The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1859-11-26
The Murder Of George Ritter.
Tho Philadelphia Ncns Of yesterday has tn
fnllovinp

We have been p'ac.d In p'ssesslon Of . lsttcr ad
dr,ssoo t. the sst.r Of GsosGs RfITzR, tho young
uan from this city, who was crrl BE- aten TO death
,h boarr the =. slo pnS war Irookly n. while lying
in New York bay, n staten Island. That suoh do.
Sii-h acts Of torture rhnld bc porpstrAted on b,srd
Of Amer can ships OF war, In tho presence of Naval
othcsr, Ia burning shane % our country, and q
d'sgiscvto the Nag We vera Sont " Sprjud'y
boost Of.
The lottor Is ,isncd 10y twelve Of tho men who wero
eye witnesses to tho rev,lting spectacle, aud from IL
VIC n AXE some extracts.
After breah Ing to sistor the death Of her brother
In ~ gentle words ~ sailors warm hnartcAn do, the
abatement 10, that on the Itn of November the
ceastd wss ordered In cJbfnonent by Lieut.. MIrCu-
HIL, the officer OF the deck. marine, aud the shtps
Corponl nan cd CnAs Coorss, seized RIrTss and
dras ged him 10 the main hatch, when CooP1s took
him by the legs aud pulled him down tho mold Of tho
shp, his head strkog ash stop Of the ladder hs
was drawn down. Assr this, serscaut RAY, Of tho
Marine Quad, struck Rir1Es 10 the tscs With hts
clcnchsd fat, several tunes, and then kicked hum iu
the face, saying, ''you - III eSor eaten you
ON tho beach, III murder yol" RAY Afterwards
gAbbed him by the hair, beat bi. hesd against the
deck three times, and then ordstd UoorfR to bring
him gag. Tho order was obey Cd, aud CooPkg
fused 70 give the gag 70 RAY, sas,ng he would gss
fano upsards, and takiog tue gag In 10 h hauds,
t,kd TO force II into bis uth. Ma sucoeediDg In
doing 10, he raised his 0 enchod fa aud strucx
Rr1u several tlmss In tho mouth. He then rsis.
ed his head aud putting bis knee 10 the back Of his
heok, forod bis jaws Upward with tho gag.
che gag Is about four inches In oircumtsr.
once, ana iuSs IN ierKtb) Inc gag Wes
than tod tightly around Rrrrsn's head, after which
he wss thro~n Ags,nss THO bulHhsad, wnors he
laid for 20 minut ., having every sppt tArsnoe Of .
CORPSE Actug sorg. ant PowrIa subsequently, came
In and gave orasrr to ssnti,ss not peruut any
" Interfere with kIrIKs, remove tho gag from
his mouth About fifteen minutes altar wards, Coorn
came IN, aud waa told toat RiIrss sss sua eating
He picked him up ana looked st him. and then threw
him back sgainst tho bulkhesd, sayiug, Damn
h,D, lot hun lsy." sesmAn, sho ty sfter
this, touched KTTsa, and found him cod,
which fsOt waa report. to Sergeant WALSH
TIE gag was then cut from his mouth, and
tho dad bo6y then taken out Of the dou-
bic irons and tho Surgeon notified The witnesses
TO the Transaction were kept In dou0e irons and not
allowed 10 sppS n the Coroners In iuest, COM
municste with any person whstsv,r. OoOpEa, oas
II the principal n4urdeIou, was allowed to go ON
shore by Capt. FARs.GUT, and would have escaped
had not the bC ats called 70 the dtizsns stat
en- Island TO arrest HIM, - he was . murderer.
Some OF the citjzons desired to dstsin eho boats
witnesses, but tho officer la chargs gave his
worn Of h-nur, officer and gontlnn an, that he
would Z. turn To the shore with Capt fsRaAGUr and
the ssme bnat's crew. Tho boa. n,istod up ~
~ II reached tho ship, and the attor Immediate
ly proceg de 70 sea-