the purpose at scut,llng her. They
found however, hat the run was inll ot slaves,
aud they could not get to her bottom. They
then went forward, knocked awny some oi
her timbers, aud finally iound a iTunncl,
" hlch they knockrd ou,, They lhea too. iu
the boa, and finally landed at Scconnr, i'nn,. /
Whrn arrested Babe searched hl,n and
took the silver watch from him. | asked
hun where the gold watch was he said
hr had exchanged 1t ter the SILVER one aud
.