The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-30
Approaching Triple Execution OF
the Chesapeake Pirates at
Princess Anne, Md.
The Desperate Crime for
which They are to
Suffer Death,
,-o,n O,,r O,yn Corresnondent.

Maryland. So frequently is the scalfold brough
into use in that desperate region, that it is KEEP
A standing all the year round, and moreover, is
1 made large e1 ough to swing five miserable
human creatures into eternity at one and the
same time. 1t is said, also, that the scatfold
stands on open ground near the jail, in full view
of such as choose to witness its practical opera
tion. If this be true, grand concourse of the
unterritied and unreconstructed denizens Of the
town aud its vicinity may be anticipated on
Friday next for on that day three men will
suffer the extreme penalty of the Law, and each
of the three is negro.
The circumstances attending the crime for
which they are TO be executed were as follows:-
On the afternoon OF Monday, March 80, 1868,
the oyster pungy Brave was seen by several per-
sons in the waters Of the Chesapeake, with
every thing going right, to all appearances. The
pungy was in command OF Captain Benjamin
u F. johnson, one half owner OF the vessel. John
son was white man, as was also Henry Cannon,
the mate. In addition 10 these there were four
colored men on board, as assistants, named
William Wilson, William Wells, Frank Rounds,
and George Bailey. The pungy, which belonged
at Cris6eId, Maryland, was engaged in dredging
for oy sters at the time mentioned. Subsequent
developm ents, and the confessions of two of the
hands, show that the four assailed the captain,
and after mutilating him horribly threw
him over board. The mate then received their
bloody attention, but was thrown overheard and
disposed OF without the use of deadly weapons,
as his body, when found, did not bear any
marks of violence. Having put the two white
men out of the way, the negroes rifed the
vessel, opening everything that could have been
used as receptacle fer money or other valua-
bles, and turning things upside down generally.
Over five hundred dollars in money and q
quantity of clothing were secured by the despe-
ladoes, after which they effected their escape
for the time. Up TO the Thursday evening
following the night OF the murder the wind was
high and the weather extremely rough, for
which reason it is thought that the wretches
remained on board until that time. They
finally ran the vessel aground on the bar at the
mouth of CAGES Straits, in Somerset county,
and then took their leave in small rowbo9t
which was on board The pungY.
The Brave was first noticed subsequent TO
Monday in her stranded position at the mouth
of Cages Straits, deserted, but with mainsai aad
lib still flying. On being boarded, the evidences
of the terrific encounter with the Captain were
seen on all sides the cabin and the deck being
covered with blood. As the negroes had shipped
at baltimore, it was supposed that they woud
return to that point. News of the murder was
sent thlther without delay and large police
force was detailed to watch for the murderers
in that locality. Two of the desperadoes, how
ever-Wilson and Wells-proceeded South. and
on the 9Th and 9TH of April they we're captured
in Accomac county, Virginia, one at aud the
other near Drummondtown. These two were
taken to Princess Apne, Mary land, and lodged
in Jail to await their trial, contessng that they
and their companions had perpetrated the
bloody deed. Beiote the trial commenced they
n ale desperate attempts to escape from custody,
but at that time failed. About six weeks ago,
while their trial was in progress, Rounds was
also secured aud taken to Princess Anne for
trial. He was captured in Baltimore, after q
desperate resistance of the police, who were
Obliged to disable him by lodging bullet in his
back before he could be taken into custody. He
had been detec ed in au effort to involve a
coored lad in robbery which he contemp plated,
and this circumstance led to his Identification
as one of the murderer5, and his arrest as stated.
AS yet the other negro implicated, George
Bailey, has eluded the vigilance of the authori
ties. Two different persons have been arrested
and taken to Princess Aune, but in each case il
was found that the wrong man had been secured
and both were Immediately released, being fur
nIshed by the authorities with means to reach
their homes and also compens ated for their loss
OF time and vexation.
The three men who were captured were easily
convicted of participation in the piratical out
rage, and sentenced to death The death war
rauts of Wilson aud Wells have already beer
signed their execution being fixed for Friday
next, Decemb L. 1t is also expected thai
Rounds case will be disposed of by the Governor
OF Maryland in time to swing him off with tht
other two.
After their trial aud conviction, Wilson and
Wells made another desperate attempt to escape
in which they succeeded, On Wednesday. No
Vember IL, they established the fact that an
Eastern Shore Jail is not an impregnabe struc
ture. Filing Off their irons with brick-how
this remarkable and novel feat was accom-
plished we are not told, but such is the account
gwen in the Princess Anne papers-they burned
hole through the inner wall Of the Jail, whict
is of wood, and then picked an aperture through
the outer rampant OF stone. Their subsequent
movem ents are thus narrated in the remark ably
lucid patOis of the Eastern Shore by the some
set (Md.) Herald, which gives extracts from
Wilson's account of the adVenture;-
"He states that the wind was blowing very
hard, and that IL was raining, and the day wa
lust breaking when he got out the last stone
He jumped out first. and got scared at a hoo
eoblin ian old ram) and Cut his foot when ha
started 10 run. He, however, waited for Wells