Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-12-22
The Shenandoah and Her Ri.
rate Captain.


rate Captain.
: BY the latest European papers, or rather
London papers, We notice a full account OF
tae trial of Capt. Corbett, for a breach Of
the Foreign Enlistment Act, before the
Queens Bench. This Corbctt was put in
Is Captain of the "Sea King" alias,
Shenandoah, and took her to Mad EZRA,
from London when the vov age was given
out to 60 80 Bombay. On the register OF
the date of Oct 9Th, 1868, the day she
sailed, there was an entry empowering
Capt. Corbet: to sell the ship. at any
time within six months for f45,000. We
copy the following paragraphs:
| She sailed on the 9TH Of October direct
for Madeira, but she did not put in there.
When off Madeira she signaled. another
vessel. which answered the signal, aud
upon that the Sea King stecred for the
! Desertas. rocky island about ten OF
/ twelve mites distant. The ship that was
( sigualed turned out to be the Laurel, from
/ Liverpool. with q cargo of munitions OF
war, and as soon rs the vessels met the
| transhipmcnt of the cargo OF the Laurel
to the Sea King commenced. and by the
| following morning the latter vessel was
| fally equipped with guns. 6S-pounders,
&c, and she became suitable Tor the pnr-
poses for which she was afterwards used.
Several persons came on board the Sea
King frem the Laurel, and described them
selves as officers n the Confederate service.
! They wore the Confederate uniform, and
among them was Capt. Waddell, who
subsequently took possession of the Sea
King. and changed her name to that oil
the Shcnandoah and it would he recoi
lectcd by the jury that she was recently
brought into Liverpool and surrendered
by Capt. Waddell to Her Majcs;y's Gov
einmcnt. who had siuee delivered her up
10 the United States Government.
After the completion of the armament
of the Sea King. the defendant called all
the men aft. and said to them in effect
| that he had sold the vessel. or that he
meant to sell her to this gentleman (Capt.
Waddelf, whom he described as a Con-
federate officer, who would turn her into a
Confederate cruiser. The men, he said,
would do we'll to engage on board of her;
and mentioned the high terms of f5 or TO
per month wages and bounty Of some
els or ZIG. He also said to the Con
federate officer that lie had got as many
single men as be could.
These representations were backed up
hy the Confederate officer. aud they after
ward raised the terms to 81 per month,
together with els or l6 bounty money.
aud q cask of sovereigns was i'll the cabin
as sort of material guarantee of the
performance of the promise. Capt. Cor
bett. finding that the Confederate officers
could net induce the men to join applied
personally to one OF two Of them.
On the seth Mr. Edward James address
ed the jury for the defense. He explain
ed with great Ginutcness the provisions Of
the Foreign Enlistment Act under which
the indictment was framed. and contended
that there was no satisfactory evidence
that Corbeit had used the words which
would bring them within the provision Of
that act II the words were used at all
they might have been used by Capt. Wad
dell, but then that was when they were at
sea, and when the ship was not under the
authority Of the British Government
The Solicitor General then addressed
the jury, and said it was maniiest that
some persons had eraded the Foreign
Enlistment Act, and that the men were
subjected to temptation of prize mony
under certain considerations when upon
the high seas. He asks why Capt. Cor
bett went to Madeira. 1t WAS, he said,
because he saw another vessel in the dis
tanee. But how coa.d he tell what the
vessel was Dnless gifted by second sight
He then boosted signal. to which the
Laurel responded; and afterward shipped
the yarlikc cargo from the Laurel 10 the
| Sea King. After referring To various
points in the evidence for The prosecution
he 1.-THE Solicitor Generally said that no
case was clearer.
Capt. Corbets ostensibly took out the
men for voyage to BOMBAY, but on meet
| lug the Confederate cruiser, he stood
passively by, and allowed the temptation
to be made TO the men, having previously
said to them. Il have sold the vessel to
this gentleman lCapt. Wadlcll. who
stopd bv); and he then said that those
who wished 80 return could do so by the
steamer near, bst that those who desired
to remain, in addition TO what they might
get from the Shenandoah, wenld have al
extra two months pay Having further
alluded to the principal facts, AS giveu ii
evidence, he left the case for the considera
ton of the jury. HIS Lordship then sum
med up, and the jury returned q verdict o