The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-29
Supposed Murder or q Seaman
ON BOARD TIE SHIP EXCELSIOR, LYING OFF THE
BAT1ERY-ARRRsT OD ONE OF THE ALLEGED PER
PETRArORS.

ON BOARD TEE SHIP EXCELSIOR, LYING OFF THE
BAT11RY-ARRRST OD ONE OF THE ALLEGED PER
PETRAT0Rs.
About the 2sth Of July last seaman named swee-
ney was murdered board the ship Excelsior, while
lying the streamo the Battery previous to her leav
ing for Liverpool by three Of hs messmates who beat
him to death in the forecastle and then supposed
threw his body overheard, no trace OF his where
ahouts has ever been ascertained The shin sailing
en- the morning on which the occurrence took place
nothing was known Of the murder until the vessel was
many miles out to sea. On her arrival at Liverpool
the matter was laid before the American Consul there
who ordered the arrest Of Of the Sailors named
John Burke, on suspicion OF being one Of the perpe
traitors Of this horrid deed, and accordingly he
was sent back, and arrived here few days aeo
to the charge imputed to him by some OF the
crew Since that time the matter has been undergoing
an investigation before Justice Osborne who has already
taken several adayits from the sailors the ship on
That occasion, in redon to the matter. The following
evidence will be found highly interesting:-
Fork Jsn Norman ' Of No. % sss s"a ustog yn street, rs'
being duly sworn deposes and says, thai he was
IN board the packet ship Excelsior on her late voyage
LIVERPOOL having sailed from this port about the
2eth # july last and arrived back again to this port ON
tic I'D Of October. Deponent further says that on
atut The 2Sih day Of July last, about eight hal
o'ci,ck in the evening, while said ship was lying
anchor IN the Battery, there was disturbance and
4 dig in the starboard forecastle between John vii
Iams, john Burke, and John Burns and afte
o,,r had been restored between the said par.
ties, they all three went upon deck, bu
fcrecastle, bringing with them Of the crew named
- sweeney As as Sweeney CAME down, stated
the said Williams ordered him to 10 into tho larboari
lcrccastlc and bring him needle something of the
kind, which Sweeney refused to do wlercupon Williams
struck him In the face with his Hst, and then seized
stone bottle from bunk and struck Sweeney violent
blow on the head The aforesaid John Burke then seized
Sweeney BY the throat and struck him twice the head
with black glass bottle which Knocked said Sweeney
down the deck, wlcreupon both Williams and Burke
jumped upon Sweeney's body and kicked him numbcr
OF times and said Burns also attempted strike Swee
hnt hrfv L..x H.
ponent becoming frightened left the and went
on deck leaving all or most Of said in said
castle, ana deponent has said Sweeney sncr
said time; but the last time he saw him as aforesaid
SAID sweeney was SO beaten that he WAS not able to stir
Sworn to before me, Oct 81, 1854, b. OsB5RsE, Police
Justice
John Boyd, of Astoria, Gueens Co., NJ ", being duly
sworn, dcposed and said that he OF the hands
on board the packet ship Excelsior her late to
Liverpool; dcponent further said that at about tx
o'clock on the evening Of the 2st Of July last the day
before said vessel sailed and while she lay anchor in
the stream of the Battery, he saw disturbance on the
starboard forecasc between John Burke John Williams
and - Sweeney, and while said Sweeney lying on
the floor Of the torecastlc deponent said Burke
strike said Sweeney twice the head with black glass
Soo the second blow breaking the bottle in pieces and
dozen times while he down. and also strike him Tin
the back with marlin spke deponent then left the
forecastc and went on deck leaving all said persons
the forecase, and deponent the said Sweeney
again, and he was missing on board during the whole
voyage. his
mark
John Clark, carpenter of the ship Excelsior lying at
the foot of Dover street. being says
that he beard said vessel her last voyage to
Liverpool having sailed from this port on or about the
2sh Of July last. Deponcnt further sass that about
one O'Clock the morning of the day which the res
sci sailed, he saw John Williams and Sweeney on deck
near the forecaste ccmpanionway and while they were
there he saw Williams strike Sweeney across the ons or
small Of the back with capstan bar, and was about to
repeat the blow when aeponent prevented him and drove
him around to the other side OF the vessel Deponent
further says that this the last time he ever saw sid
Sweeney dcpcnent having only remained deck about
half an hour afterwards mad the morning about
eight O'Clock when all hanks mustered and their
names called the said Swessey found be missing
and was missing during the remainder of the voyage
JOHN CLARK
Here the matter rests for the present. until the re.
naming parties who implicated in the transaction
are arrested and until other witnesses be obtained
to throw some more light this most foul and dia
yestgated and the guilty parties brought to justice for
the inquitous deed thus perpet rated -.-