The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-09-03
The Murder on Beard the saip Washing
tOn-The Cor0aer's Inauest.

occOruAnco q
the body found ssorstsd board the ship Washington
Saturday afternoon. the particulars Of which
already published the Coroner yesterday proceeded
to hold the inquest which held at the Bellevue
Hospital foot Of 26th street We give the testimony
below Is taken before the jury The deceased it seems
whose right name was Carl Pretxsh Prussisu by birth
and according to his passport only II years aud ak
months Of age 1t appesrs likewise that the majority
Of the steerage passengers what is termed hard
set Of fellows. Is . chest broken open and
$500 extracted therefrom, short time previous the
murder. This fact Of the robbery was communicated
to the captain, who instituted search but clue
could be bad of the rogue. Subsequently however $40
Of the stolen money found deck under the long
boat. tied up In piece Of This returned
to the owner The night the deceased murderei
wasa very stormy night and all the sesmen called
on deck to shorten sal At this time it is supposed
the murderers carried out their designs. and being
fearful of detection should they bring the body deck
to throw 1t overheard they concealed 1t bet
boxes and placed another top. to keep the body
from sight Another thing, some two three of the
male passengers ut the time tho deceased missing,
endesvored convince the other passengers that the
deceased had jumped overheard These persons
are suspected OF being the guilty parties II was
person, In a leather belt but money belt has
been found going conciusiyely to show that the
was nurdersd merely for few dollars. The following
is the
TESTIMONY.
JoBr FOSTER, residing in Mathers county. State of
Wig being sworn. says:-rhat he is captain Of the
ship Washington lying at the foot Of Rutssr street.
arrived here. August 2sa from the river Ems; the
had hundred and seventy five steerage
fengers the lower held stored With goods and
chandse in boxes the passengers baggage, and BALLAST
after being at from the nth Of Judy to the 10th OF
August. OF the passengers was missed; search
made for him throughout the ship; no trace of him
could be found; his luggage was found in the berth
where the deceased slept: the berth the lar
board side between the foremost and mainmast was
present when his luggage was found; saw no blood
about the berth; several slept in the BERTH do
who they were; the vessel searched In the
lower bold when the deceased missed Of the
passep gers said that the deceased had jumped over
board who to rest suspicion upon do not know; the
left the ship the day Of arrival
and others not for several days afterwards the pas
eepgers ali Germans the greiter part Of the pas
sergers to GO west; some boarding at the
Greenwich House. So Greenwich street; and some in
tie Eamtugh Huff House. in Green wieh street, the
night Of the 14th Of August the night that the de-
cepso D missed very dark and stormy; all the
' '''' JOHN W. FOSTER.
JoBs +. Peasants, residing In Portsmouth, yr-
einis being says That he is Grst mate Of the
ship Washington; on the 18th of August cue Of the
pnsser gers missed; have recollection II the
deceased was on board Of tho ship when the body
found; men were engaged In unloading the vessel;
covered; men had been to work all the morning, aud
part q the previous day; the body found in the
lower hold board side Of the fore hold at the bot
Of the vessel between boxes Of merchandizo
| was present when the body was brought on deck;
could not recognize The deceased; ouly know from
besrey that the deceased had any difficulty with any
person; there box taken out yesterday that
had something black upon IT, It might have been blood
JOHN f. PEASANTS
GFoRaE JOHNSON residing in Brooklyn, New York
Icing sworn, says That 10 was third mate on
board Of the Wsshington | recoect the deceased;
should think nc va, about twenty years Of age haze
went with bis coat or he seemed to me to be quiet in
his disposition, but at times thought he ont of
lis head the Sunday previous TO his being missed
he had difficulty with jew, who slept
in a berth beneath the deceased they made
friends sitter that assisted in searching the vessel for
he | n m
light; searched her thoroughly; but where tho de-
ceased was found We could not get to him account
Of the texef; to have found the deceased. should
have had to have gone down the forward hatch we
then should have had to the boxes; there
plant OF a smell from tho body Of the deceased
during the passage; yesterday afternoon, of the
! stevedores engaged in unloading the vessel
deck md asked II had nssed man told him that
we had not had forgotten about the passenger that
missed; he said that man was lying dead in the
lower hold; went down and looked At him; he was
lying with bis head downward and his feet upwards;
between two boxes of his legs seemed though IL
bad been pushed dorsward; do not know the name Of
the person that the deceased quarreed with:
portion In which the deceased found, am Of tho
opinion that the deceased murdered and placed be-
low the boxes by person. the boxes OF nerchan-
die within about feet Of the lower deck; the
deceased was found near the bottom Of the vessel
GEORGE JOHNSON.
LEWIS Krso, second mate Of the Washington. being
SWORD says That he left the vessel eight days ago
hearing that the body Of hsd been found 10 the
lower hold Of the vessel ! care back assisted in
searching for the deceased when be missed; think
the body could not have beon found except by remoy
ing the boxes; have reason 20 suspect Any person
beard the vessel the generality OF the ps.s.pue
we're well; the deceased very quiet aud generally
sat by himself soue OF The passengers said 20 Mr. Hart
the deceased said that ifhe ala not get 10 New Yors soon
that lie would jump overheard; I examined tho lug
gage 81 the deceased found passport giving de.
crrion Of bis person; his clothing had money the
deceased, as was told had quarrel day two be-
fore with Of the passengers this common; tho
we're. 80 far as judge Of their ehass
berry had been committed on board OF tbs vessel a
portion Of the money was recovered. but the thief
| could not be traced; was not present when the
! dtecssed was found | did not know OF II uIt last
night about IL o'clock; tho deceased fr as could
ascertain had friends relations board o. the
vessel; knows the place in which the deceased was
found, ard the ciroums tanses the decreased having
money around his person in belt and no, having any
derd but LIE did not believe that he would jump over
beard; some Of the passeDggrs told me that the de-
cease had between sixty and eighty dollars IN money
! In n leather belt around bis body
LEWIS KING.
hilc CocEEysin, being sworn. says Ill, Ia as
fistsnt 10 the Coroner; yesterday afternoon vent
With the Coroner on board Of the ship Washingtor,
and went down In the lover hold Of tho vessel tie
puipofe Of removing the body desk found tho de-
lying his back with his head 10 q yard: his
feet sboue Is inches above his head hi legs we're
crossed aud his drawn pressed M 10 his
body; his feet TOW ards the bow u the vess, he wa,
lying between two boxes that cam. together Ut an
argyle 10 irClt. that he could not be from the
bow Of the vessel there We, hex % merchandise
him. ] caused the body to be hoftei to tho upper
deck; the deceased had coat on his vest VAS ln-
buitontd his ranialsobs were down side and
the susrcrder on the side loosonsi: there
Lelt On his person; received "a. lugrixe q
the deceased from the captain. the passport found
among bis papers oorreponds precisely With the APP
pearancc yret nted by the deceased tbe
corresponds with thoee by the decca.cd ons palr
q part1ioons made ct the IN a,crai a. WON
by the deceased ISAAC COCKEFafg.
Jour H. WmTrrrR, physician. residing $40 Bread
Way, being sworn, says: That ho hss taken view 81
the body q the deccascd 10 I. much deconrosei
found an iroi-ed wound extending across the neck
from the angle q jaw TO the angle q the othar
this wound bad divided the soft psrts aud eSendcl ia
depth TO the bones 81 the ver'erbra q tho neck
wound had been inflicted by sharp instrument. sni
was suf.cent 60 causc death; the body vas 40 much
decomposed 60 render u impossible to say vhather
the wound inflicted PRIOR subsequent % dc,th
whether their any other iri urcs, from the Ok.
tstded ieIsaiisI " ts soft parts an q The opinion
that IL was inflicted before 1-@th
JOHN II. WIIrrAHER, Nsr York.
On The above evidence being taen IN. Jury sr fss
minutes consultation rendered the filovny verdict:
That the deceased, Carl rrotrh 20 his de- "a by