New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-04
The SLAYER Echo.

| y -. ". y.
The case of the SLAYER Ecao wss given OF. % the
Grand Jury to-day. The is prosecuted on ths
pant of tie United S.a'er BY The JLi.ea 4tes ID
tic,-Attorrey ior the State o. South Carolina ,rles
Corner. esq, OF ChsriestOn ana Me'.rs. Hsyn. and
Miles retained ss special cOUnse. by TIE Government
OF the United Statss. The defense I: c5nd dl,iei BY
| l.. w. Pratt and X. De Treyille of ChaIe,ton aud
Marcy Gregg and Edmuni BeDinser u Columbia.
The irdctment Is drawn against the defendants the
| crew or company # the brig Putnam that b-ing
tiiious title painted a bcaid, by which tie real
name OF the ship was concealed. Thr Putn.n WAS
built IN Baltimore. and was owned fret in NewYork
aid subsequently il New-0leans. Her fret egs;er
made by jonathan 5. DobsOn Of Ne~-York, a.
''oIly owner and master The ship e therein de-
scribed as brig, built q, Baltimore in 1875;
length, % feet breadth - feet s inches;
depth, 10 feet; measurement, lH tuDs. Her
.ast register made a. New-Odeans by Ei-
ward {. Tow nsend, il the name Of the 5rg Patnam,
ard the description Is preciee similar 20 that IN the
fret Register. The captain of the -lavsr, Edward C.
IOwLsend, having been frs, landed at key West, WAL
be tired there. The prisoners On trial here are
Antonio FIar ok, Richard Thomas Bates Alexander
Rodgers, Vidal de Miranda, jose Gonz l.es Lima.
Archibald Scott. John PascO, John +. COpeI. George
=. Aken, William Henrys. Antonio Melsnowich and
tive others, Cubans. The indictment charges that
they being Of the ships company o. a certain
vessel, being q brig called the Pntuam, the said
Vessel being then ana there owned in the whole or in
81 part by a citizen OF the said United States 10 wit:
'One l.. I. Tow send, did practically and teOniousy
"Teceve on board Of said vessel 40 owned as aeore-
stid, certain reeroes, TO wit: Three hundred ne
"groes whose lanes are 70 the said Jurors unknown;
they, the SAID negroes not being held 10 service or
labor by tie laws Of either Of the States Tern.
tories Of the United States"
The L. S. District Attorney to-day submitted the
indictment to the action Of the Grand Jury. His
Honor, Justice Wayne. IN , concise ana able manner,
explained 10 tie jury the provisions o. the Act Of
Congress of May lj 1870 under which the indictments
would be found if found at all Alter reading and
axrl. ft. .ui.t tffxa
designated by the law aud in order to assist the Jury
in their iLyestgatior Judge Wayne recapituisted
briefly the counts in the indictment, which are eight
in number Tie hrst charges that the prisoners did
receive the brig Pntnam 800 negroes not held t.
service ary Of the States Ierrtore, Of the Uni
ted States, such brig beng owned by one Edward
{. Townsend. The second Is a REPETITION Of the
fr-t charge, except that the vessel j. described
being owned by some person or persons unknown.
The third count charges that tie prisoners
cid confIe aid hold in confinement. in the
brig Putnam, Owned by the said Townsend, the
said three hundred negroes The fourth varies the
charge Ony br as the ownership Is concerned. The
fifth charges the prisoners with aiding and aDettng IN
forcib'y taking the Iegroes on the ship. the sixth
changes the count as to ownership. The seventh
charges that the prisoners did receive and forcbly
confne the negroes abet in icrciby confning them
Ard the eighth again varies the CONT as to the
ownership OF the brig His Ii1GOr thought i neces-
ssry withou. at all intending to enter into consdera
ton OF the law, to make single remark because ot
the very general misunderstanding in regard TO the
law of piracy, and in respect to what o1enses
are piracy and may be made so by the statutes
He stated that II was not fact that thsre was but
single crime that could constitute piracy The act of
general piracy is robbery the higl seas committed
by who has thrown of allegiance to ali govern
nents and is what the law terms the enemy Of the
human race, and may be punished by al! nations.
Then those other acts Of robbery committed on the
high piracy which are made 30 under the law.
And again, when Il man belonging to ship or vessel
shall not commit robbery, but shal attempt to take
such vessel from the command of her master and de-
liver her to another or usurp control OF her himself,
the law mskes it piracy, punishable as piracy is, by
death under the power delegated to Congress to guard
our commerce against cifeuses committed on the high
seas In ike manner under the same power, when
person receives or forces, takes on board vessel
negro, not being a slave, with the Intention OF selling
him into slavery, the law makes him pirate and
punishes him with death.
The Judge repeated briefly his explanation of the
province Of Grand jury. They were not to try the
prisoners but simply to determine from the facts given
in evidence whether enough appears to justify them
in putting the case before Petty Jury. The bills
were then submitted and the Jury retired.