The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-24
AN ACCOMPLISHED MARINE
SWINDLER.
Francis LIE Roy Norton the Bar.
rater, Commander in the Gu
ban Navy, Spanish Spy,
and Murderer.

A History of Some Of His Mar
velous Exploits.
The following history of the famous, or,
more correctly speaking, infamous, Francis
LIE Roy Norton. is in many respects SO mar
velous, that were it not that every circum-
stance is matter of record and of history, 1t
would almost be beyond belief.
About the year 1859 the bark E. A. Raw
Inns lett the port of Savannah with cargo OF
lumber for Havana. She was commanded by
one Hayden; his chief mate was Francis LIE
Roy Norton, the second officer $1,000 Thomas.
AT Havana the bark was sold to Spanish house
and Spanish captain struggled on board
the vessel soon after sailing A perfect I'M
Outstanding was entered into with Capt. Hay
den that he was to sail the bark to q rendez-
vous off the Cuba coast, where a consort
would be in waiting with Spanish crew;
the American crew to be transferred to the
consort and then to be landed at some conve-
nient point in Cuba or the Florida coast.
After leaving Havana the Spanish Captain
proposed to Hayden and Norton that
they. and as many Of the crew
as wished, should ship for the
voyage to the coastof Africa, as hewas bound
on shaving voyage. They said they would
think of his offer, and let him know before
they fell in with the consort. For some rea-
sons the Spaniard's Offer was not accepted,
and as they supposed he must have large
amount of money with him to purchase his
cargo, they determined, at all hazards, to pos
sess themselves of it, and the vessel, too.
That evening, as the cook was taking in the
supper, Norton drugged the pot Of tea, and
some time after Norton, discovering the
Spaniard lying down, and surprising he was
under the influence of the opiate, approached
him with the view Of ascertaining whether he
was sound asleep or not.
The Spaniard, suspecting some foul play,
sprung from his berth. and grappleds with
Norton. Being very powerful man he was
about to overpower his marderous assaiIant,
when Hayden, who was looking down the
companion-way, seeing that his chum and
accomplish was having more than he bar
gained for, rushed down into the cabin.
armed with an iron belaying-pin, and with
one blow Drained the Spaniard. The villains
then threw the body Of their victim into the
sea and called the second officer, Thomas, to
swab up the blood on the cabin floor. The
vessel was then run for the Florida coast,
and of course the consort was not met The
idea, it seems, was to make some changes in
the vessel and then go on their own account
into the slave trade But if this was their
idea it was all knocked into the head by
Hoyden, who having some friends in Apa-
laohicola, thought he would 60 over and see
them, as it was only twelve miles across the
country.
While in the town one of the merchants
said, "Why, Hayden, what brings you into
these parts? ?" He replied, ~ have run down
from Mobile in q smack with a party of
friends, and we are lying in st. Joseph Bay"
The merchant thought nothing more of it
until fisherman living on St. Joseph Bay,
coming in to make some purchases, the
merchant said, "You have q fishing party over
on your bay in q smack ?" The fisherman
said, II havnt saw any smack, but there has
been a bark down the bay several days" Just
at this time Capt. Ottinger, Of the steam
revenue cutter Maclean, happened to be
passing, and the merchant remarked to him
that he had better go round and see what that
bark was after. In less than two hours the
steam cutter ran alongside the bark. So
great surprise was it that not man on the
vessel had seen the cutter coming. Hayden
had just returned from his stroll over to
Apalachicols, and was entertaining Norton
with description of how he had fooled the
inquisitive merchant, etc.
The bark was at once seized in the name
of the United States, and towed round to
Apalachicola Bay, and there turned over to
the authorities. Before the United States
term of court Hayden, it is supposed by
brides, succeeded in breaking Jail. Norton
was tried, having had true bill found
against him, and acquitted.
Judge Mcintosh and District Attorney
Chandler Yonge were so fully convinced that
the jury had been bought up. that a change
Of venue was asked for, and Thomas was
taken up to Pensacola, Fla, for trial Nor
ton, the murderer, but now clear, was detained
a. a witness for the defense. d. P. Holland
had been successful in clearing Norton, and
he had little doubt as to his Ability to clear
Thomas.
But he counted without his host, for the
Pensacola jury being men Of different stamp
from the first jury-knowing full well that the
man who had really committed the foul deed
was before them as q witness, and that they
could not reach him legally-thought at least