The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1855-01-06
The Martha Washington Case.

The Martha Washington Case.
The Cincinnati Gazette publishes portion
of the testimony in the late trials at Helena
Some new facts were given which throw adj
ditional light upon that remarkable transac-
ton. We copy the following:
The testimony of Henry Cupp, deceased
as taken down at the preliminary trial last
spring, was read to the jury, and was TO
this effect: Was passenger on the Martha
Washington had a room adjoining the
clerks office; was awakened by light
shining in knot hole through my door ;
opened the door and saw the clerk, or the
man to whom | had paid my passage, stand
ing in the clerks office apparently watching
the fire, which was near the bar.room, on
the opposite side of the boat; he at this
moment DATED out Of the Office, and raised
great noise, crying fire, &c; he was dressed
as usual; it was midnight; ; there was no
candle at or near the bar-rOom from which
the boat could have caught on fire; the re
was no light or fire in the forward part Of
the boat; the fire could have been extin
guished by two or three buckets of water ;
Daniel Fox, my son-in law, his wife and two
children, were lost on the boat Fox had
So 900 in money had been removed from
room adjoining that of Fox. which was
in the aft part Of the boat to the room
next the clerks office the clerk, on seeing
me, called Fox several times and assured me
that he would wake him; afterwards told
me he had done it, and that he thought Fox
had followed him ashore | was told by some
persons that he had got ashore, but he did
not he and family were lost on the boat,
and Mr.. Cupp's private opinion was that he
had been murdered and robbed by the clerk
and crew, because he, Cupp, was removed
from his room near that Of his sOn-in law,
and the clerk evidently tried to prevent the
old man from going back to wake him"
This Cupp is the man who was mysteri-
ously murdered about four weeks before the
trial.
The testimony Of S. F. Cheney was also
important. He was at the shoe store, in
Cincinnati from 1919, till the Martha
Washington sailed. He related many cir.
cumStances that go to fasten guilt upon the
defendants. Among other matters, he tes-
tilted to the parties making out false bills OF
lading, placing up empty boxes, marked as
if full of boots and shoes, &c. Cummings
told him that Holland was hired to burn the
boat. Rufus Chaplin said he had filled two
boxes with saturated paper TO aid in burning
the boat. Cummings said they had got fcti-
tious bills of lading goods of that were not
shipped, to make money. The defendants
had talked of buying ship in New York,
and freighting her the same way they had
the Martha Washington, and start her for
California, and burn her on the way, thus
securing the insurance money. &c. They
talked of starting stores, at different points,
and, by recommending each other, get a
large amount Of credit, get insured for heavy
sums, and then burn out. Kissane told him
that he stole the Nicholson letter from Dis
trict Attorney Morton's room. in Columbus,
and Lorenzo Chaplin said that Clark destroy
ed it.
He said the defendants had devised various
schemes to get Burton out of the way, but
they had failed. He confessed he had told
different story before Commissioner Will
cox, but it was uHdcE threats Of violence. -