The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-04
The BURNING OE TYs "RohNnKE.y

THE BURNING or the ROANOKE"
How the Pirates Game ON Bonrd aud How
They seized the sselIuterestinG state
Hents Of the FIRST Omcer aud Chief Bngi-
First Officer NIoHoLs and Chie Engineer HIeatNs
,hs Sssamship RoGTose when that vessel Was scilod
by the pirate BRAINE and severa, on his men, after
have made statements OF the capture.
Those officers weIe taken before the Collector Of
New York and that OH Ger made an informal exami-
nation Of them, with view ascertain If there
was anything in the case winch might require his
The following are their statements in condensed
iorm;--
The statement OF FIRST Cthcer e. ID. NICHOLS was
nrst taken He sad Thai, so Jar a. he was aware,
the Roanoke, the part OF her officers others in
havana nor was there any crowd at tho wharf
when the vessel sailed The cargo consisted of two
hundred and tueen boxes sugar some cigars, aud
e1TO00 in ueenbacks, and $1,000 or $1,000 in specie.
The vessel started from Havana with only tlirty-
Eve Iassengers; sine stopped three different umos
and took on others who came IN boats First, ono
nan was taken, then boat with two and another
with three men. These passengers were strangers
No passengers were ever received before IN that
Mr. NICHOLS thought rneY coua nayo come on
board in boats only ior the purpose OF avoiding ap-
auy hesitation was manifested by the Captain to
take t.e on board, that officer saying they were
Only the captain and purser were authorized TO
permit them on tie vessel, aud the purscr declared
TO the { aptain they were all right Mr.. NICHOLS
added 1--WE were not authorized to take passengers
aboard ct The port unless thcy had proper papers
from the Consul q heavy penalty would De incurred
by violating the RUE in this respect"
The met Mr. NICHOLS saw OF a Gisposiiion on the
part OF the strangers proceed TO violence at
quarter 10 ten o'clock on tho evening OF departure.
At that lme two OF them walked up 20 Mr.; NICHOLS,
enc aeh SIDE and, as he says, leaned" on him.
Two others came behind him and presented re-
volyer at his head, telling him II he opened his
mouth they would blow his brains ont, and ordered
him 10 surrendev 10 the Confederate States of Ame-
rica, hey gave him one minute to Gecide. lie an
m,
render ana " gave up, when they put MN IN IRONS
p, MI EicsoLs says when they first seized him one
the r conieSerates on the ,ower deck to seize the
officer in that part OF tie ship, NJ. HIGGINS. lie
had his men with hun, and Mr. NICHOLS had two
sailors. HIGGINs was seized Immediately alter the
repoi TOT tho pistol
principal officers ON watch, and that all tle conspira
tons lad to do after the seizure OF these officers was
70 20 to the rooms the other officers OF the vessel
anu axe them while asleep, winch was q very easy
There were engaged in taking possession of tho
ship twelve or fifteen meni and the crew O. tho
Iio0noke numbered about nifty. The Chief En- tincer
had arms; the steward mad GyoNsr' anu Mr.
NICHOLS remarked that he himself nad pistol in
when Mr.. NICHOLS was asked II he had any idea
OF anything OF this kind occurring he answered that
danger, but not thc slightest III Havana.
Tie Captain, who was not wen, had retired to his
NICHOLS keeping the Captains watchi and WHOM
that had expired he went on with hls own. II was
during this period that the outbreak occurred.
Tho Captain heard the report Of the pistol which
was fired, and jumped ont OF his bed Mr., NICHOLS
saw him open the door and stand with revolver IN
hls hand The door stood aiar and Mr.. NICHOLS
presumed that on account OF the darkness the Cap
On lie passaae 10 bermuda some OF tho Roanoke
assisted BRAINE and his men 10 work tho snip
wheh they weie compelled 20 dc.
AL the iitemen aud coa!-passors received montlt
lars and tho coa-passors City dollars. Flur een
the crew, including fremen, coai-passers and oIio
men cave the RodHoke's men their cAoice, cithyr
work the ship or be shot down
Statement OF tho Chief Engineer.
i5 Chief Engnoer lIIeeINs was next examu Q
ta Ae sald the hrEt unle nc heafn OF suspected ~
thug wrong the vessel was about nine ociooS
he then Heard the men who afterwards made t
attack and who stood in group, trylng 'to get
81 some kind OF song" he thought tneG STRANGE .
they ask ed hIm how last the ship was going. he
piled, eleven knots or So" Soon aHorwud,
went into hls room, ana whle there ho "near
He came out to ascertain what 1t meant but he
ing noting lUrther went back, and almost lulf
went out, ana met man VINO raised pistol
NJ. HIaoNs said he had pistol hut had
char co to 1t, Another man cine up nom
Mr. HIGGISs continued IN answer to questio
"ILey wanted me to eu.render. asked to wa, wIo
They sald to the Confederate StaleH' sutroA@ei
and they put me IN irons. ~, H. ,-,,. g..
Question Oy too Cohector-Did they brng ir
hnswer.-rhero were SO many reports tnat
ooud NOT tell 1t was said they brought KNIVES
hit NIcnoLs. -lhey had G.tI -one pairs OF If
Que stion~ijd they raise the Confederate dag
board the yessor
An. wer--So, sir not thoui they spread it out
the 10 bic and asked us it VIC had ever seon the T.
fede.ate haQr They rased it the no1tt day.
hnswer.-Ihs crew came on board as -erago
sengtre before We started. Deleye some Oh I,
had tioketei others Iaid their ra5sage 10 npt II
whether they al passloitsi blt l9 custom " ~
have such paucrs lEe urser tolb th' captain q
steeiage pas ougors We C ali right, meaning
pose, tnSy uau pass aat,,u4t'' Il, . ..., 49,. L..
times HIGGINS came up and asked what it was d
fort They said Tor Tie purpose ol taking on pas
gers The captain stopped the yeSse hiulsyh.
Mr. hIGGIAE-I was very iaunlar with tho u
custom, and asked What this departure maaat
made some other remark anu the captain r3Iea
that these men were al right .,., ~,
he officers gave an account OF tho murder OF
ehiat engineer, BRAINE brought aboard som
the OF the Bo1a0kc had seen ban before.
had lcen IN the service OF tie United states,
had been with Captain DREW in the Jaaesto
The pirates put Captain DREW IN mons Tor mali
hour also fhe pur5er the same time
Question 10 Mr.. NIoHoLs. How long did I
keep you and Mr. HIG GINS ~ llohsI .. -, -,
Answer. Almost all tine umei we were chai
togelheri nobody was as much IN IRONS as i we ",
the steward they put ~ ~, irons nshS Sps sto5
0uestion ito N1ouoLsl-Row did you get
after arriving ut Bermudal
Answer.-BRAIRE cha rtered brig loaded v
coal but we had 10 he ut 70 iar and there was
much on, that We cou ldn't get the coal on DO
faster than we could bT En 4, Us We had lt 70 (
OF her before they set hor on fre We lott the Z
aoke about three O'Clock Saturday morning. L
landed the men, and then the ladies Tho la
would not leave the vessel unless would
charge of the boat ard put them on shore
Confederate officers had boon drinking, and
laaies would not trust 70 them.
took charge OF landing the women. Our ofiC
won't ashore IN the last boat The Confederates
not want 10 carry US into the Confederacy II 9
oould help IL, so they shipped many men US Il
could al Bermuda. They got fory-tiye.
Statement of the Steward.
lne steward, Mr. COOK, was also examined.
~ hskAlAk told him the no II0ke was gong
ham ass.oni sn that Il wanted steward, and wo
bangroa ~ asssep sp him tCooK.l BRAINE promising hiI
mon, M an hH9hsis th down, and a hundred dOllali
Ihe sievs1S az tasoonoke aoke should get TO Wilmington
did after awhile" " N0eP'AS hAu' anu