The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-19
UNITED STATES CIRCUIT COURT.

General Butler and the Steamer Mas
sau-ClOse OF the Prosec ution and Open
ing for the Defence. tMH
Before Judge Shpman
The suit OF Henry A. Tilden against General Ben
jamin F. Butler was called up again yesterday morn
ing. The entire morning was consumed in the
crossexamination OF Mr.. George Hunnewell, the
original owner Of the Nassau. He testified that a
man called on him before the sale OF the Nassau
He was asked II he was the owner OF the Nassau ;
; he said he was, and q long conversation ensued.
was asked continued witncss) il was the
owner OF the steamer Nassau; l replied was; I
was then asked II would like to sell her. and re-
piled in the negative; the man then remarked, ~
shall seize her for the use of the governments
then told him that would rather charter the YES
sell to the United States that was willing to let
the government have her at the rate of $50 a day:
had good reason to suppose that the man who
called upon me was authorized to do so by Genera!
Buffers brother: went to see General Butler about
the matter, ana the General said 81 shall take the
vessel at my own price-$2S, 00o;' then left Gen
eral Buffers Office with an orderly; don't remem
ger whether the money was to be paid in currency;
General Butler made a calculation TO give me about
$2S,O00 II did not strike witness as singular that
General Butler should stop to calculate discount In
the transaction; General Butler gave a small paper
to the orderly and told me to go along with him;
there was nothing for me to do at the Custom
House; had merely to sign the paper; when told
Mr.. Constantly at the Custom House that the
steamer was about to be taken fr ON me asked
him II he could not do something for me; Mr.. Con-
stanley had charge of making ont the transfer
papers; Mr.. Buell. was with me when i got the
check for the amount; went with Mr.. Buell. to the
bank; we then returned to my office divided the
money there; gave Mr.. Buell. $19,3OO; paid Mr..
Bnel In the same bills got at the bank
pnc mere tho ,oca e OF nan an or
bly,, very few being present In Court
THE DEFENCE.
Mr.. Devlin opened the case for the defence, say
ing that the defendant, 1.-THE best abused man In
America" had been cruelty magned and misrepre-
scented during the last ten years and that this was
the first opportunity he had had of having one of
his so-called "nefarious acts' passed upon by
jury of his countrymen. 1t had been asserted that
had made millions 0fd0llars in New Orleans, and that
Andrew J. Butler had retained from one million
to two millions Of dollars Of this amount This was
his assets not being equal to 80 per cent Of his
liabilities It would be shown in the present
era Butler, but that General Butler paid her full
value to Hunnewell, who was perfectly willing to
sell the vessel, and who made out the bin Of sale
voluntarily IN General Buffers Office. 1t had been
said by the prosecutors that the seizure Of the
Nassau was made as the result Of a conspiracy
between General Butler and his brother, the latter
mOnopOzing the towboat business below New
Orleans, and fearing that Hunnewen was about to
make towboat OF the Nassau and compete with
him. This was utterly untrue, Andrew j. Butler
never having any connection with the towboat
business at New Orleans General Butler never
heard until this suit instituted that his brother
had ever obtained an interest in the Nassau 1t would
be shown that the Nassau was not worth more than
$4,000, that being the amount she sold for at
ton In New York city few months before she came
into the possession of General Butler at New Or
leans, when he gave much more than her actual
value to Hunncwell, who untruthfully represented
himself to be her owner The suit had been brought
In this city because 1t was thought that there was
enough prejudice here against General Butler to
condemn him, whether Justly or uniusty. The suit
should have been brought in Massachusetts, where
both Hunnewell and General Butler live.
TESTIMONY FOR THE DEFENCE.
Charles II. Haswell, formerly chiefengineer of the
United States Navy, who was then called by the
defence, testified that he had examined the Nassau
few months before her sale to General Butler, and
that she was then worth from s22 600 to $25 900.
General Butler gave $2S 600 for her.
The deposition OF Samuel p. Griffin was then read
by defendants counsel, to the effect that General
Butler sold the Nassau to Mr.. Griffin for the amount
defendant had paid Mr.. Hunnewell for her, with the
expense of alterations made by defendant. Case
still on.
New indictments.
The United States Grand Jury presented the fol
lowing indictments this morning :--Leonard +.
Fowler, Francis Muloey and Patrick Kelly, counter
fetlng; John Mcf;rath and Isaac Parks, smuggling;
John Hintermeister and Charles Rohde, perjury,
and Charles Laselle, larceny on the high seas