Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-08-05
THE FEARFUL MUTINY ON THE NEW
BEDFORD wHALESHIP JUNIOR.

THE FEARFUL MUIINY ON THE NEW
BEDFORD wHALESHIP JUNIOR.
Correspondence of the Hartford Conn Times ]
NEW LONDON, July 30.
The whaleship Junior, of New Bedford. sailed
from that port on a whaling voyage on the 2Ist
OF July, 1857. She went around the Cape of
Good Hope to the Indian Ocean, bound for New
Zealand When in lat. q deg 81 min. south.
long. 156 deg. 50 min. east, about 400 miles
from New Zealand, part of the crew rose in
inc night and murdered the captain Archibald
Mellen, Jr., Of Martha's VineyardD and the
third mate, j ohn Smith, of Boston } They also
attempted to murder the first and second mates
at the same time, and dangerously wounded
them. The prominent facts are these: The
ringieaders in the mutiny are Cyrus Plummer
and Richard Cartha. They, in company With
Cornelius Burns, John Hall alias VIM Payne,
VIM. Herbert, and perhaps others, by a pre-
concerted arrangement, about o'clock on the
morning of the 10Th, armed themselves and en-
tered the cabin, where the captain and three
mates were asleep. Plummer proceeded to the
captains state-rOom and shot him with wha-
ling gan containing three balls, when the cap
tain sprang up and exclaimed - My God, what
Is this" Piummer replied, I'd you, il
Is me- took him by the hair Of the head, and
dispatched him by repeated blows with
hatchet, on the neck and in the ribs At the
same time Plummer went to the captains
state-rOom, Burns, Hall and Herbert proceeded
the first mate in the shoulder with a whaling
gun with SIX balls, inhicting horrible wound
Burns killed the third mate by repeated stabs
IN the body with boarding knife. Cartha in
the meantime struck at the second mate with a
boarding knife, but missed him; he then fred
pistol 1T him, the ball striking his rib and in
nictIng severe but not dangerous wound. In.
the meantime Burns attempted to dispatch him;
but he surrendered and went on deck, and the
muuneers, after binding him, agreed to spare
his life. When Hall fired into the first mate
berth he set the bed on FIRE, and supposing
them all dead but the second mate the mutt
neers left the cabin. The first mate was first
awakened by hearing Plummer give the word
" hre; when he Immediately received the six
balls In his shoulder. At the same time be
heard screaming, which proceeded undoubtedly
from the other officers who wers at the same
moment being attacked.
The hrst mate (Mr. Nelson PROVOST was
stunned by the explosion and the wound he re-
sceiyed Tor q moment or two, during which the
umuhneers, supposing him dead left the cabin
and went on deck. Mr.. Provost then got up
and went to the Captains state room and
Ioend MN on his chest, leaning on his arm. He
raised him up, and he bresthed two or three
times, and without speaking, expired Mr..
Provost also went to the second and third
mates rooms and found the former wounded
and the latter dying
The mutineers soon after, finding Mr.. Pro-
w vas StAIi dAiNC, OIucIeu MIN on deck, and
ne attempted to go, but he apprehended his
HE would be taken and retreatcd into the up-
Per hold, and secreted himself among the bar
rels- In the meantime the burning bed had
communicated the flames to the wood work of
the cabin, and before Mr.. Provost left and went
into the hold ne begged the mutineers to put
out the FIRE. This they succeeded in doing
after the cabin had been badly damaged by
tne hames, considerable portion of it having
been destroyed.
Immediately after the havoc in the cabin
was finished, and the mutineers got on deck,
they called all hands, when Piummer and Car
ina informed them that the ship was taken
and the former proceeded to take command
They then proceeded to search the ship for the
nrst mate, but did not succeed in finding him
until the third day. Not finding him after
several days search, and finding a cabin win
90" open they surmised that be had jumped
overheard
-. In the meantime, Provost becoming faint
from loss OF blood and thirsty, crawled into the
lower hold, and finding a cask of water with
the Qung out tore of his shirt collar, and, dip
ping IL lnts the caSk, sucked from the cloth a
nttle water, which enabled him just to support
life lie found a little bread also. -
By the time they discovered Provost on the
nfth day the murderers had found out that
they could not navigate the ship, and were
glad TO spare his life on condition that he would
pilot them to Cape Howe, in New South Wales,
an unihnaOtteu portion OF the island. This,
Mr. Provost, being entirely in their power,
promised to do They also compelled him to
promise, oy swearing him on Bible, that after
they landed he would Immediately sail for
New Zealand, nearly a thousand miles from
New South Wales. Mr.. p then gave them
the courses by which TO work the ship and they
brought her within fifteen or twenty miles Of
land, when the mutineers left the ship, with
some other of the crew, whom they had coaxed
or eoerced to join them, making ten, the mutt
neers included.
They left on the 4th January, taking with
them two boats, with stores, clothing &c and
sailed tor Cape Howe While on board the u
nior they guarded the wounded mates, the guard
being armed with pistols and hatchet During
The nights, however, Plummer and Cartha
would allow no one but themselves to stand
watch over them.
After the mutineers left the ship, and were
out OF sight Mr.. Provost took command of the
ship and steered Immediately for Sidney, in
New south W ales, which is about $50 miles
from Cape Howe, where the mutineers landed.
The condition of affairs was Immediately re-
ported TO the American Consul at Sidney, and
British steamer, with policemen on board, to-
gether with the second mate Of the Junior was
despatched in pursuit of the mutineers, and
eight oil them were captured, and are now on
their way home IN irons on board the shin
which was the scene Of their horrid butcbsry.