The New York herald., 1871-09-02
MURDER ON SHIPBOARD.
4 Mate of Ship Deliberately
Shoots Green Hand.
How II Was Provoked, How It Was
Done aud What Followed.
IN Ignorant Coroner, stultded Counsel and In
capable Police 0ihcers-The Inquest
To Be Continued To-Day

Too many Instances OF the brutality ana utter
reckessness OF captains and mates OF sea.goilg
vessels have been detailed IN these columns within
the pas. lew years TO render any exposition OF the
urgency OF important amendments TO our marine
laws necessary now., Scarcely month passes that
We are not called upon TO chronicle some deed or
savagery on sh,pboard that wise legislation could
have prevented. And now we have 10 give pub.l-
city to another, which for cod-oloodcd atrocity Is
perhaps without parallel IN the boodstained records
OF these terrible days Let the facts spoak Tor
themselves.
Yesterday afternoon rhc ship Thomas Dunham,
hound out from this por; Tor liverpool dropped
into the stream anl when abreast OF the QuaIan-
time station took on board her c'ew TheSe COM
lnsed thirteen persons, including the cantan, first
ana scroDd mates, already on board. The COM
Uandcrs name was Mclean.
gHE FIRST MATE
signed himself Thomas Lee and tho second mate
John :. Young. The crew shipped IN the usual
manner, and seemed 10 he good scamen ana good
men. one of inc crew, goodlooking, able seaman,
one of the last on board, was named lugh Conway.
He was abou, lhriy-two years OF age, ana was sup.
posed 10 be a native o New York. When every
hing HAD been prepared on board for making sail
the men were put to work. THIS was little below
S,apleton Staten Island. Conwav, with the other
men, hauling on The topgaantsal halyards.
but feeling very thirsty lett his place for moment
and ran 10 the water tank. The captain was at at
the wheel at this time. Lee, the first mate, saw
Conway al the tank, and running up, siruck Kim
VIOLENT BLOW II TIE FACE,
saying, as ne tlid so, ''Yon damned son or h--h,
I've been following you an the morning.u mo-
ment afterwards the second mate strucK the man IN
the back with block OF wood. This inkling OF
what was IN store for him on The voyage naturally
rn:agcd the young man; he threw down hls drink
ing cup ana prepared to defend himself. Instantly
The first mate jumped on The water tank. ana, as
some of the witnesses aver attempted to
KICK CONWAY THE FACE.
This was resented vigorously. Conway drew his
sheath knife ana made cut at Lee, raising the skin
TN his right hand slightly. Lee N the meantime
ran aft to the CABIN and SAID 10 the cabin boy, Henry
Abbott, n don't want to be out; got out his revol-
yer and went on deck. IN the meantime the second
mate renewed his attacK and Conway pursued him
inio the galley, where he found shelter
The mate fhomas j. Lee, as soon rs he came on
aecS''cocked his pistol, and, without warning Con
WAY without utterlng wCrl or caution or re-
moGstrating with the unfortunate man
SiOT HIA DEAD
AT least death occurred IN two minutes after the
1ata sho, was nred. While Conway was stlli cling
mG 10 The deck by his falling feel anc staggering
ahout before falling to rise no more in lic, the Sec
Hnd mate rushed out from the galley aud dealt him
a terrible blow straight between the eyes. Tie man
from wound IN the ieit breast, where the bail had
entered. He laid there for three or four minutes,
Drdcred four men TO take the body into the cabin.
These men obeyed and the rest or the crew looked
ON. There was
NO MUTINY OR ATTEMPT AT MuTINY
The oticers OF the ship nad IT all their own way.
Nevertheless to Justify themselves perhaps. or at
tempt 10 DO IL, boat was despatched 10 tie shore,
and the police officer OF the station sent two de-
tectives on board, who speedily conveyed 20 the
precinct The captain and mates. The body OF the
presumably murdered nau was taken 10 the near
est undertaken A short time after this the entire
police force OF the place was despatched board
tie snip, and all but three OF the crew ,who were
not Oh deck at the lime OF the shoongl were taken
ashore and held as witnesses.
4 HERALD reporter called early In the afternoon
al the police station Tor the purpose OF 0biainIng
the statement or Lee the first male. Captain HOi
brook. The policeman charge stouily objected TO
The reporters seeing the prisoner. little argu.
men, however banished the scruples of the Captain
AMI the reporter was permitted tO attend 10 his
Lee me mate and Young the second mate, were
found IN the same CELL the former being asleep.
In compliance with the request OF The HERALD re-
porter Dung stirred Lee into wakculness and then
raEtoning Lee not 10 commit himself. as what ne
would say wouli be published the reporter pro-
reeded 10 take down statement OF The affair On the
shin. lie was proceeding to do this, but had not
elected any important facts, when a person who
was present intcriered. lie said
HE OBJECTED AS LAWYER.
and advised the man TO say nothing about anything.
ui course the prisoner maze no statement
notwithstanding this failure, however, the re.
porier succeeded III other quarters IN obtaining the
iui facts OF TIE case, and these are embodied in the
foregoing story.
ysry was empanelled by Coroner GaGney and
ihcy viewed the body. The HERALD reporter also
viewed II. 1t was ald out in rude conn, III the
underfakers shop, and was covered with some
dlrts cloths. The lace under the eyes looked
dark ana was somewhat swollen. Ihere were last
such marks rs rough face would bear after u
severe pcating There was nothing vicious or bad
IN the counlelance .. the man; Oh the contrary ne
,ooheu intelligent and mid hammered as his
companions on The ship, VINO seemed TO know hun
we said he was.
rhe Jury reassemblcd nj haf-past six O'Clock at
Lhe police station, and alter mncn hiaglina, got TO-
GET er IN small room and proceeded TO business
The inquest was gross aNsurdiiy. Coroner GafIuey
haii q connSeliorat-iaw 10 aid him: the prisoner
(Ifsl uadc) had counsel 10 muddic the coroner
and hts counsel. After some lengthy speeches
necessary as they were uD1uSiIfiable and improper
under me crCuinstances--thc prisoners counsel
reserved Bis 'rphp tU crOss-eXamine the witnesses,
ana ihe 'inqGcslN was adjourned unuu This
n.ulninG
IIggg CONFEDERATION,