The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-03-24

maica, of the 18th. The Philadelphia arrived here
on Saturday. IL
MURDERS ON CHAGREs RIvER.-The people Of
the lsthmus have been in state of intense excite
ment since the 18th of last month, when it was
first learned that number ofindividuas, supposed
to be over eleven, had been murdered on the
Chagres River. Intelligence of the bloody work
has aroused the residents, and private parties have
secured the neighborhoods, and public meetings
have been held in Panama with a view to trace
the murderers.
The American and other foreign residents held
a meeting on the I'd instant, at which nearly every
man within hailing distance was present. They
addressed the Governor on the subject. The Gov
ernor vouchsafed them an officer of rank, a corpo
raj, and ten men to head any expedition that they
contemplated. The meeting then passed resolu
tons, and having formed the expedition, adjourned
subject to call from the Vigilance Committee.
All respectab bic persons on the Isthmus are wide
awake for the guilty parties. The Panama Star
thinks there is but little doubt that the whole gang
engaged in the murders will soon be taken
At the meeting above referred to, Hon. Pat. w
Tompkins, of Mississippi, who had just arrived,
gave touching account of what he had heard and
sssn on the river. He said in substance:
"Arrived at Chagres, F -bu,ry % heard of the
murder; went over TO Old Chagres, and learned
that TWO persons had been arrested on the charge :;
went TO the calaboose, and them in the stocks
they were Carthagenans; was told by negro of
Jaimaica that one of them had confessed, and on
his confession implicated the other The purport
OF his confession was, that the boats crew, five in
number, are of Carthagena, with the boat of a
widow, native of Chagres, were taking nine pas
s-ngers up the river, among them two women and
| ~ hem tn sta ~
the night at Dos Hermanas, but were forced BY the
passengers TO go on; that quarrel ensued and the
quarrel ended in struggle just below Vamos
Vamos, in the course of which The skull of one of
the passengers was crushed by the blow of an oar
Up 10 this time it was not their intention to kill,
but then they began in earnest the work of death
that after dispatching the men with the oars they
poIgnarded the women and children that they
then rifed the pockets and baggage of the muir
dered passengers, and ran the boat into the river
Trinidad that ne who confessed charged the other
man under arrest with advising and directing the
murder. This was the substance of the confession
as stated by the Jamaican.
Apart from the confession, statements were very
conflicting, varying the number killed ftom nine to
thirteen. Parties had been sent out from Chagres
60 make inquiries and pursuit. With some of these
parties MIR. L. had met, in ascending the river;
they reported that they had found and buried five
bodies, upon none of which was found any thing
thing to identity them, except a paper, which
showed that man named Brooks was one of
tnem, and that he was a passenger out from New
York, on the Empire City.
MIR. Il. aud his party saw three Of the fresh graves
In ascending the river; and at point less than
one mile below Vamos Vamos, were attracted by
he buzzards to the beach, where they discovered
signs oil violence, such az rent clothing ETC. they
had their boat landed, and on examination found
two graves, so shallow that the birds had opened
item down to the dead bodies. The hands of both
bodies were exposed, and portions of The legs all
denuded OF the flesh by the birds The bodies had
not been long concealed there were not very Of
,Iensive; must have been buried by the murderers
There had been fire kindled on the beach.
From the Panama Star. 7th inst
SERIES OF DIsAsTERs-Loss of Three Ships
al Sea, by Fire. The fine ship Cabarga arrived
mere from Payts, yesterday, having on board Capt.
Bales, and part of the crew of the ship Nonantum
which caught fire at sea, north of the Falkland
Islands, and was COZ nmed, not, however before
reaching the land. The ship was loaded with
coal, belonging to Messrs. j. Howard d. Son, and
was proceeding from Baltimore to California. Can.
tain Bates and his crew succeeded in landing on
one OF the +. Islands, where they remained until
taken of by the British ship Hermieu. When off
Cape Horn, tue Hermeu also caught fire and was
destroyed, not before, however. the crew and pas
sengers, including Captain Bates and his party,
We're taken OF by the American ship Symmetry,
from which vessel they were transferred TO the
American ship Fanchon, also loaded with coal be-
" luossis IloWaEu N SOn, and bound to
California. Ii is a singular and strange coincj-
dence, that when off his side) Valparaiso, The
fanchon also was discovered to be on fire. Her
matches were immediately hattened down. AT The
expiration Of eighteen days, the harbor of Sechura
bay was made, into which the vessel was run. lust
10 time TO allow every body to escape; as shortly
alter striking the beach, the flames burst forth and
soon consumed every vestge of her From Sc
chura Bay all hands were conveyed to Payta, from
which some OF them took passage to this place.
Not having been so fortunate, as yet, to meet Cap
am Bates, we are unable 10 give all the minute
ietaiIs of the singular accidents which have at
ended him. For what is heSs published, we are
indebted 10 Capt. Barstow, of the Cabarga.
LATER FROM JAMAICA.-By the steamship
Philadelphia, we have the Kingston Morning
Journal of the 18th
We learn from the Morning Journal that the
committee of the Assembly appointed to inquire
INTO and report upon the ways and means OF the
island Tor the current financial year has presented
q report to the House. 1t appears from this that
the entire expenditure of the colony amounts to the
very large sum of f269 600 in which amount