Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-07-07
LOCAL NEWS.

rgr LATE SUPPOSED MURDER CAsE.-Capt.
lanes McCracken, Jas r. Jefferson and Jas a.
NOVEL;, committed to Jail charged WIN tne
n 1nurder Of colored man named Silas Johnson,
trara examined Yesterday evening at the Mayor
of;ca before Mavor Latham and justices Her
hort and Alexander in the presence OF large
'' :Tohn Nightingill testified that about clock
~. n;abt in question as he came down the
~ otra .a come one told him McCracken had been
fnhtinp: went to McCracken's house and saw
Loot over&is eve; went down to the river shore
18th him and sat there talking about twenty
,n;nutes: walked up to Coleman's restaurant
With him and got something to drink; then
,yent over to Petty's and met Jefferson and
Novel;, and McCracken treated the whole
narty. The whole party then started down
Union street, and when they got to W olfe street
some one said boat had come off from the
-Four Bows and was coming up the river; Nc
Crackep, a man named Wilson and some others
who we're in the party then turned back; but
witness, Jefferson and NOVEL;, Punch and
others went on down Union street to where the
small boat was lying; Jefferson and Novel; got
in the boat and went off to the schooner; short
" after they had left the shore heard the cry
of murder and splash; he and Punch then got
in q small boat, some coored men helping to
shove them off, and went towards the schooner;
saw the man in the water and saw boat push
ed towards him; then saw a boat leave the
schooner and 60 towards the, lower ship yard;
came back again and jumped ashore in water
ankle deep, gave the oar to colored woman
and started up the bank, but before he got up
was struck with brick; drew All empty pistol
and snapped it twice at colored fellow; heard
the cry OF police coming and went home. lie
had been employed by McCracken as hand
ON his vessel, and McCracken wanted him to
60 aboard and sleep that night. Heard no con-
yersation at Petty's between McCracken
and Jefferson and NOVEL; about going back to
the boat; stood out leaning against lamp-post
eating crab when they were III the bar room;
thinks Novel; too far gone to have run around
the deck of the vessel; did not see the man
;ump overheard, but heard the splash; heard a
voice say ''overboard' and son OF b, but
did not recognize whose it was, but could have
done 80 if there had not been so much noise on
the shore; the moon was shining brightly, and
he was, he supposed, about the distance OF a
square and half from the vessel; the time was
between nine and ten O'Clock.
James Punch testified that he and three COL
orcd men had constituted the crew Of the -Four
Bows Captain McCrack en's vessel; two OF the
colored men left but johnson staid; on Friday
evening about dark McCracken and johnson
had fuss about Johnsons wages and johnson
had struck McCracken over the eye with stick,
when they clenched and scutfled for about two
minutes; witness and McCracken and another
colored man then came ashore in the small boat
leaving johnson aboard. went up to McCrack-
ems house with him; then accompanied him
back to the Shore then up to Coleman sand then
to Petty's where they met Jefferson, NOVEL;,
Wilson, Carson and others; when at Petty S
some one asked McCracken how he got that
lick on theaeye and McCracken answered a
darkey hssaone it; McCracken was then told
he was no man to let negro cut him up IN
that manner, and jefferson and NOVEL; said let's
20 aboard and give him whaling; McCracken
said no, he's had enough already; the whole
party, however, came out and started down
Union street, witness and Nightingale behind,
McCracken, Novel;, Wilson Jefferson and
others ahead; party all got together again at
Wolfe street. when some one said boat was
coming up from the Four Boys; McCracken,
Wilson, and others then turned back, but wit
ness and others went on down the cove, when
Jefferson and NOVEL; got in the boat and went
out to the schooner; saw some one running about
the deck and saw the darkey jump overheard;
Nightingale then said Jenny let's get boat
and save him; did get in a boat and went out
but saw nothing more OF him; then came ashore
just as some colorcd men were bringing Jefer-
son by could not say who it was that he saw
running about the deck; after the man jumped
overheard saw boat leave the schooner and so
towards the ship pard: but did not see how
many were in the boat; McCracken met Jeffer-
son and Novel; at Petty's. The witness said
his evidence was not the same he had given
the other day-it was better; people had told
him it was better to tell the truth, and he was
sure he was telling it now; heard no one say,
overheard you son of b., or any thing hike
it; McCracken was not present when Jefferson
and Novel; got in the boat to 60 to the schoou-
err McCracken had turned back at Wolfe street
to see who was in the boat that was said to have
left the Four Boys.
Henry Carson: Was walking down the street
when he met Nightingill and Punch crossing the
alley leading into Union street between King
and Prince streets, and asked them where they
were going; they said they were going down to
shove the boat off for the boys. The witness was
then asked if he was not going too fast, and
said he had seen the parties in Petty's, but had
heard no conversation there among them; when
the party started down Union street, McCrack-
en-, Jefferson, NOVEL; and others were in adj
vance. Nightingili and Punch behind, but all
caught up at the foundry, when some one,
don't know who, for a whole crowd, among
them John Knight and Tom Tennesson, was
coming up Wolfe street, said boat had left
the schooner, when McCracken and some Others
turned back went on down to the cove, where
jefferson and NOVEL; got into the boat; walked
up on the bank and turned and saw Jefferson
sculling the boat towards the schooner; NOVEL;
was drunk, Jefferson half drunk, but did not
know the condition of McCracken; saw one, but
and heard one say, overheard, son ola b.,
but did not recognize the voice; saw one get IN
the boat again-one must have been lying dowr
land the boat take the direction of the ship
yard; could have saved the man if an oar had
been gotten in time, but the neighbors did not
seem disposed to let them have oars; heard one
of the men on the schooner say save him, he's
overheard, and thinks the stern Of the small
boat was pushed towards the drowning man
saw no licks struck; never saw the man wade
ashore there; the water is shallow there wher
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