Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-06-28
PIummcr, the MntInecr.

II has douhutless been observed by our read.
ers that the President has refused to interfere
ia the case of Plummef, the convicted mutineer
Of the whale ship Junior, and In consequence
ho will undoubtedly suffer the full penalty of
the law in the Jail at Boston ON Friday of the
present week. There are some things very Gu
rious about this case. The convict is a young
man, of New England parentsge, scarce twen.
ty two, a mere boy in appearance and action
The name Plummer, by which he is known, is
not his real name but assumed in order to hide
his disgrace from his family and friends, who
are ignorant Of the whereabouts of their son
and relative. One sister alone has been conf.
dcd with the dreadful secret
The young man shipped some three years
since, at New Bedford, on board the whale ship
Junior, Capt, Melen, for a cruise in the South
Pacific The crew on board this vessel appear
to have been treated with more than usual
brutality, and this, for sn American whaler, is
strong assertion. Alter the expiration Of
year or so the crew felt that their suiierings
we're no longer endurable and presented re.
monstrance respecting their food, which, from
sll accounts, a Humane man would hardly have
set before his dogs Al this the Captain became
enraged, declared that their food was good
enough and as a punishment for their audaci
ty declared that no one of the crew should step
foot on shore for the next two years. This
brought matters to a crisis, and on Christmas
Eve, 1857, plan was formed, instigated, it is
believed, by one of the mates, to seize the ship,
bind the Captain, put for the nearest land and
desert. This arrangement WAS carried out, bat
in the melee the Captain and second officer
were killed, while the first mate, who it appears
was anxious to quit the ship, TO follow a wo-
man other than his wife, hid hmselfin the hold
and escaped
When the mutineers had gained possession
of the vessel Plummer, az the one best ac-
quainted with navigation, was by general con.
sent put in charge He conducted himself as
al agree, with great moderation, saveu the life
of the first mate, whom some of tn, crow were
,esirQus of killing, preserved the property of
J,le Snl-owners intact, sailed the vessel 10
ing her in the hands Of portion OF the crew
who had taken little part in the mutiny, fled to
the interior The ship was aierward safely
brought into Sydney and the facts made known
to the authorities who after while succeeded
in capturing Plummer and part of his asso.
ciates, rho were sent home by the United States
Consul at Sydney, to the United States for
trial. OF the remainder of the mutineers, two
were subsequently captured and summauly
hung at Sydney by the British authorities, aud
the others are reported to have died of starya.
ton or have been killed by the natives
NNH
mate and one of the sailors, who turned States
evidence, appeared as witnesses, and Plummer,
who took charge of the vessel, was convicted
Of murder and piracy, and sentenced to be
hung; while the rest Of the crew, some six or
eight others, were sent TO the State Prison for
a lengtly term OF years Since the conclusion
of the trial facts have transpired showing the
bad character and completely Of the mate, and
also that the states evidence was the man who
really killed the captain and second officer
while all the crew, who were convicted OF the
lesser degrees of crlme, agree in the statement
that PlummeT counselled moderation and pre-.
vented extreme eXcesses, and only assumed the
charge of the vessel as a matter of necessity
Upon this state OF affairs a communication was
asked of the President DR. q, Il Winslow,
formerly citizen of Troy, who became carly
cogni2ant Of the circumstances aud character Of
| Pummer, has taken warm interest in the case,
and has visited Washington in his behalf
Rufus ChOate Rev. DR. Lorthrop Hon. b Il.
Butler and many other citizens of Boston have
also interested themselves to procure a COM
mutation, while tho eIitor of the Boston Jour
nal, who has examined carefully all the facts in
relation TO the mutiny, considers the guilt of
tho young man as exceedingly doubtful All
this, it would appear, has had no effect upon
our cold-hearted President. The man whose
] AllllaAllifh Wtlt ~ ibouJ 20 AiuW lot uuc VINO
could cooly commit murder for offences of
which the slayer had himself been guilty, has
no compassion upon the poor sailor boy sub
iected 10 brutality worse than Algerine slavery.
lFrom the New York rimos, Juno2l.l
! am here on my return from Washington,
where | have been TO ask Of the President of
the United States to interpose on behalf of
| young man, twenty-three years Of age, Cyrus
| W. Plummer one Of the mutinoers of the Jun-
! Tor, now under sentence of death, 10 be execu-
ted on Friday next and 60 grant him either
! pardon, oommutation, OF rcpneye. The facts
/ Of the case, it seems 10 me, would have justi-
! fed the higheat act Of clemency, a pardon,
| Judging by Che precedent established undor the
administration Of Andrew Jackson, and they
were certainly such as to demand repneve
that his friends might have further time and
| opportunity TO add TO the evidence already coli
! lected, TO show that he is much less guilty
than was made out on the trial This evidence
might be gathered perhaps from Austria LA, II
two Of the muuneers now at large in that
country, could be apprehended But "a the
President has refused all interpretation, and will
not even grant the repTieye Of twelve months
asked for, which time it il believed, would
bring disclosures favorable to Plummer, feel
calei upon 10 address this letter 10 the press of
New York which is the native state Of the
young man in whose behalf the Executive in
deposition was implored.
Respectfully yours, O. r WlNsLow.
Naug VnrL MnuIaU Inn. on TaEQ