New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-03-22

4
resident Of the Fourth District Of this city. Jobl
hked the privileges Of this great city first rate bu
being dandy darkey, fond OF fine clothes and lot
OF pocket money, and fond of spurging around will
the "ysler gals" resorted to bis genius to make
| raise.
Soon after bis disappearance his master wrote to th,
police OF this city, describing him particularly. and
Offering $500 reward for his arrest. Months rolled
on and though John knocked freely about town. he
was sharp enough to keep the police from droppins
on him. His effort to raise money consisted IN
writing letter, or getting some one to write II o,
nim' 70 the two men who originally abducted him
from Dis master, asking them for money, and iptimat
ing should the money not be sent that we would in
form upon them to his MASTER and procure their ar
| rest and punishment.
ohiuckiy for John, it happened that these men
| whose names are Martin Carter and Sterling Clay
were arrested after selling him. for stealing othel
negroes In that part OF the country and were tried
convicted, and sentenced to death. They are to b<
hung at BarnwelI on the 25th inst, next Friday
Johns letter, as matter of course fell into othel
hands than those he intended.
HIS whereabouts being thus positively ascertained
the Chief OF Police here was duly posted and last
evening, the dandy John, to his great astonishment
was detected by special officers Isard and Farrell
and arrested and locked up. The negro-trader here
who sold John to Mr.. Cleveland, will soon have to
stand lawsuit about it, unless he should see proper
to refund the purchase-money.
-1WM. s. SMITH, laboring man, recently from
Tehuantepec died suddenly yesterday afternoon, at
his clearinghouse, No. Ill Poydras street. He had
been drinking hard, and apoplexy was supposed to
be the cause of DEATH The Coroner was notified,
but had not reported the result of the inquest when
we were last at his office
RECORDER LONG yesterday received telegraphic
dispatch from the Balize from Capt Curtis, of the
ship lronsides to the effect that one of his men had
cut and MANNED another, and that be wanted an
officer sent down to take charge of the guilty party
Lieut. Simon detailed an officer for the errand.
The LIGHT FINGERED GENTRY continue to prosper
as general thing.
W. A. Strong, lodger at the Merchants Hotel,
was robbed on Saturday night of his gold watch and
chain, ELS in cash and note for $50.
J. D. Mays was robbed the same night Of valuable
gold hunting watch, No. $500, Jas. Norden, maker
with the engraving inside, "W. H. johnson to j. D.
Mays, July II, 1855"
j. Boge, whilst looking at the balloon ascension al
the Place d'Armes, on Sunday evening, was relieved
Of lady's watch, with fob-chan and heavy seal.
The above late proceedings of the time.takers We
find reported on the complaint book of the Chief o.
! Police
| U. S. DISTRICT CoURT-L ddmirahy-Judge
McCaeb yesterday decided the case of Capt. j. Il
Estes, owner of the steamer Frank Lyon, vs.. the
owners of the steamer Dick Keys The two steamers
came in collision in dense fog on the river, ten
miles below Baton Rouge, on the morning of the 18th
January, 1855 bywhich the Frank Lyon was dam.
aged, as assessed by the U. S. Commissioner, MIR.
Lusher, to the extent of IS 900.
1t being shown that the Frank Lyon, ascending
and the Dick Keys, descending, were both close to
the same shore, each in order to discern objects by
which to steer through the fog that the boats under
full headway, were not visible to each other unit
within hundred feet; that neither could hear the
others signal, II indeed any signal were given thai
the Frank Lyon was out of her proper place. close
to that Shore the bar shore at the point of collision
and that the Dick Keys Was equally in fault, having
just lett the wharf at Baton Rouge, when common
prudence, and proper regard for the lives and
property on board, should have dictated the exped
ency OF remaining at the wharf till the fog cleared
off; the Judge decided that the boats were equally
at fault He said in his decision
II look in vain in the testimony for any sufficient
excuse for either of these boats. In view of their
a., a
dence and precaution which should at all times be
observed by boats engaged in the transportation OF
persons aud property, for hire, it is not surprising
that the collision should have occurred. They were
constantly liable to meet with such accidents so long
as they persisted in running in fog dense as the
one described by the witnesses in this case. II O
Court should tolerate such recklessness and impru
dence MS are shown by the evidence, there will be no
navigating the Mississippi l feel it my duty, there
fore, to pronounce for division of the damages in
this case, upon the ground of mutual fault the costs
also to be equally divided"
UNITED STATES DISTRICT CouRr.--Grand J.,u
Report on the Princess Erplosion.-The Grand jury
of the United States District Court being instructed
by Judge McCaleb inquire into and report upon the
recent dreadful explosion Of the steamer Princess,
near Baton Rouge began their investigation about
week ago. The following witnesses were summoned,
and examined closely and at length by the Grand
Jurors: VIM. C. Wilson, Captain of the Princess,
who was not aboard at the time of the explosion,
Capt. jackson, who was killed, being in his place
Andrew Sweeney, first engineer, Thomas Rice, car.
penter, and VIM. Campbell, steward all belonging to
the Princess; james Drummond, Of this CITY, re-.
pairer of boers John C. Marsh, inspector of boilers:
and James Jurdon, engineer Of the steamer G. D. Jr
Sweeney, the engineer of the Princess, not being
aboard at the time of the explosion, having gone
ashore at Port Hudson.
The examination of the witnesses occupied two
days. The Grand Jury, after due consultation and
deliberation, drew up the following report, which
they presented to Judge McCaeb yesterday:
To The Hon Theo II Mecasb, Jul District Conr of
The United Stntes for the Eastern District of Louisiana
The Grand Jury of the District Court of the United
States in and for the Eastern District of Louisiana
respectfully represent that they have made inqusition
into the late lamentable of the explosion
of the steamboat Princess, and after careful and
extended examination of the circumstances which at
tended the disaster, have arrived at the conclusion
that no ground exists for the prosecution of any per-
son connected with the boat, with probability OF
conviction, under the law governing the case-the
second engineer and his assistant then having charge
of the machinery having themselves fallen victims TO
the explosion, and no living wtuess being found who
could be supposed to be cognzant of any OF the mme
diatey attendant circumstances The Courts have de-
cided that no person he held to be guilty of man
slaughter in causing the death of another unless he
shall have been proved to be the immediate cause of
the death ; and experience has shown that prosecu
tions of this nature, failing of conviction, are more
productive of harm than benefit.
1t is most unusual thing for the boilers of a
steamer to explode, under way, especially going
down stream. All opinions, SO far as ascertained
agree in ascribing the occurrence to deficiency of
water, as the boilers of unusual thickness, and
had been tested, by hydrosatic pressure up to no
pounds TO the square inch. Assuming this to have
been the case, the deceased engineer was the more
Immediately responsible individual but the Jury,
he hafn fbap, foo 10