New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-10-02
Shocking Tragedy on an American Vessel
From a Havana letter of the 18th in the New York
Herald we extract the following:


From a Havana letter of the 18th in the New York
Herald we extract the following:
Yesterday morning the bark N. Fl. Knight, Lus-
comb, sailed from this port having on board the two
rufians who committed the murders of officers and
crew of the American brig Albion Cooper. Abraham
Cox colored person, born at San Martin, in one of
the West India islands, is the name of one of the sup
posed murderers and probably that thirty years
ago he was more familiar with such crimes than of
late years. The Belgian, Peter Williams, has also
handled knife and BEFORE and been familiar with
blood.
They were examined by the acting United States
Consul, Thos. Savage Esq, on Friday and Saturday
Of last week. at the Tacon prison. They had a very
nice theory explain the loss of their vessel in which
both agreed tolerably we'll They denied all knowledge
of any loss of life board except the night Of
suua they were called deck and when there found
nobody-all had been washed overheard, etc.
After their declaration the testimony Of Capt. Bry-
ant of the Black Squall, by whom they were picked
up, was taken in their presence in which was ex-
planned the circumstances of taking them on board,
and OF the delivery to him of the register of the brig
Albion Cooper, by the boy Thomas Fay as soon after
he got on board as he could find convenient oppor-
tunty of his calling his attention to the endorse
ments made on the register, which he had done as
soon as he could after the murder and before he left
the brig, when he was not under observation; and
which Capt Bryant says he could not have written
board of his vessel after coming on board previous
to delivery to him. as they were all under his eye un
Immediately approached him and drew the register
from his BOSOM and also an invoice of the cargo
board the Albion Cooper, which he had found with
near the register when he took it.
Afterwards, the boy Thomas Fay, was examined,
and he gave all the particulars of the crime That
the captain was killed by the Belgian with hatchet,
(this he did not see) and the mate killed as he
advanced to meet the captain; the second mate was
killed by the negro, and the boy Fay wast compelled
to hold the light while the negro went into the fore
castle dispatch the sailor bellows the work that had
not been we'll done to the death of either finished
by the other, except the captain, who was killed by
Williams; the mate had received an additional blow
on the head from the negro, to finish the work began
by his companion, and the brute Williams cut the
throats of the second mate and the seaman in the
forecastle who had received initiative blows from the
negro.
After the examination of the captain of the Black
Squall and the boy the prisoners confessed making
clean breast of it, excepting through revenge, try
ing to involve the witness Fay, because they COM
PEELED him to hold the light for the murder in the
forecastle. They did not charge Fay with abetting
in the crime before in the doing. Fay says that
after the murders he could have killed the two when
escape his constant thought to the possibility
of his leaving evidence that he had not been mur-
derer if the vessel was fallen in with that if he
killed the two to secure his life he would have
no proof that he had not killed the others also /;
therefore he patiently watched and endured until he
was the means of getting them alongside the brig
Black Squa. II they had landed on any of the keys
him and destroy the papers upon his person. fol
| which reason he altered the sailing course Of the
boat after the brig burned. Although unlettered
he is very noble Irish boy, and deserves reward fol
his conduct through trials not often falling to the o
of even the mariner.