The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-06-15
AN T. TRAGEDY.
The nniiny Aboard The Lennie End Of
the Trial OF CuIpTiis.

| WI VI WV 'tlDNdifY 'hf'f Vfit''' hll'' NV
ond mate Of The ship Jennie came to an
end yesterday evening, when four Of the
eight prisoners were convicted and sen
fenced to suffer the extreme penalty OF
the law. so far as they were concerned
the result was A forcgOnc conclusion.
BY the ~clearest possible evidence they
were shown to have taken an active part
IN the preparation Of the atrocities by
which their unfortunate victims lost
their lives, perishing at their posts in the
vain cndcayOr to defend themselves
against n set Of dcsperadOcs who had
planned a deep and deadly scheme for
selling the ship, after making off with
every portable and marketable article on
which they could lay their hands. The
story is indeed remarkable, alike from
the audacity of the attempt, the success
by which it had to all appearances been
crowned, and the singular manner by
which the authors Of the scheme were
eventually brought within the reach OF
offended Justice. The entire narrative
reads like Il mOdcrnized edition Of the
most sensational Of those 'shipwrecks
and disasters at scl,'' which form 80 large
u portion OF Juvenile reading. Hence
forth the Icnnie will rank with the
Bounty, the Flowcry Land, and other
vessels which have earned an evil notO-
ricty from their connection with deeds OF
blood and violence. With scarcely any,
and certainly with nothing like adequate
p~royOcatiOn the mutineer set upon their
officers, stabebd, cut, and shot them
down upon their own deck. So sudden
and unexpected was the outrage that
no ono Of the murdered men was
able to offer anything like effective
resistance, and had their seaman
ship been equal to their audacity the
murdcrers might now have been en-
joying their ill-gottcn gains in some
country where no e%xtradition treaty is
in force.
At time when the public mind is 70
largely exercised on the subject Of UNI
%Seaworthy ships the evidence given in
the course Of this inqpiry will be read
with especial interest. The lennic was
an English ship, owned by an English
firm, commanded by an English captain.
The first and second mates were also Ia
tiycs Of this country, but the scamen
were a very mixed and motley lot indeed,
Constant Won Heydonc, the steward, tells
us that he joined her on the 22nd OF De-
tobcr, when there was no crew on board.
Two days later she started on her voyage
with a "scratch crew, got together in
hot haste, and without much regard to
their fitness for the work they had to do.
Among them were Dutchmen, French
men, Greeks, Turks, a Dane, and an
American. In short, they were just such
a collection of nc'cr do wells of all ma
tions as might be picked up at random
in low longshore-l0dging houses in al
most any European port, and who, as
every shipmaster knows, constitute most
unpromising materials for any captain to
deal with. For about a week all went
on toIcrabIy we'll. There was no open
rupture, but, as Mr.. Justice Brett re-
marked the masters opinion of his men
was shown by his always keeping two
loaded rcvolycrs under his pillow. At
/ o'clock on the morning Of the 3lst of
October, and while the steward was be-
low, he heard n scutling on deck. The
captain gave an order which was not
obrycd. He spoke few words of angry
u%pbraiding and the next moment uttered
n cry which sounded as if his throat was
cut. The steward and his boy tried to
make their way to the deck, but in vain.
The companion door was fastened, and
they were prisoners, powerless to help,
and fearful of being set upon in turn.
They saw Che men moving about, and
heard five shots fired in rapid succession,
rs it from reviewers. After two hours
they were allowed to come
deck, when they were told that the
and mates had been Finished"
and thrown overheard. From the
testimony Of several other witnesses
now know that the captain and
were dispatched successfully in
cold blood by Lips, French Peter, Big
Harry, and Joe the cook, the four pris-
Dncrs who were convicted. Not a hand
raised by any other Of the crew on
behalf of their officers. The boatswain,
when appealed to by the second mate to
save his life, repuEed him with brutal
rudcncSs, and when the last of the muir.
lers had been contaminated, those who
mad stood by during their preparation
weighted the bodies with chains and
threw them overheard, washing the
blood. stained deck in as matter of-fact n
us il nothing had occurred at all
out Of the routine of their ordinary daily
duty.
TIP to this point the story is horrible
Its concluding portion, how
ever, savors of the heroic and the roman
tic. Among the men who had been so
To stain their hands with blood
was not one competent to navigate
he vessel. In their extremity they fell
upon Won IlaydOnc, the steward,
who had NJ part in their crime, and to
whom they promised the lions share of
Inc booty if he would but carry the ship
!" some pointon the coastof Greece, where
she might he quietly scuttled, after her
stores and all other valuables had been
landed. Won Hcydonc fcigned compli-
lncc, but directed the ship toward the
Channel, But this pious fraud
speedily detected. One of the pris.
pners told the Others that the steward ,
selling them, as he could zee by the 4,
water they were nearing England. Won
ieydonc clustered, threatened, and gave
Up the command for some days. But )
he mutineers were again at fault, and
we're compelled to put themselves once
more under his charge. He consented to
csume his pcrilous post, but he had to
ct a very dificult part. lie was already ,
Inspected by the villains who were un. !
willingly obeying him, and who would ,
ave been only too ready to wrcak their
cngeance upon him if convinced that /
e was playing them false. With admi- |
able GOODNESS and address he contrived to
make much show but very little way. J