New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-06-06
Other Terrible Crimes admitted.
WRECK OF THE SALADIN
He Assists in Numbering the Officers
THE HISTORY OF HIS CRIMES.
HIS APPROACHING EXECUTION.

day or two since our reporter wasinforned hat AZ
bert Hicks alias johnson, about to make full
confession of his crimes and accordingly visited him In
the Tombs for the purpose of gaining from him such
statement as be would make In the mean time he had
been visited by friends who had suggested to him
the idea of reserving his full confession fer some time
yetlil about the time of his execntionand then pab-
fishing il in pamphlet form. Being remarkably
shrewd fellow he saw at once that this plan would bel
profitable one and one that would procure for his wife
a large sum of money. Consequently no inducement,
not even one of pecunary nature, could win his con-
sent to furnishing it for publication IN daily news
PAPER He has, however, recently made certain adj
missions TO his ieepers and Others which clearly snow
that not OILY was be guilty of the crime Of piracy for
which he stands condemned to death, but that he bru
tay and in the most inhuman manner, murdered the
CAPTAIN and crew Of the Z. a. johnson, and was also
concerned in the murder of Fix other persons in 1874
These latter mentioned victims tie officers and
crew-six in all-oi the bark Slladn, which was
wrecked on the southern coast Of NOva-Scoa in 1874
and of which mention w,s made in The TRIBUNE Of
Monday last.
In regard TO the murders on board the Z. A. John
son, Hicks admits that be perpetrated them in cold
having on board George Burr Captain and part owner
Samuel and Oliver Watts, and Albert Hicks shipped
as JohnsoD ss crew. On Wednesday, March q, the
soop was found deserted in the lower bay, and on
being boarded traces of violent aud bloody struggle
we found With the flight ART st aud trial of Hi ks
and all his subsequent movements, the public are al
ready familiar. There is little doubt but that when
Hicks engaged on that soop be bad determined 70 pee
SEES himself Of the money which the Captain had,
amounting to some $780, He says that between and
10 O'Clock at night when about so miles out at sea- he
commenced his bloody work. The plain was sleep
ing below in the cabin and one of the Warts boys
WAS also Sleeping below. Hicks and the other Watts
were on deck the latter being on the okout in the
bow The murderer came up behind the unsuspicious
Young man, and with some heavy weapon-probaby
a handspke-dea him deadly blow upon the head.
His vic IN 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 hareh when the
murderer struck him also upon the head with his
deadly weapon and he too fen nsensible to the deck
| He was then dispatched in the manner as his
brother had been. Capt Burr had not yet been die
| turbtd but still quietly sleeping in his cabin,
wholly unsusricious of the bloody that were
BEN enacted ON board his vessel. Hicks proceeded
Immediately to the cabin where he made assault
upon Capt. Burr. His deadly work was not in this
instance performed i'll and sudden a manner.
Tie first blow dealt the Captain only served TO
hm to sense Of his danger and he instantly sprang
mp and grsrplea with the assassin. The struggle vas
long and terrible one, but Hicks, being armed and
the most powerful man Of the two, eventually over
came the Captain and succeeded in killing him.
Hicks says that the Cevttn made a good fight. and
| might have succeeSs1 u overpoweriug him bad he
been armed, but bis physical strength alone was not
sufficient TO cope with the murderer and his formidable
wespons.
The bodies were permitted to lie where they had
fallen while the perperator of this triple murder
sacked the vessel for the p4ltry OF money which
had instgateG him 10 commit the crime. After the
lapse OF an hour So the sloop being then well out to
sea the bodies thrown overboaidby Hicks. Wien
the vessel was brought back this port, there were
marks of blood and several cuts the gunwe Of the
sloop as if the murdered had grasped u ere in
their struggle while being thrown overheard and The
murderer had cut their hands aud let them into the
sea. This, Hicks says not the case, as the bodies
| lay ON deck long lime after Life extinct. On
being asked how be felt while alone the sloop, far
al sea- at midnight, with his dead victims lyng at his
feet he replied that there were five on board-hmseif,
three dead peIsous and the devil made the fifth. Then
| he says he felt we'll enough but now, alter having
BEEN with him all bis life, the devil has deserted hun,
aid be feels very bad. He had heard that one of the
bodies had been washed ashore and asked if that
so. The keeper told him that such reported 10
be the fact Hicks replied that he would not believe
it, for he took pains bury them lar oat at sea, where
there was little prospect Of their appearing agans,
him.
Reference has heretofore been made in THE TRIBUNE
as 10 the probability of Hicks having been implicated
| in the muiiuy on board the bark Saladin, in 1874
which resulted in the murder of of the OF that
vessel and subsequently, of the chief nstgator of the
mutny and bis con. The following account Of that
horrible tragedy Published in Tie Kingston jVhig
| al the time:
Nhtn the Saladina about leaving Valparaiso,
Cart Fielding whose vessel ha1 been cOntscated for
breach of the revenue laws of the country applied 10
Capt. Mckenzie for passage 20 Enel md Tor himself
and his SON and they were taken board as cabiu
Issseucers Shortly after getting 20 sea Fielding oc-
casjOIay spoke to the unayordbly of Can't Nc
Kerzie told them of the valuable cargo there was on
hoard and QueeOned them a. 10 their courage and res-
oluion if they were called upon 70 act in desperate
circumstance All this disclosure with them was sep
arstelv he never speaking TO more than one of them
at time.
He finally told them still speaking in the same
tjous manner 10 only at a tne that The crew were
about 10 destroy the officers and take the ship out of
th.ir hands: that the one whom he addressed had
better iOin them or his own lie would ne IN danger.
in this dabohcal mabner be succeeded N redu,ihg
them one after another, into mutiny, before ihey
wore aware of the true state Of tbe case and, IN IN H.
cd;lv short time after he hIst mentioned hrs endish
MAN he succeeded in obtaining Inc engagement 70 take
mani with him Of a sufficient number 10 carry them mo