The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1856-04-24
RIPLEY MISSISSIPPI, TIpPAH COUNTY, THuRsDA


dark, and we were some twenty five
miles above Hickman. About s.
O'Clock, word was passed up that Jones
was missing; ! could not leave the pi-
lot housc, but sent down orders at
once to search the boat for him, which
was done diligently and thoroughly
but without success. The iastenings
had been cut, the ends of the line
which were left, showing this plainly,
and the chair on which Jones had been
sitting, was gone. The boat was
crowded full of freight in the engine
room, and my first impression was
that Jones had concealed himself, with
the view Of making his escape, when
we landed, At the time of his disap-
pearancc, the engineer had stepped
att 10 examine the journals of the
main shaft; when he returned to his
station at the engines, the prisoner
was gone, We were then about the
middle Of Wolf Island, some ten miles
above Hickman, which place We
reached about 10 O'Clock. The wind
was blowing strong on shore and the
boat was landed, u passenger put
ashore, and the boat got ont again AS
soon as possible. lneither hailed any
one on shore myself, nor to my knowl-
edge was there any communication
between any person on board the
boat and any person on shore.
The only passenger on board the
Ohio Belle who had been to Califor-
MIA, that | heard of, was Doctor Gil
hon, Of Philadelphia, and at the time
of the prisoners disappearance he
was in his berth, being unable to move
about comfortably, because of an in
jury to one OF his teet-when the
alarm of the escape was given he got
up and remained up Il short time.
At the time Of the murder, there was
very naturally u great excitement
among the passengers as well US the
crew, and was fearful that some of
them would take the law into their
own hands, but this had apparently
died away, and all on board seemed
to be satisfied with the conclusion to
deliver Jones to the proper authorities
at Hickman.
This | believe to be correct state
ment of all the circumstances of this
dcplorablc affair, and for the truth of
it, refer to the passengers generally,
and to VI, l.. Duncan and Thomas
Early, of Cincinnati, Messrs Fight
master and Cooper, of uniontown,
KY. Doctor Gihon, Of Philadelphia
and Capt. Ben. Moses, of the Quar-
ter Masters Department, L. $. Army,
particularly, as well as to the officers
and crew of the boat.
The MEMPHIS BULLEriy Of the lst of
April, makes grave charges against all
on board the Ohio Bclle-what au-
thority that paper has for these char
gcs | do not know, but | have only to
say that they are untrue. It's strange
that respectable newspapers will, un-
der the impulse of the moment give
currency and credit to reports so inju-
rious to any one, without being en-
terely satsfcd..oftheir truth. The cdi-
tor or conductor of a papcL cannot be
too careful, as n mere incidental re-
mark in the editorial columns, may bo
the source Of great injustice; and de-
libcratc charges so made, carry with
them so much of authority, that q
man may be ruined by them without
the chance Of redress.
Those who know me will bear tcs-
timony 10 my character Us "A law abb
ding man, and oil who were on the
Ohio Belle Mt the time, will cxoneratc
me from the charge of desire to exc
cute Lynch Law on the murderer Of
Stephens.
JOHN SEBASTIAN.
Capt. Steamer Ohio Belle.
CINcmsAr, April 10, 1856.