The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-05-28
United States Circutt Court.
Before Hon. Judge Ingersoll.

United States Ctrcuat Court.
Before Hen. Judge Ingersoll.
MAY 27.--7Nc Unsted States u.s. Smuh, Ned, Ds C0aia
and Brown oxy ssansn u tN Brig General PT@, chaged
itA ne Murder Of Captain LAWSON Previous to the case
being resumed the counsel got permission to have an in
.eryiew in private with III Costa, in company with an in
70 ge an adayt which he desired 10 use in the
case
Christian Petr0rs, the mate, was recalled and ON fur
ther examination said the captain had watch which the
second mate gave me, IL war delivered TO the American
Consul at St. Thomas; do not know who ok the watch
out Of the captains pocket before he thrown over
board; saw Brown have the chain; did not put han
on the captain when he was hove overheard did
take his watch; then six eight Feet from tho CAP
tain Twas four Eve feet from him when ho struck
by Ne Costa
cesed, and Intended 5 be used or the purpose cooking
food for slavcsP A. There two kotes board
which the captain said 10 boil ell; !
Concealed / can't say how much they would
hold one Of the kettles was not ned with coils Of rope
80 as to hide III there was no partition in the kettles they
filed up with rssh and close together, put can't
ray whether they were fastened together or not never
hold; did NOT hook for the are after the captain was
killed. q. Were there any manacles handouts
boardf A. only saw one PAIR Of handouts; did not
To Mr. McKecn-Tse hetcs in the house deck,
in the same place that they were when we sailed from
John Tpols, clerk in the Baltimore Custom House,
proved by the registry books the registry Of tho brig Gen.
the 10Th Of November, 1889 The bond on the isth Of
November, 1853, was sworn N b. James Hall,
and master. Hall then sworeche was citizen Of the
Henry Kirby, one Of the crew, dspceed that he was
native England born in onden the 10Th of February
Norris went 70 the wheel, smith and the mate 70 the
foretop and went into the cabin scrape the psuels
At ten O'Clock Smith relieved Morris at ,he wheel at
eleven o'r lock saw tho captain strike Smith In the n
Brown relieved Smith It the wheel, and We all went be-
low to dinner; Smith told the captain called him
of D. then they talked IN their own language; Ned,
De and Smith got knives and deck Morris
went into the fsrecaste; went on deck and say the
captain lying o. he aset bleeding Dc Costa struck
I" Are you going 10 kill mer' Ned said +" No -
the captain stood upon the spArs with his back the rig
and bis back 70 The main rigging; Ned was on deck the
captain said to Morris "look me nOw Ned told Norris
90 the wheel and saw Ned then take the out Of
the captains hand the captain very weak from loss
Of blood n The back Of the bead tho captain and
tried get into the cabin and the proners stopped thsm
them Tie, had taken charge q the ship, and they might
her ashore or do what they pleased Smith told me 70
SS When u. csun @ Ssy
do what they liked with her, they said they would not take
charge Of her Brown oame 10 the other two he had
with dagger; Smith spoke IN the men in their own LAM
gusee; then DeCosts struck the captain with .
The sheath Knife but wouidns do IT. Ned then handed
him dirk knife, and be (Brcwn struck the captain three
four times in The ls breasts the mate vent 70 interfere
and Brown made sta b. and the male said he would kill
him. too n he inerered After that the four prisoners
threw the captain overboard NED sung out 70 all hands 70
throw him overheard; wss than q minute or
minute and half from the lime he stabbed was
standing enough 70 zee everything that went the
captain was bleeding ~ ess, rate DC CsS struck him
ally and then he struck him again when he down;
can't tell whether the captain wa dead or not whom he
LU,Ep NAL
much afraid; they washed the blood OIL Thu
deck an~I helped them; they told the mate that h
Ned told him that they asked II could write Engph
and eaid could they then took into the CABIN the
told 10 enter the los book that ths captain takc
SICK and died. ell the prisoners into the cabin; Nee
spoke 10 III mate in ssb and said It would he all RICH
when % - p 81 rhosss, haa % make shs entry ~
put rgts IN th~ pg book hcy would si mo- they
iold me that " SAID anything about this when
went 10 81 Thomas they would Kill me, and II they didn
their country men would they the clothes
they had when they killed the captain, overheard
Brown his pAntaloons oyerbord Ned threw shirt
over; did not see the others throw nythng over
Can you identify tbs four who threw the captain
overboudY A. Yea: smith, Brown, Ned and De Costa;
amer they had killed the captain Brown wanted 10 kill tic
mate but Ned would not let him; cay whether this
before or after the captain thrown overheard
On examlpato the witness said the captain
| aban the galley; the men their dinner were
sbou, ter mnutss at dinner sheath knife, the
other dirk clasp; the sheath knife was about four
Inches long the blade went into leather sheath had
seen th,m before; have years sea-
the captain trouble sailor MIA knife saw Ned
take knife OF his chest Ned fret with
clasp knife, and he Costa han sheath knife did
captain have he Cosa by the thruaf heard that
be had caught him by the throat heard noise on deck;
thai is what brought up; about mute after tho
went deck heard the souilc; went two three
minutes after; heard no talk, but q scufle saw Ned
| stanc ing; Brown at the wheel this q quarter
past " o'clock then that DO Costa struck tho cap
lain with HEAVIER; did not the until the captain
h'a NED 1Ds ee hs Sa oss B e a
how long was before the said "1f you will give
up the pistols We Will knock on always got enough -
eat; our watch always treated well; there
rel Of bread in forecaste and barrel Of mackerei;
there barrel OF beef ths deck the we're not
put short allowance, my knowedgs; heard
the captain threaten put them short allowance u
they did not consent 10 TO he cosst Of Africa for
% slaves; he treated all WE'LL he would speak
angry sometimes; did MT ship for a tlsve voyage;
never after palm oil In my life; heard the
captain say what tho kettles for; Ned had ella ~
knic he took Il out Of hrs chest; Smith the knife he
bad out Of De Cosias chest they occapicd the
Jointly the chests always open; the captain might
have got the knives II he wan'cd from the time 10
Costa the captain until thew told get the pis.
tols twenty minutes; don't know shat the Captain
struck Brown tor; am Eoglshman; have never been
naturahzed believe the second mate Is an Eng sh
saw his protection.
Juror ssked the captain and those VII, were in
favor Of him gould MT have suppressed amItny Of four
men, with the weapons nj his command.
witness DID not know. did the captains pistols
The Juror said he could understand why this An.
Guilty could have arisen The cause ~ss not sufficiently ex-
M Charles Edwards, attached 10 the Portuguese cousu
aie-l rcsidcd IN The Po,tscae doninons until was
nineteen years of age.
Counsel for prisoners desred To prove by ,hs witness
that the lyle OF the signature the Custom House r-ss
try, Of Mr. Hail. Of tie vessel, the style u
Portuguese literature, aud Engbsh American ~ le
He believed that Mr. Hall foreign born, and tai this
vessel not owned BY America ~ and that shs
intended for slsve voyss.
wftncss IN answer 10 The Uourt ,aid--I tell by
writing whether he IN American PoTtu
guese school (tbos ptotuced) Wnre.s-T canD0 say
that this signature " Mr. Hal " ti. writrg " a Pgrtu
suese the other signature of NJ Halls q thc
Mssh characters The Fneisn writing " more angola
sharper than the American STYLE M the POM
suese douinions, Of English parents am nsiurallzei
ctizsn Of the United sta
George Munday, examined by the District Aporney.-
~ss born In this state; second mate board thc
Gen Pierce In February last heard NOISE deck ant
Lud taking between the captsin aud the a, the
wheel this vas about II y; went deck aui John
smith, the al the wheel with tho akin Of. ghc 81 10 ~
bis face John Ned came aud asked captain wh Tor
you strike the man Fl the whee then GosLs and
Smith Standing 1t the -pc-e side then saw D~Dosa
ulth h. Ill