Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-03-29
The Oyster Slosp Tragedies at New York.

o
CouRr.
Inc examination Of the prisoner, F. A. John.
son, dids Hicks charged with the murder Of the
captain and crew Of the schooner E. l.. Johnson
was Th commenced mi! Yesterday "wednesday
e ih pahtaloons, dark colored vest, and black
cioth sack coat. heavy blue scarf was around
DIS neck hiding bis collar. His long black hair
ance evidenced considerable attention 10 b{s toi .
iette In conversation Johnson is rather pleasing
tndn otherwise, evincing both intellig ence and
snrewohess His manner is much more refined
tnan the published reports would lead one TO sun
pose ~ " sup
lille awaiting the opening of the Court the
prisoner conversed with the Deputy Marshal and
ms ms counsel , evincing no extraordinary emotion
ne Elkeo on trihing topcs-said he feared that
sne plaster OF Paris used in making a cast of his
features Tor Barnum's Museum weuId make him
apps appear pare to-day-thought the audience looked
IKE parcel OF fools and in response to some ap-
Pilcations made him In regard to his name. de-
clared that be would tell nothing without being
paid for it. He also added that he would not
heIeaitet allow any sketches or daguerreotypes of
nih 10 De taken without receiving some remu-
neration. 'O"
AT quarter past eleven the Court was opened
Inc District Attorney told the prisoner TO rise and
asked him HIS name. The prisoner replied .sMv
name is William Johnson-my right name iS AZ
bert f.. Hicksn - 49,
District Attorney-Have you anything to say in
regard to this charge,
PrisOner-No, sir
The prisoner then sat down He appeared
flushed and his brows were closely knitted.
Assistant District Attorney Wright presented
the amaavlts In the matter to the Court and read
the statute that defines robbery i'm bays seas or
rivers, as piracy. He moved that warrant be
issued and the prisoner taken into custody AS
the charge OF murder could not be proven with
Snt me hnding Of the body, the District Attorney
deemed 1t best to issue warrant on charge Of
piracy, especially as the death penalty was enacted
Tor this, the same as for murder
=, Daniel Simmons deposed that he knew Captain
York to Virginia for load of oysters, and had
chartered the vessel for the trip Her crew COLI
sisted OF Capt Burr, the prisoner, first mate and
TWO men named Watts. The crew was entirely
new, ana witness was acquainted only with the
captain. The vessel cleared from this mort on the
18th Witness gave Capt. Burr on his departure
H2oo In silver, In shot bag belonging to Capt
Burr. and about S35 in gold. Witness has since
seen the bag at the Second Police Station Visited
the sloop last Wednesday, at Fulton Market
ana found that the iib- boom and bowsprit cut
water and yawl were gone. and there was blood
in several places on the deck On the rail WAS n
c"t, as though man had clnched hold there and
been cut OF There was little pool of blood
near tue hatchwdyS. Amidships and aft there was
"a pretty good lot of blood There was blood
on the bulwarks close aft md amidshirs There
was in the cabin as much blood as if a bulloc k
had been killed. In some places It had been swept
a"aE, and two holes were bored IN the cabin IGOR
70 allow fetc escape. On the walls was spattered
blood, and on the carving a cash, as though done
By bloody knife There was also blood Oil the
Conran io nway aud steps during this testimony
the prisoner gazed intently on the notes hts coun
Sci 's, were taking } Capt. Burr kept his money
drawer in which he believed the captain kept his
money On the 18th saw the sloop and Capt Burr
at keypOrt.
Sclah Benjamin called to the stand Lived in
Long Island; knew Captain Burr, had sailed with
him Oh the previous trip, knew the defeudau,
who shipped in the f. t. Johnson in place o,
witness. Witness here recognized DIS Captain
Burr's the hat. pantaloons. and vest exhibited T.
the previous witness Had picked them out a,
the Police Court
Henry Seaman. Of BROOKLYN, positively identi.
ned the watch shown him as Capt. Burr's Knew
tie watch by the way the guard was tied on it,
by the clasp and by the number. About d wear
ago witness took the watch up to Mr. Squire
Jeweler, IN the Bowery, Spring street to Gel
| 1t cleaned, and there noticed the number
Geo. Naildigger, of Port Richmond, testified
| that ne saw man like the defendant near tie
new fort, on Staten Island. on "Wednesday morn
ing last. at about six o'clock. The man had
bag his shoulder, and asked witness if his boat
would be safe down by the fort. Witness replied
that it would, and the man disappeared He did
not return and the witness III the afternoon towed
| his boat as described bv previous witness He
wore jacket like that in court, which came Il
| his ankles. ron being asked to desig nate on hi.
| body the lena ia Of the coat was pointed to neal
his knees. This unexpected location of ankles
| created considerable meTrimeut in court Wit
| ness was German, and spoke rather broker
English
The witnesses were then recalled and the pris
one. directed to put OH the jacket and the Kossutt
hat that had been exhibited to the court. He die
| so and confronted the witnesses. who all recog
nized him. MIR. Dirnan, the deck hand, said de
cisively, That's the boy'-a remark that created
general laugh, the prisoner also smiling. Mr.
NaldlSger, the German witness, discoursed a
random in Teutonic English. but Was quite Ger
tain that he recognized in the prisoner the man b,
| had met on staten Island. The llveliest interes
was manifested by all the Court room at this stag
of proceeding but the prisoner did not seem niue
affected; Oh the contrary, he smiled several time
as the witnesses were identifying him.
THE CASE OF THE SPRAY EXAMINATION OF
| JACKALow, THE CHINAMAN
An examination Of Jackalow, the Chnaman
who is under arrest on suspicion of murderin;
Capt. Jonathan F Leete and Elijah Leete (brothe
| of the captain) on the soop Spray, off Barnpga,
was also held t.rGay morning, before L. :
Commissioner Vroom, at the Recorders office
Jersey City. He was brought into court, smilin.
and seeming to indulge no apprehension whateve
! as TO the result. On his way from the cell he ha,
| frequently made use Of the expression " Pity tn
| man, by which lie meant that he would be pitie.
and released.
Samuel +. Stone. Of Guilford, Conn, testifie,
| to the previous business relations of Capt Leete
OF the Spray, and the prisoner.
| The next witness called was Mr.. w oodrua, as
| sistant superintendent of the New jersey Rail
ro1d. He saw defendant for the first time OF
| Monday afternoon; came to Jersey City from
Newark on the Is train i'll the custody of Messrs
| Wilson, Jacobs, Sandford and one other person
the prisoner was searched by witness and another
| found two long stockings around his waist, tet
with piece of tarred string; stocking wa
| contained in the other and had specie in it; tn
| other stocking contained purse or bag contain
| Ing gold $685. in the other bag, $40 SO-alto
gether 1891 80; had some change in his panta
looms pocket in rag; defendant refused at first Il
be searched. but finally pulled OF his boots ant
shook them, enchanting, Noting; using hi
bands upon his sides and legs where the stocking
were, as though he would cover something; h
was asked where his boat and captain were, anc
he replied, ono capain-no boat-sell cigars;
also said he had been finding nuts.