Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-09-03

a. NJ. BROWNE, IlSSeQ Assistant surgeon.
A. A. CRosNAN, Acting Master.
The Terrible Massacre American Whale Ship.
Thrilling Hs--Contession of the MydererS-
Scenes on MIpJoord-- Suferings of a founded
Officer, &C.
1t was announced by telegraph yesterday that the
mutnecrs of the whaleshp Junior, of New Bedford had
been committed for trial at Boston, and that five of them
had made written confessions in which they exonerate
the rest The and ages of the prisoners are as
follows Cyrus W. Pummer, of Providence, "a ia
cob Wright, of New York city, &c William Sampson
OF Buffalo, n. Y, 81 Joseph Brooks, of Utica, N. Y,
23 William II. Cartha, of Albany n. Y, 20 !; Adam
Council, of New York, 40 HI Stanley, of Penfeld, N.
Y, %; William Herbert, of Newark, N. j., 18 );
Plummer the instgator and leader of the mutiny-
Those who have confessed their guilt Plummer Hail.
Cartha Herbert, and Burns the latter still at large
The Boston Herald referring to their appearance in
court says
The prisoners, who are all Americans are not a very
ferocous looking set of men, Plummer the rngeader,
has an evil eye close inspection of his aspect but
hardly any of them would be selected in crowd as fit
heroes for the Pirates Own Book" They chain
ed in couples by their wrists and the legs of each
chained together. Plummer had his coat off and blue
flannel shirt On. The remainder decently dressed
and all looked clean and in good health. They did not
appear very anxious in regard to their condition. but
during the long delay before the commissioner took his
seat on the bench, they talked and laughed with each
other as If the rafting of the chains upon their arms and
legs a rather pleasant Joke.
AS regards the murders and butchery on board the
Junior nothing equal to it be found in the annals of
crime the high SEAS 1t appears from more detailed
than heretofore published that on the morning
of Saturday, December 25th 1857 everything wore the
usual appearance until about O'clock when the cab
in attacked by five men, led on by Cyrus Pummer
who shot the captain with whaling gun. Three balls
passed under his ribs and entered the side of the
The captain sprang up in his berth and sad MY God,
what is this?" Plummer replied " God d-n you it is
me-" He then seized the captain by his hair and drag
ged him from bis berth and called upon the others to cut
him with their hachets He struck him three or four
times with his Ratchet and then let him fall on the floor
The mate was shot by whaling gun in the hands of
John Hall alias VIM Payne, at the time the cap
tain The gan was close to him as to burn the
skin on his left cheek and three balls entered his left
shoulder. He was stunned, and when he came to him.
self he called the steward who met at the door by
Hall, who threatened to cut him down. He went into
the second mates berth and found him dressing himself
He had been shot also The third mate was out of his
berth Oh the deck dying. He went to the captain
room and found himself stepping in blood, and being
bareooed this naturally caused a thrill of horror He
called the boy to bring light and found the captain
lying on the floor dying. He got the captains revolver
and loaded it with the intention of shooting the ring
leader The mate found the ship on fire in the cabin
and called for help to see how many his sde-
Nobody came, and he told the mutineers to come and
put out the fire. They answered him with oaths and
told him to come up deck or they would shoot him
He got bung borer and went into the hold to get some
water, and hoping to shoot the rngleader. He two
days without food water. He had been in the hold
i've days when they made proposals to him to take the
ship into port and he accepted them.
The third mate had the boarding knife run through
hum several times by Cornelius Burns and Carha struck
at the second mate with another boarding knife. The
mate caught the knife and bent the point over board
when Cartha shot him in the breast with pocket pis
tol. At this time | deck saw the captain and
third mate were dead and the second mate wounded
Between one and two o'clock Saturday morning all the
foremost hands, not engaged the mutiny were reused
from their berhs and informed by the mtneers that the
ship was III their possession, and that the captain and
third mate were dead The mutineers then made the
other sailors deck and themselves to meet
myself and the second mate. When came on deck
the second mate was seized and put in the fOrecase
and Plummer set watch over him. At this time there
fire below, caused by the discharge of guns in the
berths, and all hands except two at each hatch were
sent below to extngush it. AS soon as the fire was
subdued reef tackle bent on the captains ankle
the body was hauled on deck, and then thrown over
board.
After these matters had been disposed Of Plummer
ordered the ship to head w. n. W., thinking he was
steering for Cape Horn, but he in fact heading for
Lord Howes Island. After this the ship was steered
tor Cape Howe, Australia, and made the land January
B. 1858. On the same day all hands made to come
on deck and throw overheard everything pertaining to
the whaling voyage The mutineers then broke out the
stops in the ship and took all the stores. They then
broke into the cabin and took everything that they could
lay their hands Such articles they wanted were
kept and the rest thrown overheard
The experience of the mate during tie five days that
he in the hold must have been of the most fear
full ever encountered by mortal On the second day
when he had lost all hope from any other power, he
prayed to God for water and heard stick moving on
eask in such way that he thought there must be water
in it. 1t with great difficulty that he procured
water having to tear off his shirt collar dip it into the
water cask and suck it. By crawling about he found
of bread with the bug up and extracted sustenance
thererom His shoulder mortified from the effects of his
wound The wound was dressed and his life saved by
the muneers in order to save themselves from destruc