Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-02-16
From the New York Tribune
Horrible Massacre and Piracy GA
board ana English Schooner.

copy the following account OF the tragedy
OIL board the British schooner .Anaelia, from
the PolyneSian of October ii:
On Thursday morning the 18th inst the
English Schooner Amelia, of Glasgow, ar
rived at this port in distress, part of her crew
having mutnied and murdered the captain,
supcrcargo, first and second officers. The
particulars of this tragic occurrence are; as
near as we have been able to gather them,
as felows:-
The Amelia left Mazatlan on the 9th
of September, and the coast on the 10Th,
with cargo 100000 in specie, bound for
China, Mr.. Cook and lady, and Mary Hud-
son, serving maid, as passengers. On
the night of the third October, in the middle
watch, three Of the crew attacted the second
mate and killed him. The captain and
Mr.. Goa hearing the noise came on deck.
One Of the ruf1ians was stationed at the lore
castle hatch 10 prevent the watch below from
coming up, and the other two attacked the.
captain and Mr.. Cook, killing the latter and
badly wounding the former.
The captain succeeded in getting down
into the cabin, and after having procured
a cutlass, was stabbed in the neck, and
fell back a lifeless corpse. The ladies,
afrighted at the noise and grOans Of the
murdered, were ordered to their state.rooms,
the mate was occurred in his, and the muir
derers took possession of the cabin and,
shaped their course for the coast of PERU
On the following morning, the mate was told
that he could have the boat, and provisions,
ifhe choose to leave the vessel and take the
ladies with him. Under pretence of low
ering they induced him to go on deck, when
they fell upon him and having wounded him
badly. they threw him overheard.
They then threw all the letters and pa
pers overheard and getting out a large guam
ity of gold, divided itamong the crew, com
pellng all Of them, at the peril of their lives,
to take share Of the money; and then call
ing for wine, commenced gambling. For
two days they held undispuled possession,
compelling the ladies TO sit at the table with
them, and threatening them, with death if
they did not comply. Ii is more easy 10
imagine than describe their feelings. No
ray of hope beamed on the futures but
thanks to kind Providence, deIiverence
was at hand.
We give the remainder of the narrative
from a statement drawn up by an appren-
tice boy on board the .4n1elia named
Thomas Cannon;
Wednesday ,4th, John Smith ,bornin Rot
terdam, Holland; VIM. Chrisiiansaud, \ or>
way; Frank Feering, ST. Michaels; West~
ern Islands John Bcringer, Bordeaux,
France: Jose Bllboa, Spain, proposed a
plan TO take the lives of the mnrderers, that
tcbk nh IA,
ofthe crew, -four excepted) The carpenter s
axe, maui, pump breaks, boarding-pikes
&c. were 10 be ready for the purpose. Al
4o'clock,P. NJ. the three mnrderers brought
up quantity of wine, which was offered II
the men in order to make them drunk
That being done, they commenced playing
together for gold. Afterwards they got
muster of firearms together trying which
was the best, and loading them with heavy
charges. One of them from the foot of the
companion way discharged Il loaded psto
at the wheel John Smith without effect.
They then put the arms away for tina
time, but told the females they should have
occasion for them in the morning. They
then came on deck, (0a p. NJ Jose Calcrc
having the first watch and who was to cal
the other two at II o'clock. At ten O'Clock
John Smith was relieved from the Vince
and went to the lee side of the long boat ant
asked the carpenter if the implements were
ready. The carpenter replied, Yes, al
ready, but the axe was below. John SmiiI
went below i'll the Storage and brought i
up, and told the boys, Charles and Thomas
tohave the boarding-s pixies ready ,andsho
l,a a. IL,
cabin and baud them up, Jose CaIero
who had the watch then, being drunk struck
eight bells al / l o'clock, he then called
out to heave the log. Smith immediately
sieZed the axe and running aft despatched
at once the sleeping men Jose Torres anc
Andrew Baldibezo) where they lay on the
deck, whilst VIM. Peter, who went to hold
the reel, dropped it and fell upon Jose Ca.
Zero, trying TO get him overheard, but being
unable to manage him, John Smith jumped
10 the lee side and struck off his right arm
with the axe. John then called out for tho
boys TO get the cutasses in the event o.
meeting with any opposition in the four mer
whom he could not confidc in; but they re.
celved no opposition. The bodies of the
three men were then thrown overboard.-
John Smith then took command, the rest o
the crew being all agreeable to the same
He then went down in the cabin, assuring
the females Of their safety, and consulted
with Mrs. Cook as to what would be the
best plan to pursue in order to restore lhC
vessel and cargo to the rightful owners -
The money was all brought aft, as ii hat
been distributed and placed in the cabin
The survivors attempted to return to Ma
zatan, but the weather proving very bad
they decided 10 make the nearest land, ani
took their course as near rs they coult
compute, for Oahu. The following is a lis
of those who were killed dy the mutineer.
MIR. Cook, for some years resident o
Mazatlan; Capt Robert l.. McNallv, 0
Dublin; Roman Alva and Ciiano. The
three mutinecrs were Mexicans. Three
natives of the coast have been placed il
confinement for the purpose OF examina
ton. It's thought that none Of the crew
except the three who were killed were war,
of The plot. The specie has been remove,