Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-03-30

HORRIBLE MURDER At SEA.-The public ut
New York were thrown into great excitement
on Wednesday. the Dist, by the news that
"A deserted sloop hal been boarded in the
lower bay off Staten Island by persons be-
/ longing to the Schooner Telegraph, who
found undoubted tokens Of bloody massacre
and robbery having been committed on the
deserted = ssei. The sloop proved to be the
E \ johnson, Capt. Brown, of I-lip, L. l.,
which left Newport y. Y. on Sunday night
bound to Virginia for a cargo Of oysters. The
sloop had on board when she sailed two men
and two boys, tie captain having 10 his
charge a considerable sum of money-two or
three thousand dollars it IS supposed-for
the purchase of his cargo
when the sloop was DO lrded. Captain Sis
tare discovered that the decks, fore and aft.
were besmelred with blood, and found human
hair, mated with gore, scattered here and
there, indicating that murderous ARRAY
had probably taken place. large pools of
blood were found on the floor of the cabin,
and table, chair. aud stove splttered. Ev-
e1ything was in confusion and disorder a
large hammer was found on which were por-
mons Of human hair and blood, showing that
tle nurderous work hal, IN part, been &C
c)mpished with that instrument From the
cabin door 20 the side of the vessa there were
marks of blood, apparently indicating that
the victims had been drawn from the cabin
and thrown into the ocean. A pool of blood
was visible near the scuppers. and there were
traces Of it on the outside Of the vessel, and
prints Of bloody hands on the rail. Pools of
blood also surrounded the mast near the
wndlass. and the bloody traces Of crime were
found on the masts md sails. 4 coffee pot |
was also found in the cabin. besmeared with |
blood, and locks Of human hair sticking to
it, showing that this had been used first,
probably as a weapon OF defense, aud after
ward as an implement Of murder.
The indications were that the boys were
irst-one Of them probably being
struck down while employed as a look out,
and the other probably being then called on
deck and killed, near the gangway-after
which the captain was attacked below, and
after a bloody struggle, overpOwered {; and
then the bodies of the dead or dying were
dragged to the side OF the vessel and thrown
overheard. here were strong indications
that one at least was alive when thrown
)verboard, ON the marks of bloody fingers
IN the railing, as if some one had clutched
loll and had his fingers chopped off by a
ratchet As the vessel was seen in the fore
oart Of the day with one man at the helm, I
" whose mism ,nagement the vessel IS run
oul Of another vessel, the John B. Mather,
md considerably damaged, no other person
,ut the helmsman being visible, there ara
that he was the mate of the E. A
Johnson, and had previously committed the
murder and hoped to damage the vessel by ,
he collision SO that she would sink while he
rot off in a boat; though it is more probable
hat he was trying to work her in towards '
he shore SO as TO make his escape with his
,ooty The money Of the captain was miss :
ng.
From our despatch Of below it seems
hat the murderer has been arrested. I
1t aprears that the odium in part '
f one of the foulest murders which has
isgraced our criminal annals is likely to fall {
pon the State of r. [. Last night detect
We offic Geo Nuen, with Captain Smith.
n ottathe of the New York Times, assisted ,
" officer George Billings, of the Prov 4
1ence Police, arrested at the House
t James Butts, near tie lack Walton
louise, a man name! Alfred " Hicks, who
charged with three murders on board the G
loop E. a. johnson. of Isip, Long Island Z
ticks halls from Foster, in this State. where O
e says he has six brothers, farmers His 4
life, an irish woman, and a child seven a
lonths old were with him. He came mere r,
ON Fall River by the Bradford Durkee. on fl
thursday morning, and took board With &
spectacle widow lady, Croswell, who q