Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-06-08
Confession Of Hicks, the Pirate.

Albert ". Hicks, now under sentence OF
death for piracy on the high seas, has made
q onfessi0n of his crime He says that the
murder Of Captain Burr and crew of the +.
4. johnson, took place hetween-9 and III o.
clock at night when about so miles out at
sea. The captain was sleeping below in the
sleeping below. Hicks and the other broth
er were on deck, the latter being on the look
out in the bow. The murderer came up be-
hind the young man, and with some heavy
weapon dealt him a deadly blow upon the
head His victim fell upon the deck, and
was there pounded and beaten until life was
extinct.
The noise made on deck in executing this
murder, alarmed the brother of the murdered
man, who was sleeping directly beneath
their feet, and he came rushing on deck
Scarcely had his head appeared above the
companion hatch, when the murderer struck
him also upon the head with his deadly wea-
pom, and he too fell insensible to the deck.
lie was then dispatched in the same manner
. as his brother had been. Capt. Burr had
not yet been disturbed, but was still quietly
sleeping in his cabin, wholly unsuspicious
on board his vessel Hicks proceeded i'm
mediately to the cabin, where he made an
assault upon Capt. Burr. His deadly work
was not in this instance performed in SO
sure and sudden manner. The first blow
dealt the captain only served to arouse
him TO sense OF his danger, and he instant
~ sprans up and grappled with the assas-
sin. The struggle was long and terrible
enc, but Hicks being armed, and the most
powerful man Of the two, eventually over
powered the captain and succeeded in kill
ling him. Hicks says the captain made a
good fight, and would have succeeded in
overpowering him had he been armed, but
his physica! strength alone was not sufficient
TO cope with the murderer and his formida-
bic weapon.
The bodies were permitted to lie where
they had fallen, while the perpetrator of this
paltry sum Of money which had instigated
him to commit the crime. After the lapse
of an hour or SO, the sIoop being we'll out to
sea, the bodies were thrown overheard by
Hicks When the vessel was brought back
to this port, there were marks of blood and
| several cats on the gunwale of the sloop, as
If the murdered men had grasped there in
their struggle while being thrown overheard,
and the murderer had cut their hands and
let them into the sea. This, Hicks says,
was not the case, as the bodies lay on deck
long time after life was extinct On being
asked how he felt while alone on the sloop,
far at sea, at midnight, with his dead vie
Tins lying ut his feet, he replied that there
we're five on board--h:mself, three dead per-
sons, and the deyi! made the fifth. Then, he
says, he felt we'll enough; but now, after
having been with him all his life, the devil
has deserted him. and he feels very bad
He had heard that one Of the bodies had
been washed ashore. and asked il that were
50. The keeper told him that such was re-
ported 10 be the fact. Hicks replied that he
| would not believe it. for he took pains to
bury them far cut at sea, where there was
little prospect Of their appearing against
HIM
Hicks contcsses to having been one of the
n.utinoers on the ship Saladin, but how he
escaped the penalty Of the crime he does not
state. His life he says has been one long
scene Of crime and bloodshed, but he is now
convinced that the end has been reached
lie appears perfectly quiet in his cell, and
Is orderly and well behaved