The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-08
Terrible Tragedy I'm China.
MURDER OF CAPTAIN wooDBERRY OF THE AMERICAN
s BARK SARAH NoERs.


Tor Moers) Joel Woodbury., master, % learned from
the carpenter of that vessel ON his arrival here In the
Sea King from the Raven Islands, in the North
Pacific. Amongst other particulars 1t was stated OF
the Sarah Moore that -
The cabin passengers Mr. and Mrs Ross andfour
chilrden, and two French and one English female.
difference occurring between the passenger Ross and
his wife and she not demulring the unfortunate hus
band was tied hand and foot and landed an island
called Rotamah The passengers endeavored to prevent
such arocity his part Of the narrators statement
untrue the passengers glad Ross was put on
shore) but the captain backed b his mates, vowed to
exercise his revolver any one attempting to check
him.
The residue of the passengers from the wrecked
vessel did not arrive here until the month OF July
following: and, as occasion offered, we made en-
curry from several Of them to the truth Of the ex
traordinary statement regarding the man Ross who
had been landed at Rotamah The result of all these
Not long after the Sarah Moore left Sydney, Ross
and his wife commenced qnarreliing; and both OF
them being fond Of liquor, scenes OF violence were
continually occurring On one occasion the wife ac-
cused the husband, Ross, of being an escaped con-
victof being one of the robbers Of the gold escort
from Balarat (he robbers took ifeon that occasion,
il we remember aright) and Of various other fragrant
offences. So accused, guilty Of the charges or not,
is doubtful Ross vowed to take his wifes life, and in
this he was not far from eectnaily succeeding. The
following is taken from paper written by Aiexan.
der Stephenson, steward of the Sarah Moore, placed
in our hands some time ago.
At the time Ross, using the most profane Ian
guage her. she then splitting blood freely goes to
her and says III will give you something to cry for"
and makes another effort to strike her. which she says
or Gods sake, Ross don't strike me any more or you
will kill me- for in the room you kicked me SO hard that
you broke one of my ribs" Ross then said, will do
more than that at the time using the most abusive
language to her. Mrs. Ross then got up and went into
the water closet he followed her into the closet
and then asked her what she doing undresscd and
said damn you put your clothes win kill you; will
cut your throat Ross then came out OF the closet into
the cabin and got of razors from his BERTH then re-
turned to the water closet and said to her, damn you
will cut your throat, to which Mrs Ross shreks and
says for Gods sake James, don't kill me; he says to her
what you making noise for people will think am
killing you; in few minutes after Ross out Of the
loset and brought with him put them
into his berth and then he went and set upon the sofa
then went down into the soreroom which joins the wa
ter closet and heard her, thought trying to vomit
heard the kick got up out of the storeroom and went
into the PANTRY and put the things that had in my
hands down and starts for the closet but before could
get the closet Ross told the eldest boy james go into
the closet and what his mother doing in there's he
went and found her lying the floor; he gave the ALARM
and said his mother was dying went into the room as
possible, and found her lying the foor; the
captain also Of the passengers into the roon
and assisted in getting her into the cabin laid her upon
the floor as the air could get to her. the oth
coming out of her mouth; she to her senses in
about five minutes Ross then sitting upon the sofa in
the cabin did not do much to get and look at
her. but said damn her. she knows better than to hang
herself she is not such fool as that
Ross then takes another glass Of brandy, drinks 1t
down. he then offers the captain he refuses it, and
says, will not drink with you Ross then said, let It
Ross then commenced abuse his vile,
ting very each other, used the most proane and
abusive language to her, and also threatened her life,
saying to her that he not done with her yet and
that there two that he wanted to get hold Of then
he would be satisfied. All the time he seemed to be in
great rage it also appeared he wanted to have fight
with some person other He used such language and
threats TO his wife, that all the passengers came deck
and would not stop in the cabin The captain told him
that all the were leaving the cabin on his ac
cout for he made much noise that they would not
stop in the cabin. Ross then said it her that made
all the noise, that the people would think there
il the Passengers did go out Of the cabin, and said: Call
in the that will put out of the cabin, and they
again, took glass OF brandy, then went down into the
steerage; he then came out of the Storage; the
second took hold Of him. aud the cook and of
the held him. and bound him with rope yarns. He
then using the most abusive language, and threat
ening the life Of the captanif they would only let him
loose he would kill two aud then be hanged The cap
told Tim that he would put him shore They put
him into the beat aud the captain told him that he
would send man Of war as soon as he could His wife
sent his clothes on shore, and so ended.
This statement was corroborated by the testimony
Of the passengers, Maloy and his wife, Power and
his wife, female Of the name Of Jane WINCH and
the captain, Woodbury., from whose private log
we take the following entry
TUESDAY, Sept 27-Comcs IN with light airs warm and
yariahle employed in gettiny wood Pa, Mr. Ross on
tried hang her she was found hanging by the throat
neck; when found her breath was nearly DONE she
gasping and frothing from the mouth for min
utes after she came TO.
Woodbury. gave as his reason for putting Ross
ashore jeopardy to which he was exposing the lives
OF himself and passengers in keeping such man on
board and although the act of landnga passenger in
such way is an offence highly nprehensibe, under
all the circumstances, We can but think there was
great excuse. Ross according to q letter in the
China Mail Of the 10Th ut., succeeded, after time,
getting from Rotamah to Sun Francisco, via sgd
ney, and ultimately reached this port. II was on
the 3st of March last that Ross called at our Office
to state that he was making every effort to find his
wife and children-that his eldest daughter had
gtrfaI slsynI DlIAn <nf
regiment and that If he could obtain the title deeds
Of lot in San Francisco {worth $9,O00) and bot
tomry bond on the Sarah Moers, {for f500,) he
would give rs much as 5000 and leave his wife and
family to go what way they pleased. Ross added
that Mr.. Mitchell Qhe sheriff presumed) had
directed him to our Office as TO quarter where ad-
vice how to proceed in the search at Macao (where
he believed his fomily was to be iound) was most
likely to be readily obtained.
week or so afterwards Ross called again, and
complained of his want Of success. This time, also,
he spoke in terms OF warm Indignation regarding
Woodbury. and vowed that, for the hardship be had
sustained at his hands, if he could not get justice
done him in conlts he would take his life. Again
Ross called at this Office with request Of to pub
lish the letter leeripg his signature in the Mau
efofe referred TO. Observing his statement to be
state OF the case as herein detailed we desired the
man TO wait until We had an opportunity Of con-
ferring with Mr.. Cooper Turner, whom he named as
his solicitor telling him at the same time that, If
paitiSuarly ueHt ou carry piUhcatiOn, tnere WE'RE
other papers in which his statement cond appear.
The Mails remarks in publishing the letter had re-
ference mainly TO "the way (sherff's) business is
done in Hong Kong proceeding on the apparent
belief that all Ross said was fact. But Woodbury.,
for whose apprehension Ross had obtained writ,
left Hong Kong for the Pratas Shoals full week
before Ross asserted that he him, and, so fur as
we advised, has never since been in Hong Kong.
The tale therefore, about the mistress is all ina
ginary. On that point, too II is pretty certain that
the female passenger whose position his mistress
Woodterry repeatedly denied-left Hong Kong in a
vessel bound to Annoy the l4th ult., week before
the Sunday alluded to in the letter.
We now arrive at the horrible result of this tale Of
crime. Woodberry, about p. M. on Wednesday
last, was walking on the Praya Grande, Macao, with
Captain Piepen, Of the Prussian bark Marie, when
Ross rushed across TO him, drew dagger from his
pocket, and, exclaiming, "Ah! you are the man
want" stabbed him repeatedly. Death, from inter.
nal hemorrhage, soon followed, and at seven yester-
day morning, Woodbury. was buried at the expense
of The American Consular Agent. Ross, we have
T. l.