The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-12
From the Bay State Democrat, June 0.
TRIAL OF CAPT. FLOWERY, OF THE
SPITFIRE

From the Bay State Democrat June o.
TRIAL OF CAPT. FLOWERY, OF THE
SPITFIRE.
UNIrEp STATES CIRcuIr CouRr.-Present, Judge
Sprague. Friday, June 6. Trial of Capt. Peter
Flowery, for fitting out the Spitre and intending
to engage in the slave trade.
The court came in at 81 o'clock, and the usual
formaiities ensued.
At quarter to o'clock Mr.. Rantoul, the dis
trict attorney, commenced the concluding argument
for the prosecution. In the outset, he remarked
that this case was one of the most important that
had ever occurred in this Commonwealth He
would not enlarge upon the character of the trade
which was here brought in question. Ii was APP
parent all; and he should not endeavor to excite
the feelings of the jury in this connection. He
ly desired to try the case as one of fact
He united in opinion with the counsel ON the
other side, that the jury should examine this case
with the utmost discrimination, and by the sim
pie rules of common sense. As to circumstantial
evidence, and the remarks of the counsel the
other side as to the comparative weakness Of this
or that link of evidence, he should undertake to
show that there were several distinct and indie
pendent chains of evidences and all united to fasten
the offence charged in the Indictment directly and
conclusively upon the prisoner. The Spt6re had
been in the save-rade before; and in the case of
prisoner at the BAR who had changed his name,
and appeared under several aliases, it was an ex-
fremely suspicious circumstance. So it was with
the Spitfre. The Caballero had been registered at
Baltimore; the fact was well known, she had been
engaged in the slave-trade the captain knew it; and
therefore it became necessary for him to denaonal
tze her, and paint the indications of her iniqu
ty. fhe had not done SO, the consequences Of q
seizure would be most disastrous to all concerned
on board. Mr.. Rantoul passed to the recent aspect
of the sape-trade, the fitting of the Spifre, and
the circumstances of the Caballero being known at
Havana, sold to Peter Faber, &C., which was well
known to be- great depot for the slave trade. The
-. L,,a
was taken not to affx to her any locality Whoev-
er first bought her, bought her of P. Faber, with a
perfect knowledge of her guilty character The alb
sence of her national papers fany kind, when sold
strong suspicion against her; and it was APP
parent, too that she never returned her papers to
Baltimore, whore she was registered
Here Mr.. Rantoul was interrupted occasionally
by Mr.. Rogers, but in manner that seemed TO
make Mr.. r. argue with still greater force and d-
rectncss.
Mr.. Rantoul then traced the Spitfre on her diver
Fi6ed voyage, and spoke of her not being sold at
Key West, and the execution of her documents at
New Orleans She was offered for sale on the other
sde of Now Orleans, as an American vessel; but, in
fact, denationaised vessel She was not where she
could be sold to advantage, if the proposed sale was,
in fact desired. She was in obscure place, in Al
gera or some other out of the way locality, where
buyers Of particular class might find her--those
who wanted to buy vessel Of no character al ALL
She underwent, at The same time, very extensive
pairs. The bill Of sale purported some things, and
left in blank other things that it ought TO purport.
She was not worth the sum stipulated, being yes
sci of no character, unless it intended to employ
her in the slave trade. The 22d day Of November,
1874, the act Of sale was completed, and the note
given to the order of Scosure for the Of 500
1.-THE mole passed to Scosures hands, tcould il not
haze been endorsed? If it sham sale, and some
one had seen the note given, and then not seen il
returned, Captain F. would be very likely to have
it in his possession again, and not endorsed.
Why was not the note given TO Edward A. Faulkner,
who purported TO be the owner of the vessel But
Flowery not the owner of it after all, and the
vessel was owned by Don John Scosure, who ship
ped the cargo, and engaged to pay Antonio his ad-
vance money in common with the captain Taking
into consideration the fact that Don John Scosure
was so anxious to load the vessel with little navy
bread, potatoes, took the shocks ON board of his
own boat, paid Capt Flowery 5000 q for carry
ing the freight, it was not very likely that he gave
all this price, and had been at all this trouble, for the
purpose of making lille peddling poyqge to Cape
de Verd islands, for the purpose ofbrnging back a
little salt or palm oil.
This return cargo was a very different sort Of affair
from cargo of slaves, bought Tor from douboon to
$40, and sold from $500 to $500 apiece in Havana.
In all these arrangements, Flowery aided and abeted
Scosure, and the object was very apparent. The
cargo out could not be made to be worth more than
$4,000 and yet it stipulated that IS 900 freight
was to be paid by Don John Scosure!
Here Mr.. Rogers objected to the course of argu-
ment adopted by Mr.. Rantoul en- this point; but,
after long discussion, the court decided that Mr..
Rantoul had perfect right to make proper legal in
ferences in the from the facts disclosed in the
testimony.]
Mr. Rantoul proceeded, and said these circum-
stances were full Of significance and point Several
chains of circumstances might be destroyed, might
give way, and yet chains enough would be left to
hold both the Spitfre and Capt. Flowery. Again:
regard the number of the crew for working such a
small vessel and then infer the object of her voyage
Including Ruiz and Adolphe, there were eleven on
board vessel of SO tons, for the object Of working
her. Then to the IL sweeps, where was the
great necessity for them in regular trader They
would REQUIRE at least "a men to work her, and the
assistance could well be obtained from the cargo in
the hold.
Mr. Rantoul then passed to inquire what the use
OF hosc-pump and tubs were, unless tc draw water
from the bold without disturbing her live cargo and
also adverted to the construction of the hull of the
vessel
Two O'Clock having arrived, the court ad
journed
SATURDAY, June Z.
Mr. Rantoul, the district attorney Of the govern
ment proceeded in his argument, and made one o
the mos, mastery and pungent addresses that W.
have ever heard presented to jury Ii was logical
impressive, and conclusive; and founded as 1t was
not upon direct testimony, but circumstances o.
great variety and extent, it required great power o.
Combination and thorough knowledge Of all the
rninuf'e Of the case.
Mr.. Rantoul said that he was remarking upon tn,
peculiar build and construction of the Spithre, tn,
alterations which had evidently been made in her
the holes for her ventilation especially in the trunk
altogether unnecessary and injurious to her. unless
il were for employment in the slave trade, upon thu
extent Of her canvass, the number of her sweeps
upon her pump, hose and her hose tubs--all which
he repeated, could have been designed for no othe
conceivable purpose than that set forth IN the ndict
ment. tlG
These appointments were not required IN an ord
nary vessel or with an ordinary cargo Then again
as to the matter Of vctuallng and management o.
this vessel it full as extraordinary There were
eleven in her crew--all perfectly competent to the
Passengers" were employed in certain portions Of
the voyage Of the Spt're. And there was nothing