The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-02-06
a INTELLIGENCE.
The Alleged Slave Trafnc In 1854.
THE UNITED STATES vs.. CAPT. J. FILLErrI ALIAS
KRAFT.


The Alleged slave Tramc In 1864.
THE UNITED STATES vs. CAPT. .. PILLErrI ALIAS
KRAFT. 4
UNITED STATES COMMISSIONERS COURT.
Before Geo. W.. Norton, Esq.
Fxp. 6.-Eli A. r. LAvelletts, examined Iby ths District
Attorney, deposed that no was tbs eommandeh os the
SQUADRON on the Coast Of Africa in 1852; recOHests The
case Of the Schooner Advance; our s~qusdron arrived at
the Port au pr.ys in October, 1864; I found the schooner
Advance there on our arrival; the schooner drifted upon
a point near her anchorage and the boats in the com.
mand Of Lieut.. Rogers; l think Mr.. Walker went to her
assistance; it was necessary to take some portion Of her
cargo out in order to get her of; she was released from
her perilous position, and, being much damaged, car
penters were sent from our squadron to repair her; Q
few days after this Capt. Kraft came on board the
United States vessel Germantown and expressed his &C
knowledgments for the assistance given him; / then con-
versed with him for more than half an hour, and learned
from him that he had been an old trader on the Coast;
/ asked him several questions as to the currents, winds,
&C., and he gave very clear answers; ! resolved from the
Collector of Customs, on the I'd November, 1852, a letter
at Port au Praya, to which I replied. This is the reply.
OBJECTED to- Admitted.
The letter is as follows
FLAG SHIP GgRaANrowS,
PoRr Az PRAYA, Nov. 3, 1852.
SiR-l have received your official communication OF
the I'd inst, informing me thSt the American schooner
Advance, now in this port, has landed, under suspicious
circumstances, a large boiler and fourteen casks done up
in bundles, a. your Custom House, ana mat you a. sup up
sinve trade; also, that you have notified the American
Consul to that effect
necessary steps takea to investigate the matter immeai-
~ i. A.. F. L%AvALLErrE.
Witness continued-A joint commission Of officers was
appointed by the authorities Of that place, and myself,
to examine the Advance. On the report Of that commits
zion I sent the Advance home for trial; l sent the msts
of the Advance, and one or two of the crew, home In her;
the captain of tine vessel and the supercargo had, in the
they had. sent a vessel in advance Of the schooner Ad-
vance, to the coast Of Africa; a day or two after
ans inc sa pse'o on cI board 'n tho ' SermansovO' and nd SAD d
that he understood the Germantown wal going
down the coast, and ASKED me to go with us to
Cabindo. The Captain Of the Advance expressed his fears
on shore that ! would seize him at the first opportunity,
and | should have done so. There was an English vessel
then in the harbor which, carried OH the Captain OF the
Advance; don't remember the time when she sailed; IL
must have been in November; the Advance ~procselel to
the United States, and l understood that Capt. Kraft
and frgm thence to England. The suspicious circuustan-
ces against the AdvaI CO were that she was abandoned
and surrendered e s1tsat to n m; ~ TIE authorities % 1ss o Of Port au
!. Walker), in whose charge ! placed the Advance, vas
dated November 1862.
q. Do you recognise the Ca plain Of the Advance here2
A. In nay conversation With tho Captain Of the Al.
vance, of more than half an hour, [ sat 0p oslo to him, rs
DO nov, and ] asked him a variety Of questions, his
LNi6o - v sh1s VI $500 NSsAN $3.50 tNN@I-Nyt
he was thinner and paler; / dc not RENE G6er to have mo-
ticed the loss Of a tooth, which ] see now; l did not DIS
cover any BILE nish IN his eye which ! see now.
Q. Do you recognise any person present as the captain
of the Advance.
A. Impressions are sometimes m ,de by circumstances.
II this gentleman {Fille.tD had been placed among wen
ty or thirty men, in q room in this house, and J. WAS
asked II any one Of them bore a resem )lancs 10 the car.
tain OF the Advance, | shoald say this gentleman (Fl-
let.),
The witness was eross-exsmined particularly az to the
identity Of the accused. Could not particalarixe his
drpgp hut thinks IL Uaa uf a TIGHTER ma .erinl Than Il ia
now. ~
Raymond Knowles, one of the carpenters Of the United
The Alvan.e on the coast of Africa, Fl, m the latter psrt
OF October to the Old or Oath Of Nov; / know the Bal,sa;
saw her first at Greenpo,nt. OBJECTED toJ
Q. WHAT'S the build Of the 5allea3
A.. She is an hernraprhodite brig or q ~brigartine; ! don't
know her tonnage; ! csu't state her length or breadth;
Here one OF the part owners OF the Psllea admitted
that the vessel was 1911 tons.
Witness continued-Her build is very sharp, and she
is well calculated to sail; after she was launched, saw
her between Jackson and Gouverneur streets; she went
from there to brooklyn, remained there about a week,
and took in Goals in h,gsheads; from Brooklyn she .ent
to Jersey City. where she took in lumber; saw hsr after
wards at pier Z North river.
9. Did you see the captain Of the Advance on the coast
ofAfricaf
A. ] did, sir.
q. Where ard You see him2 A. | saw him on board the
schooner Advance, then lying at Port au Praya
9. Have you seen him since, and itso, vhereY A. ihaye;
] saw Linn a. SIeenpoint.
Q. Whenp A. In the month of July.
4, DO you recognize any person in this room ~ the
sam, person. A. l recognise the prisoner as the Captain
Of the Advance.
O. State the circumstance under which yon saw him
at Greeppoint il July last. A. | was at work on tue
bark North Sea, and saw this man on the frame Of the
brig RaIea; he looked 10 me Ike a man tina. / had seen;
he was some distance from me; ono day, while passing
the brig, he gave me q look like the way the CaptL n did
on the school, er Advance; J saw him every day while
worked there, for five or six weeks; l saw him after that
at the foot Of Jackson street; after that | saw him 1T a
coal yard in Brooklyn; ] next esw him in Jersey City, tho
same brig was lying there; ] next saw him ia From.
street, East river; after that | saw Inn on board the
Ballea in the North river.
Counsel for the accussd-You seem to have had moth
ing else to do but watch him.
District Attorney want to show the slayers that
they are tracked at every movement, and that shall
ue every effort in my power to detect them.
Cross-examined by Mt. Eatol-i an 20 years OF age
Wis born in the State Of Msioe; ] was cooper on board
The Germantown.
q. Do you think yoar judgment Is as good as 20 II
officers.
A. | think II IS as good rs one half OF them; Gaugh-
! ttr0 ] think my judgment iu identifying q m N is as
good as any Of them; l think his dress 1t Port au Prays
was Ike that he has on now.
The cross exa Examination as To identity was contin ued,
and the case was further adjourned.