The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-01-29

in..dc disclosures " him IcIaliyv " tho muir.
den. E-
Mr.. Savage, the Vice Consul st Havana,
testified that no had the men arrested on In.
formation from Capt. Bryant, and while they
were in Jail took their dispositions under
oath, also those Of Capt. Bryant and Fahey,
and that Williams and Coz each made sub.
sequently voluntary confession Of the part
taken by them sevenlly in the MURDER
These STATE ments were written out and signed
by each, by his mark.
Fahey, the Irishman, having died, and
his deposition being inadmissabie, the only
positive testimony which the Government
could produce was in these confessions OF tho
prisoners. The counsel for the defence strong
" resisted the admission of these confessions,
because made under oath. The Court how.
ever. ruled, that they were admissible. The
statements Of Williams and Coz were then
adduced.
Williams states that no had difficulty
with the lst mate, who treated HIM very Sc
ycrely, knocking him down and kicking him.
In the quarrel he stabbed the mate with bis
knife, after which he was put in irons by
the Captain and confined till the next day.
On the following night no says the mate
tied him up by tho hands to nail in his
state room where he remained oil night
The remainder Of his statement Is as FOL.
lows -
FIVE or six days before tho captain and
officers were killed, the irons were taken Oh,
but was not permitted to go forward.
Cox and the Irisl,lnan were planning to kill
the officers. they both asked mo to join them.
They told INC everything was ready. The
lrishman was aft at the wheel, and the cook
was forward asleep. l was sitting on tho
house aft.
After 9 o'clock the Irishmen called the
cook, and told us now is the time. The
cook got two razors, one Of which he gave
me. took also the little axe on deck.
dispatched the captain first. The chief mate
was coming to me, and when lgot glimpse
of him gave it to him with the axe. The
cook took the second mate. He was cutting
the second mate, when cane and helped
him to finish him. The freshman was ready
in the iOrecastle to kill The other man-so
he told me. ran forward with tho razor
and axe in hand. Cox was the first who
went into the forecastle door with the Ian
tern, lighting us.
After the man was killed in the forecastle
the cook shut the door. After that Cox went
aft first to sec if the mate was alive. i sent
him aft. lie returned saying, that the mate
was still speaking, but told me Lc had fin
ishcd the mate with tw) strokes Of his axe.
lie told the lrishman the came thing. AT.
ter that we sat down to rest. Some i've or
six days after we set fire to the vessel. The
irishman set fire to her.
Cox in his statement, speaks Of abuse re-
celycd from the mate. lilo charges the plan.
ming Of the murders upon Williams, though
he also duplicates the lrishman to some ex.
tent. lilo says
laid no plans at all Z, kill the officers
and the man. The man Bill, was the insti
gator of oil. lie was the one that proposed
to kill. The day before the murder, the
man Bill, now prisoner here, handed Inc
two razors; asking me to secure their hand
los. I did 80, AMI returned them TO him
that same afternoon. The next day, Mt III
p. NJ, the man Bill told mo that tho lrsih.
man was going to lend him hand. heaid
the Irishman say, "lll help you do any.
thing that lies in my power" That same
night, after two o'clock, the man Bill killed
the captain, who was lying asleep on the
quarter deck. The chief mate heard the
hustle and was coming out tho cabin, when
Bill struck him with Ratchet. i was do
ing nothing. Bill sent me up to kill tho
second mate. The officer was lying on the
mainsail.
lie then details quito infinitely the cir
/ 81 IL Of tha IN
Q. ID. Smith, from which 1t appears that he
cut the mate with therazor. when no jumped
up and ran, Williams following him and
soon knocking him down with tho axe
They then went into the forecastle and muir
dered the sailor Davis. He further says -
did not see the lrishman take any part
in killing the officers and Davis. We 70.
manned ON board four or five days after the
murder. The next morning after the MUIR
ders. the captain and mates were sewed up
in old sails, with weights, and were thrown
overheard. The captain was thrown over
first; the mate next; then the second mate
and tho man forward was the last. After
four or FIVE days wc put provisions, water.
clothes, &C., into tho boat; finding tina,
nothing could bc done with the vessel, i,
was decided to burn her, and il was DONE
The Irshman set fire to her, by command OF
Bill. was in the boat some time, but dc
not reccollect how long.
David IIalket, second mate Of the barquo
II. ii. knight in which the prisoners were
brought to this port, testified that while on
the passage home, Cox and Williams each
voluntarily confessed to him their guilt with
a statement Of the circumstances essentially
the same Us that given to the Consul at Ha-
vana. Other witnorses were called by the
government mainly for the purpose OF iden.
tilying articles Of property found with the
prisoners when picked up, rs belonging 10
the vessel or to tho murdered men. No wit
nesscs were called for the defence.
On Monday morning Mr.. Evans opened
the case for the defence. The main point
urged by him, and which was the only strong
point available for tho defence. was this -
although the prisoners have confessed their
guilt, yet is is necc sary in order to convict
Of murder, that there DO other proof that
the persons alleged to have been murdered
are actually dead. Aside from these confess.
ions there Is no positive proof that the per-
sons are not now all living. The argument
of tho Junior counsel, Mr.. Talbot, has not
been published. and we have not learned the
grounds on which he based the defence.
Tho argument Of Mr.. sheplcy for the
government was given on Tuesday, and on
"Wednesday forenoon tho Judge charged the
Jury. Ai3P p. NJ. tho Jury came in with
a verdict of gully. Amo'lon is made by
counsel for defendants for new trial.