The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-15
FERRON'S STRANGE MURDER.
TIfE ERIE BISIN TRIGEDY BEFORE 4
CUURT ~ BROOkLTN.
Tho TRIAL Of John VI. wright, the sailor Roy
accused ~ KIiiing The old River Hpecuia-
tor, rud Shaking his Hody Mt Broad Nocu.

Tho TRIAL or John VI. Wright, the sailor Roy
accused Of EIIiing the Oid River Specuia-
t"r. rud Stalking b,s H"dy ut Broad Nccu.
John NJ Wright, the sailor boy, who is
undor indictment for the murder Of Bernard
Ferron. tho river Spectator. In tho schooner
Mary Is. Harris. In the Erie BASIN. on March 16.
was put on trial yesterday in the Kings County
Court Of Oyer and Terminer. before Justice
Jasper Gilbert. and Justices Wlckham and Pig
Xout The prisoner. us lie sat by his counsel.
Col. T.. r.. Wood and Assistant United States
District Attorney Herbert q. Hull. seemed
mere boy lie had been clearly shaved and
dressed in a now suit OF navy blue flannel. His
blue embroidered shirt which he wore when
arrested. had been replaced by a white shirt and
collar. His summer In RAYMOND street Jail had
reduced hin H. flesh and strength and he was
palcr. and might readily have been mistaken
Tor "a school boy. Strangers who saw him for
the first time Yesterday needed repeated assur-
ances 10 satisfy them that the lad was tho per-
son accused Of the murder. Wright is 20 years
Of age. and was born In Indian River. Maine.
where his parents now live. He is about five
feet five inches in height and has plain. rigid
features. n low. fiat nose. blush gray eyes. and
a low forehead covered almost to the eyebrows
with brown hair. Ho received good common
school education ut home and three years aRo
h'khh a S'dihiihk All OtShboNiVh Mhieh
most of tho young men Of his station In his viii
lnge sought. He came to New York las, winter
IN the sehooner Mary b. Harris. with load Of
vessel was William Crowley OF Indian River
and the mate was Ernest Talbot. n young man
Of the same place. The vessel. after being dis
charged OF her cargo. was anchored In the Erie
Basin. brooklyn, near the break waite. and isit
SnG care are, ., Wsie VII, an1 taooou' "hiie inc
On March l6 Talbot quilted the schooner
early in the day TO 40 TO New York. leaving
on that same morning Bernard Ferron. u river
speculator, started from his home. NJ 33l Van
Brunt street. to 40 on his usual rounds OF the
basin and the bay in his small boat to collect old
iron and ship Junk from vessels. 10 sell. Ferron
was about 56 years of age, He was one Of tho
sober. industrious. thrifty. and honest. He and
his aged wife were much attached to each other,
and they parted afiectionately when he quilted
his home. FerrOn was powerful in his arms
from his custom OF climbing up the sides OF yes
sells by a rope. but he was lame in one leg. and
he walked with u halt In his step On the morn
ing Of his murder he was seen rowing out into
the basin. and ~ he passed several boatmen he
exchanged CHEEKY salutation with them, He
was not seen alive again by those who knew
him.. and in the afternoon OF that day his boat
where he usually locked II TO the wharf The
police were seeking him as n missing man
when. on the morning Of April 20. William Il.
Springer. u boatman found his body floating
Just beneath the waters surface near the break
water. II was bound 70. an anchor by small
rope. and could not be lifted by one man or
lowed away. When II was pulled upon raft a
| canvass bag containing 100 pounds Of ship iron
| was found 20 be the weight that held II down.
Theold boatman S skull had been beaten in aud
59isre was rope gag n ms mouth 2s tel behind
his Was subseaaeHtly EXPLAINED by some Young n,
| men. who had discovered the body some weeks
before and had thrown rope about the head to
| the line and left it rs 1t was.
The murder was shrouded in mystery at first.
and nothing seemed definite except that Ferron
| had been killed on some vessel, which WINS prob.
| ably lumberman. because there were timber
dogs, ring spikes. and bolts. Ike those carried
on such vessels among the pieces OF ship iron
| in the bag The letters on the bag. however.
| led 10 the arrest Of the murderer. The bag bore
| the stamp Of the house OF J. u. Lewis 4 Co. OF
| this city. who AT once pronounced II 10 DO the
! same bag they had sold 10 the schooner Mary
The crew II was learned that John NJ.
the, crew besides the Captain. and tho mate;
that vessel. just before the ship sailed Tor theft
and that he had reshipped In the schooner Abby
| believed that the murder had been the work OF
| two men. and the police were put in the posi-
| ton Of anxiously seeking two supposed muir
| derers who were on the sea- going In different
directions, nnd liable at any port 10 take
rSS SEse ?r os iSFeT was pn S4scse5 de
plans were l&ii for this purpose. On May 2, the
| schooner Abby II. HOdgman landed At the foot
| Of fi'ty-seyenth street. North River. this city
with n load o. deal and detectives were there
crely taken 10 Brooklyn. Then the chase WAS
directed after Ernest Talbot. who was still
sailing in the Mary y. Harris.
After Wright had been IN prison two OF three
days he confessed TO the murder. but before
that he simulated innocence so well that he
! puzzled all the police officers and detectives
! and they began To think they had the wrong
man Wright promptly relieved Talbot o.
nothing OF the crime. His story was that Ferron
boarded the Mary Harris at about 10 o'clock in
re g t6a1n a. ss Then b s WAS any snlD
into the cabin. where Wright said they had
some drinks, Ferron he added. saw bag Of
fence Of the coffee Wright MYERS he had scufile
with Fsrron. lio threw Ferron down. and as
u an IRON stove, aud his skull was fractured
Then Wright Jumped on him with his heavy
| boots and killed him.
The physician who made the post mortem ex.
animation says that the skull was crushed 10y
some weapon.
o. about $40. prepared the weight Of old iron
lifted II upon The railing. tied the weight to the
MONDAY. Thoy fell with a. loud splash but no
one seems TO have heard IT, Then Wright
cleaned w the vessel. took Ferron's boat
| ashore rowcd over to another schooner an
| chored not Tar away, and took his dinner there
| ana at about o'clock in the afternoon pulled
ashore for Ernest Talbot who came back 10
! tho vessel, aud remained with Wright until the
| latter discharge. without suspect ing the bloody
work that had been done in his absence
| When Capt. Crowley returned and missed his
| ship iron Wright said that he had sold il. and
offered TO pay for a. displaying rs he paid the
| Rum httit't ~ wv hlNhlils Ihl 81 plnk
| notes. A. the Captain had before found Wright
guilty OF stealing coffee. he determined. on see
| lng the money which he displayed and which
he knew could not have been honestly obtained,
| 10 get rid Of him. So he sent him ashore and
| sailed without him. Wright supposed that he
| had concealed his crime forever. but he had
| made the mistake OF casting the body into shall
| low water, where. AT low tide the play OF the
rope that bound II 10 the anchor let II come to
| the surface.
The defence will be iustinnble homicide The
| prosecution expect 10 show that Ferron was not
| Il uunrIsSOmp muu tnnt he honest n
| attempt 10 steal ANYTHING from ship. and that
| the coffee which Wright says he attempted TO
| steal WIS actually under lock and key and not
| in the cabin at all.