Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-01-01
Narrative of the SLAYER Echo-..thc Cap.
tue and Subsequent Events.
COLUMBIA. S. C.. Dec. 3. l95s

A'AA1A<A3 NJ f>.3 AOEs =, AooOs
The refusal ofthe grand jury of this
district to find a true bill against the
crew of the SLAYER Echo, for piracy,
whilst it increases the important bear
ing which she is destined to have ION
the future of the laws against the slave
trade, is likely to dcprive the public,
for a while at least, of the details OF
the capture of that vessel by the Unit
ed States brig Dolphin, and of those
explanations Of the various occurrence
es which would have been furnished
in the course of the testimony that
would have been produced before a
petit jury. The following narrative,
therefore,s gathered mainly from the
principaf actors in the affair, will be
read with much interest. rs, Z
A SUSPICIOUS SAIL. zs,..,
The United States brig Dolphin. OF
six guns, 80 lbA, Lieut.. Command
ing j. AIaffiit, U. s. N, was in Au-
gust last cruising of;the north coast Of
Cuba, pursuant to orders, to overhaul
suspicious vessels, and intercept illegal
traffic. About ,l,AM past six, o'clock On
the morning the 2lst, Of, Augus:; the
sky clear and bright, and the wind
blowing.biskly about N. E., the signal
of a saiFir sight was. given by the
lookout. A strange vessel, under a
press Of canvas, was reported ahead,
and standing ON the same course with
the Dolphin. No particular attention
was directed to the vessel during the
oren6o7f, other than al Occasional
glance through The glass issaIsl. a pass.
ing remark as to the iessening distance
between the two ships, from the deck
Of the Dolphin. About one O'clock,
however, .a.near view of the stranger
being obtained, disclosed to the Unit
ed States officers the fact that she was
a brig, light in the water, and coming
from the eastward through the South
.ern channel. These circumstances at
.oncesslaised a suspicion in the mind OF
the commander of the Dolphin, as to
the character of the vessel, as he knew.
if engaged in lawful traffic, she would
not be very likely to come from that
direction light Of drai1ght. Orders
were, therefore, promptly issaed q keep
a sharp lookout upon tic actions of the
stranger, while tile Dolphin, crowding
her sail, continued to overhaul her
rapidly.
At ten minutes past two a hustle
was observcd.on the deck of the YES
sci, and she suddenly and very briskly
took i'll all her steering sails at once,
and hauled by the wind on the star
board tack. The speedy and seaman
like manner in which this was done,
at once confirmed the suspicious be.
fore excited, for it proved that the
strange brig was manned with unusual
strength. Quick as thought, there
fore, the commander of the Dolphin
gave the orders to chase; and III All
instant her deck Were alive with Of
'fcers and men, eager with the excite
ment o. the anticipated race, for it
was easy to perceive that the strangers
might prove no easily captured prize.
immediately the brig broke cover, the
British flag was run up to the mast.
head by the commander ofthe Dol
phin, as ruse to draw out the true
character Of the fugitive. This is a
general custom in all navies, when
first breaking cover with an enemy,
OF a ship engaged i'll an unlawful traffic
on the high seas, and is designed pur-
posely to mislcad the suspected craft
and discover her true character. The
strange sail continued to scud before
the wind, showing no flag in response,