The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-10-09
Tt,f SLAVE TRADE.
me Ease or the Erte-Nearly Nine Hum
cred slaves ON Board.
UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER COURT.
n. ~,

UNITED STATES COMMISSIONERS COURT.
Before Commissioner MorTelL
Or s--Re United S0les q yastcni.l Gordon, William
Earrea AID David Han These defendants as already
rotoed taken board the prize ship Erie, which.
several hundred slaves on board The accuse are
oosrgsd with piracy, which punishable by des.h Ex
Judge Roosevelt united states District A.orney) sp
peaied for the government and Mr. p j. acnimssen or
The defence.
John W. Dunnipgop Lieutenant United states navy,
amircd BY the United states District Attorney deposed
lie wac Lieuteuant on boGri UGited states steamer
Mexican ceptcred the ship Erie the ssh o. August,
1850 at for,y minutes pas! eight 4 she had the Anne
rcan flag tie peak; koisied the American ensign
when boarded her she had ING A 80 -, ~ a. VIC
we were about three hundred yards apart when we
aeresse perscn apparently a sailor, spoke and sap
ne I'D b.t,er 10 e re side there a acde r.
soa,S sjec: when got on board / met man
him ard aked hin Il ne ives captain Of the shin,
Ga lol answer ne; made notion and poJ ted 10.
wards Ar Nathaniel Gordon advanced tovs rds Mr.
SoId0n, no ohered his hand, ana asked 10 wax
Gown m the cabin saw seated around in tie cabin sx
eight persons, all OF whom took To be Spa Yards ana
Portuguese they were dressed civilians NOT as seaman
asked him (eordop) for the ships parers he reuei
ps was captain he answered. "Non " ses him nun VINO
the captain; he said the captain died tha Congo.
Askcd him tho mate he told the mate run Ia he
Congo; mean ran away; asked him v 20 vas il charge
OF the snip, he told be did not then told him
90 haul the coiOre, he eaid he aid
cabin, ana went out on aeek did moi see Gordon follow
me that the coors had not be an hauled down aud
1 directed the man who stood AZ the hsiyards TO dc
%; nc did not obey my order; | went up 10 b m
again, and again directed Lin 70 do 80, wneu he
nd The hauling down OF The colors 10 designate
70 me Captain OF sioh F Al abe was captured az
shaver; then think roc az persons
deck appeared TO be s@ men; directed my beats
cysw 10 cheer the boats rev then came oard and
they took OF the hatchesS up a number OF white
pessons eight ten coJ after hatch; heard
Soea Of the Africans below started towards the
hal q Is.
let " the drinkaa - brought up box, sup
rseed % be care ana mother demohn rum
gin and they CONNIE need breaking the boxes and
addressed the party no drinking and told them the
drinking thold 30 stopped; he said snoald be done;
Warren was 81 1Jig in the crowd Hall did not see a.
INA, moment; tank Hall the who stand.
Ing II the siyards; whilst standing there Mr. Gordon
be Id they would like To be landed the Congo;
TOLD him he might get landed Capt Gordon, OF the
hohicsn ~o1ld give him Al answer; be asked what port
goAg 70 take the ship answered him that did
know Warren then said If the captain wanted 10 land
he dd NOT want TO be landed he wanted 10 home in
the ship think IL was Warren who said 90;
The negroes were shouting, yelling crying &C looked
negrces and children, all stark naked except
some few OF them they we're all closely slowed spoon
e ss s1cn Ss oP Be- very & NOT s
any papers then; the captain OF the hoh.cen and The
leu s Cne Mb Iane wh az ba
NJ about two half past two T. NJ to take charge Of the
RTE AL sbe white men were brought nom he Erie on
board the hohean; the captain Of the Mexican called UP
Nathaniel Gordon and Mr.. Warren, and told me
M their presence that | should bring them home,
and that / might gain iniormatior about feed.
ing these negroes, &C from these people; think
he FpoSe OF them captain and mate IN their presence
70 me; they said nothing asked Mr.. Gordon ques
ton about the cooking arrangements and about the
tty provisions board 10 their suciercy carry
Them 10 Aonrovia bis that he did not know,
that all be had told from observation; said he
wlipg 70 assist by telling VIVA. lie had seen
board, but did not know anything o. his know.
ledge he said he thought would ind pen y board 1
found Hall board found him drunk he spoke OF ID 8
country their home, said they passengers
the vetsel bad painted her stern Erie New York !"
and "Erie" . foot board, landed 5s7 negroes at
konroya % died the voyage, and was lost
board oapt Gordon saii that 1re looking Spanard
the Spanish captain, who had the command told them
both did not them 10 speak about IL; they
gave the residence OF the captain mate in
AoouyersatOn they Eald IL Tie cuEtog to have two
captains the CoagO The American captain aud
The span al captain tDok her when boarded by Al Eng
hsn cruiser she American vossel-- when boarded
by American, she n spanish vessel. Gordon said
he lived IN Portland MewAs Tasel there never asked
thcm who owned TIE vessel cargo, that port they
bound for Gordon often looked the chart with
me, and spoke az The points he hat made oct found
tbcse books the frat wek out on board the Efe these
are log books Of tie ship also number Of charts one
general chart OF the Atlantic aud of the Wes ndies and
small chart ~ the Of Gorge and 81 the northern
part OF Brazil he (3ord9n spoke Of II chart Of his
voyage out; don't know Ia whose Handwriting.
when Mr. Jcachimssen li cross examine tue sitaess.