Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-08-17
Horrible Confession of Pirate

Peter Williams. under sentence of death at Au-
burn. Me- with colorod man named Abraham
Cox, for the murder nj soa Of the captain, two
mates and Que man Of the brig Albion Cooper Of
Portland has made II confession, which is printed
in The Lew .sto, Fails Journal. Williams repre-
SCENTS that he was born in Ostcnd, Belgium, in
1880. his II lther being Il sailor. lie ran away from
school, an never learned to rcnd. lie first went
TO sea VIII N nine years Of age, and has served on
sh pboarJ in NIL parts Of the worll rvnr sinccat
one time on German man-ofwnr, and Then again
in the Ell, pl ~ Of the Fast India Company, acting
ns captain Of the maintop in one of their ,g",ol-
In July, Is 81, he became acquainted w.rh an l.
rishmun mn med Thomas Fahcy. aud both went 10
Portland ~ I'll shipped IN the Albion Cooper. The
hris, soon ,fter leaving port, vas found to lie
lcaky; the second mate Is stated to have treated
both Will ANS and Cox, the negro. with great bar
harits, al 81 finally Williams stabbed him, for
which lac placed in irons Af"rward tho
niar cal! ID him into his ROOM drove nail into
beam an'' hung him up by the beam, the forward
part If his feet ust touching the hoor. He was
in treat pain. and finally famel. Finally, Cox
b"oahsd the project OF Il murder ot the captain
III I'd crew, and supplied some knives and razors,
w nch Williams fastened to sticks. The freshman
Falcy alone taken into their conf encc. They
fir Il killed Captain Humphrey, who was asleep
On lac deck. with two blows On the head with n
hat 'hct His head partially turned. but he died
viii out struggle. lie then went hchind the
ha'c.,ct. His erie brought nut the first mate
who wa also str4rl ~ he head He rctrcnted
to hi, cu )iu. where lr raj u hard struggle with
his ,nur, cIcrs . wax finally dispatched. As
:. IN. uu ~ Jms inct the second mate whom
he lai lett "a OK. and finished him with few
bleHs of ii g harhct. The last murder was Of n
seaman n1 med Burns, or DAVIS They put iron
with the b dies and threw them overheard. AZ
terwa ii III, sci the Vessel on fire and abandoned
IT, and wcr picked up NY another vessel, when
fahry .liscl scd the horrible tragedy in which they
had hecn engaged. Williams and Cox will he
hung on the 21ih inst. Dir. j. Haynes who has
visited thom says that the chronological organs
Of " lia,ns denote that his origin aud orsaniza
ton were gross and sensual. and his intellect of n
lew order though by no means ,cpusi,e or dan.
gcrons llc hns light or sandy hair, and is of the
.anguinc, oh.egmntic Compartments aud bears II
str ny re 81 mblancc to the Low Dutch lie come
whit rcsrn, lies Heath now in the Chnrle,tuwn
Snc Prison.
Cox. the egro, has what negroes seldom pos
scS>, much o. the nervous temperament, is quick.
re ;tiess aud mpulsivr Ills head is comparativc
" large. and should think h. rosscssr, consdcra-
bic intellect, His forehead is high and slightly
rceciing; but the lateral portion Of the brain is
immensely !art .. especially in the region Of com
Mt,se acSs dest -uctivcne+s. sccrcivenrss and ac
quisitivenc>s. Caution, frmness and self esteem
are likewise large. His moral faculties are fairly
developed. Ills peculiar cast of intellect prelis.
poses to suspicio. jealousy and revenge