The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-10-11

Trial Or the Accused In New Ysrk-Inter.
esting Dcvelopmen OF the
Prisener--iits Account or the Affair, &c.
[From the New York Herald, Of Saturday

arrested suspicion of having set fire TO III.
steamboat Caiaiine, At Fortress Monroe, Oh
the 2d CT July last, was resumed yesterday
before Justice Quackenbush, at the jefferson
Market Police Court. Four witnesses were
examined, including Fire. Marshal Baker,
who produced an interesting statement Of the
defendant, which WAS made voaun tarily OH
the night of his arrest. Larkin's account OF
the fire and the manner Of transacting bust
ness in and about Fortress Monroe is some-
what Interesting; The following ia report
OF the evidence elected yesterday:
John Van Tine, being further examined on
the part Of the prosecution, deposed as fell
lows :-Larkin, in conversation with me-
said that he Intended to negotiate for a boat
On the same route when this matter was set
tied; he accused the captain of the Cataline OF
taking the Government stores and appropri-
atinx them 10 his own use; this was said III
the presence of Dir. Labor.
Cross-examined.-I must have seen Larkin
in my place in Dey street at least twenty
times in or during the month OF August
sometimes he came alone. and sometimes
with Labor and other gentlemen, and gener-
ally between twelve and one o'clock; be
appeared TO be sober.
Chauncey Is. Sleeper OF No. liz Broadway
being duly sworn for the prosecute on testified
IS follows Il knew the defendant (Larkin,
sow present; l have heard him speak of the
burning of the steamboat CataIine j met
Gr. Llrkin and Mr.. Lalor at The As;or House
aboU the l5th OF August last Dir. Lolar in
troduced me TO Mr. Larkir We talked to-
gether some few moments, and then MIR. Lalor
Sske0 Mr.. Larkln and myself 20 ont ai,ti
Eske something; we went out to place in
chatham street; Larkin and Lalor took 2
drin X and We're there one and 4 half or two
hours; Larkin and Lalor had conversation
With me about steam boat affairs generally
and during the con rersation the N ter of the
Catalina was mentioned several times: Mr.
I.arkin said he WAS engaged largely in steam
boat operations, making principally for other
parties he mentioned Mr.. Stetsons NAM.
IMessrs Freeman & Co, aud II. q. Freeman as
being th0ArlnctDii the SIT IN
he said further that he was employed by them
and was acting for them board the C;.ta-
line; he said ne was boarding at the Astor
House; that Elr. Stetson wac a very fine fet
low; that his board there amounted TO 50 80
per day that his board was paid thai
| be could draw check any time Oh
Freeman & Co, ana they dare not re
| tnse it and if he wanted any drinks or
refreshments in his room, all he had TO do was
| TO call tor them that he disposed of the Cat
aline ut Fortress Monroe; that MIR. Stetson NJ
| Nj Freeman Co., and IL q. Freeman, knew
| ali about it; that they did not dare 10 90
back on him; that he Was receiving $3.50 per
mon IN at the present time; that il would not
| do for them 10 refuse him an thing he said
| that shortly after leaving Fortress Monroe
| and General Butler and his staff there tbs,
| lights were put out on board the boat srd
| that he accomplished the thing SC well that
| the ship was ali in q blaze in a moment; he
| said that he knew how to fix those things
| and that the owners had perfect confidence in
| him. and they understood the whole ma tier ;
! some of the latter portion OF the converse
| ton took place in Chatham street; we walked
| up Broadway a short distance and he said
| that he had two or three other steamboats,
which he was about purchasing or negotiat-
| ing for; that he was going to take them UP
| the Potomac, and that he did not think tiey
would come back that he would serve them
| rs the Catalina was served: that he had
| burned the Catallne and was going 10 make
a good thing out OF her; Mr.. Labor, L be-
| lieve, asked him the question whether he
| would burn these boats Larkin used the
| language that he would "burn them to hell -
and said in that connection that he intended
to or would burn one next week and one the
| next week, and that one week would not be
| a very bad operation At that time he said
! nothing Is to the manner OF burning
Cross e1aIninad.-I am 4 lawyer, and boa I'd
| at No. 50, White street first saw Mr. Larkin
| last spring; l next saw him about the 10Th OF
| August; l think it was the last fart Of the
week did not go with him. but met him At
| the Astor House; l have known Lalor some
| three mo tbs Intimately, and some three years
by reputation Labor and Larkn were in con
yersation a the time | went into the Astor
House ! think Labor had mentioned Larkiu S
| name 30 me, and also sons confessions thai
| Larkin had made about The burning Of the
| Cataline | I'm not certain whether that WI.
| before or sitter, but my impression is that it
! was before; Labor had ne1 er proposcd 10 me
! to be present at any conversation /; Lsl0r VIZ s
| employed in my office between two and three
months; / have no other person in ny office
| this conversation occurred between half pasi
| eight and eleven o'clock in the evening; it
| was 1t the SOU IN west corner of Chambers and
! Chatham streets, / think while IN this place
| L,rkin. think, drank about two glasses OF
| gin l thiGk Lar kin spoke OF the CataIiue in
the street soon after going into the saloon he
| spoke OF the burning OF tho Ca taline ] don i
| think he was strictly sober, hut was no. in
! toxicated L am certain that / drank only
| once; the most OF the conversation about the
| Catalina was in the saloon the manner 81
accomplishing it wa. said in the saloon /; the
| conversation wae volunteered on the part OF
| Iarkin; did not put any questions to him; l
don't think he stated al any time the manner
| of burning the vessel: l don't know if 4 this
| or a subsequent time Larkin said to Labor III
| my presence, that turpentine was not BAD
thing to use FOR such purposes; two or three
| evenings afterwards l met Larnin. and he re-
| iterated the same statements.
| Michael d. Labor, on being cross-examine,i
| for the defence, deposed as folloWs:I was first
| introduced to MIR. Larkin by MIR. Gaffin, at
| Van Tines saloon, in Dey street; the first
| time Larkin told me about tina burning of the
| Cataline was the l4th of August; in the early
| part of the mont l Was introduced TO hi M
| l never saw him before; Larkin detiiied the
| conversation of the l4th of August PIT French s
| Hotel in the evening about eleven O'Clock:
| he appeared to be perfectly sober; l treated
him TO two glasses OF liquor; no one was
present at the conversation, and he never re-
| peated these statements in the presence OF
| any one except Mr. Sleeper; I saw Larkin
! nearly every day, and sometimes two or three
| times, up TO the time Of his arrest met Lar
| kin several times in Van Tines saloon before
| the l4th of August the first morning after the
| conversation of Jarkin to NE mentioned it
| to Mr. Sleeper.
Alfred Z. Baker, Fire Marshal, deposed as
| folloWs:-l4srkln, the prisoner, was arrested
| on the It'll OF September, and was taken to the
| twenty ninth precinct station house we
| went into stage, and while there Larkin sat
| next to me, and wished 10 know On what
charge he was arrested; stated TO him that
| il WAS in relation to the steamboat Catalina;
| he sad lie fell then. he thought 10
| might be arrested on some charge that he
| knew nothing about; while going along he
said he would be able to give me some facts
! til would be OF service; that was about all
| that passed until he got 10 the station-hou.e;
when there asked him if he would give me
! those facts that he alluded to In the stage he
replied that he would, and subsequently
II AIDE the following statement, marked a,
which WAS sent to Mr. Larkin, and admitted
! TO be true:
STATEMENT OF ME-. LARKrx.
About two weeks or thereabouts before the
| fire Captain Phillips sold to q Captain Web
ster, master Of a brig then lying at Fortress
| Monroe, one or more hair mattresses, together
| with sheets, pillow cases and counterpanes
| or blankets to match. The amount was either
| s2s or SIS. l was present when these things
! were delivered to Captsin Webster. These
| things were taken aboard the brig in a yawi
boat; On that evening our boat went along
side the brig, and took on board the boat some
| fresh beef and leg; could not swear this
| beef and ice wa,lin payment for the mat
tresses, &c. This circumstance of Captain
| Phillips selling these articles belonging 10 the
| boat was notified by me, and to the best OF
my belief wrote 10 NJ. NJ. Freeman 4 Co.,
| advising them of the facts also wrote to
them about the difficulty the captain had
| with General Butler; on the day Of the
| night Of the FIRE. July :, the boat went
| 10 Newport News, and returned TO For.
| tress Monroe after leaving Newport News
OF all ray clothes except my shirt, pan ia
| looms and boots; General Butler and family,
and some OF his stan, were ON board did