New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-23
THE TRAGEDY IN THE LOWER BAY
TRACES OF THE MURDERER,
MS FLIGHT AND PURSUIT..

nost foul and wholesale slaughter OF human life mad
there been pcrpetraed Tire vessel reeked with bleed
from stem to stern. She Was found abandoned in the
| Lower Bay, early Wednesday morning, by the crew
of the schooner Tee graph, and afterward towed mp
to the city by the steam-tug Ceres and moored IN Fn
ton Market slip. No person, living or dead, was on
her when she was discovered, although che had left
Keypor on last Sunday night, beund for Deep River,
| Va, aud cargo Of oysters, with a crew Of the
following named persons: George Burr, captsin; Ma
thaniel Clock, mate Samuel Watts and Oliver Watts,
| hands. HWtf
Upon an examination of the etern ofthe soOp II was
discovered that the tackle was lowered to the water
edge and the small boat which usually hung there had
been taken away.
Shortly after her arrival and Inspection by the Cor
oner, Captain Nickerson of the schooner John b..
Ma'her, of Dennis, Mass, reported that at 81 or A
O'Clock on Wednesday morning, while abreast Of the
tail Of the West Bank, he came in collision with the
sloop T.. A. Johnson and was badly damaged. The
sloop was standing north as if running for NewYork
while bis schooner was sailing almost due SOUTH
There was only on board Of the sloOp at the
time, and he was at the wheel steering. No words
were exchanged between Captain Nckerson and the
man ON board the sloop. Immediately after the coils
ion, the John B. Msther was found TO be so badly
damaged that it was deemed necessary TO pu. back TO
New-York for repairs.
On bis arrival in the East River OF Wednesday NOM
ing, Capt. Nickerson the sloop T.. A. johnson,
and he mmed atey recognized her his acquaintance
of the previous night. He says the sloop had boat
swinging from her stern at the time of the collision,
but he did not observe any getting into while the
two vessels were in sight of each other. He is Of
opinion that the collision was caused by the grossest
ignorance or fright ON the part of the man who was
steering the sloop and says that during his expert
euce of over twenty five years, he saw
bungling piece of work than that performed by the
s,eersman in question. There calls for assist
ance board the sloop, and not word was uttered
by any board. The incident passed off 10 per-
feet silence, end with the exception of few words
spoken by Capt. Nekersop, dead silence regned on
board Of both vessels.
This evidence was confirmed by the dirabled ap-
peaIance Of the sloop itself, whose bowsprit mani
testify carried away in a collision, floating along
side.
A vivid description was printed in our columns
yesterday of the saDgunary aspect of the vessel above
end below. Blooi polluted the cabin and the deck.
Who could tell what fearful struggles for life had
there taken place Were the crew surprised by
river pirates, murdered, and thrown into the Bay
the captain was known 10 have in bis charge butch.
cred him in the night-watches, and completed the
cruel work by killing the two who might be the wit
nesses of his guilt These questions excited the
thousands who quickly covered the piers adjacent to
the sloop, ard came az once to the minds Of those
whose duty it to inspect the and thoroughly
eft the dreadful affair.
investigation showed too plainly, not only that the
erin ad hee cd hv ond hot. a
member Of the crew, but that the two boys bad been
killed frst-one, on the lookout near the bow, being
murdered where he stood other being called on
deck and probably dispatched near the gangway.
The murderer then it is supposed, went below into
the cabin, sssaulted the captain in his BIRTH beat him
until life was nearly extinct, and then dragged him no
deck TO the side of the vessel where hs was thrown
over the rail.
On the tafrail was the crimson impress of the vi
TINS hand, where he chung with frantic instinct in his
last hold for life vaiDy uttsiing one more plsl for
mercy, till the barbarous murderer severed his wrist
with hachet leaving the cut of its edge marked dis
tincty along the wood.
After the collision with the John b. Ma.her-which
may have been intsDtons in the hope that the sIoop
might be wrecked and thus, for time, the traces Of
the crime be biddenhe murderer must have taken 10
the small boat, made his way to the shore and |
escaped
During the whole of yesterday, our reporter, in
cor junction with Messrs. THONGS NJ. James and rheo-
dore Burde!t, of the Harbor Police, was engaged In |
tie investigation of the mystery and in the attempt
trace the footsteps Of the murderer. The ends Of
Justice forbid us " sta.e the causes in operation,
which render his immediate capture happily probable,
but the facts which Il ia prudent to narras fol-
lcwss
Ii is considered almost certain that the mate who |
was engaged by Capt. Burr and the owner just before
thu vessel sailed, and whose name, Nicholas Clock, is
assumed one murdered his three associates tempted
by the thousand dolsrsn the possession Of the Captan
that the murders conmt,e shortly after midnight
on Wednesday morning. that the murderer possessed
himself of the coveted booty and made for land in the
sloop's yawL He reached some point on the Staten |
Island shore at an early hour on Wednesday morning.
arrived at what Is known az the lower Vanderbilt
landing Just in time TO be too late for the first boat 10
the city, he conse quenty was compelled to wait for an
hour till the time for the second boat to SAIL o'clock,
when he came up to the city in the steamboat
Sonthleld, Capt. I,aac Vrce!ond.
While waiting for the boat, he got into conversation
with the bridge or dock.keeper at the landing, Abram
EgbeIt, and asked him where fellow could get any.
thing TO ca, or drink He was directed TO small oys
ter-saoon just at the landing, where he went, sat |
down, and held conversation, with the boy in |
charge of the saloon The saloon is kept by Peter
Van Pet and the boys name is Augustus Gisler.l
He then intimated that he was in hurry to get up
to the city, and was sorry that he had missed the first
boat. lie called for two drinks Of hot gin and two
eees TO pay for which he handed quarter of dollar.