The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-03-12
The Alleged Slave Traaicking.
UNITED STATES COMMISSIONERS OFFICE.

Before g. ". Morton, Esq
March l0-7As United States agt. bartholomew Blaneo.
Tho prisoner 10 under arrest upon charge that he
built ftted equipped loaded otherwise prepared and
caused to sail from the port Of New York the bark
Aaudon, for the purpose that the said vessel should
be employed in the slave trade that he caused
Of those acts TO be done with such intent in violation
Of the I'd and Sd sections Of the act Of Congress- passed
April 90 1918, Sd statutes At large pages $780, 49, 1t
appears that during the month Of May 1853, Mr.. B.
Baanco merchant OF good standing in this city, in the
ordinary course Of his BUSINESS purchased Of Walter
Lockwood OF Greenwich, Conn., the bark Mllaudon for
S6700 and the 9th OF December following sold her
the ali S.
forms necessary on change OF ownership were gone
through with BY the parties The bark was afterwards
months at $500 per month On about the 10th Of De-
cember crew was shipped the proper papers executed
18th or 18th Of the same month"; sailed fOr the west coast
Of Africa with Carralero as supercargo and Holmes
Mara Is master. She arrived and anchored OF
and subsequently proceeded up the river to
Cabenda where her cargo delivered TO . resident
iisbman, Edward Myers, German, and John Colsten,
Swede forming part OF the crew. 50 far material
rates1hat after the arrival Of the bark the sail
called into the cabin and for the first
time by the master that he intended to take board
cargo Of negroes for the Island Of Cuba and that they
voyage to Cuba. agreeing TO the latter each should
have four hundred dollars for the voyage The mon
concluded, under all the circumstances, to remain
board. While making preliminary arrangements for
shipping slaves the bark seized BY British cruzer
acting concert with the United States ship Perry and
the slave trade The Of the bark landed at
Cabenda and the master and consgnee gave each OF
the due bills orders for their wages Of the follow
ing import
sr-You will please draw on Mssrs Salvador Tuea or
Trinidad de Cuba for $50 80 and pay them to George Jack
GuLiELME JozEDE sr. coRREA.
The captain Of the bark noted upon one of these pa
pers the place Of business OF Mr. Bsnco the accused
by which be found. When called upon by the men.
Mr. Banco at denied all knowledge OF the parties
abroad and all interest concern in the vessel cargo
VOYAGE &C., and refused to have anything to do with the
men, to pay the wages &C. observing that other
lerson Of similar name must have been in view. The
aors procured Awye to act for them, and in
suence OF letter from him, Mr. Blanco called at his
ecs where disavowals and disclaimers Of substantial
ly similar character made by him, with the addi-
onal evidence Of his being Ut 6rst very angry 1t his
teDg thus troubled cooling down, however and saying
that If there had been but one demand he would
have paid 1t than to have been annoyed and
bothered The sailors afterwards sent 10 the United
saa.ss psirct Ano1hey me Question presented Tor
ances is whether the facts proved constitute probable
cause for believing that the primo face honest position
and that he equipped and dispatched her to trade In
slaves caused Of the acts specified to be done with
tnat INTENT Inc dueps neld py the crew, II really m
tended for the accused import upon their face nothing
yond request that Mr. Blanco should draw house in
Cuba for funds and after having received them pay the
bearer many dollars for wages earned board the
bark but color Of evidence snstains the idea that
Mr. Blanco directly or indirectly hired the crew,
aware OF the destination Of the vessel procured
her cargo &c, &c IL s not probable that the captain
OF SLAYER upon the coast Of Africa, whose vessel had
been iesed, and who intended to defrsud his crew Of
their wages would be very scrupulous to whom he
would direct them TO call upon in New York for their
pay, at all inconsistent with his object that the
name and place OF the persons should be specified II
trins OF presumptive inferentia guilt, ncupate
respectable merchant under circumstances slight and
open TO satisfactory solution their creduty must be
largely invoked TO make up the suspicion which would
with fair and open ordinary business TO be false and
deliberately gotten up 70 deceive and divert attention
from lattnt and extended crimpAlity 1t difficult
to detect anything leading to dere mt conclusion from
consideration Of what occurred during the interview
between Mr. Hanco the sailors and their counsel Az 70
the FIRST the dsavowa Of Mr. Banco prompt explicit
and unequivocal and when afterwards their demands
were backedby professional that expensive
litigation not to say criminal proceeding might possibly
be In store for him. his former reputation Of having had
anything TO do with the vessel after being sold by him.
emphacsy reiterated, with the not unusual declar
alton often made under somewhat analogous crcum-
stances that there but demand he would have
paid TO himself the annoyance he was undergo
fng. While every proper effort should be made
pose and bring to trial engaged in the nearous
and piratcal trading in slaves, proportonate caution
should be observed in order that the character OF
chants should not be recklesey assd and their bust
ness injured by loose and vague suspicious beyond
which, In my Judgment, nothing has been made TO ap-
pear. II different views entertained by the prose-
cuton, or should additional evidence be within his
troll the be presented for the consideration OF
the Grand without any danger that the ends Of JUS
missioner which is that the accused be discharged from
the present warrant OF arrest.