The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-04
THE MOUTH OF HE'LL.
The Strange Story. to Which Thirty Men
Made Oath in Court.
W. A. NJ, in New York sun.

Made Oath in Court.
W. A. NJ, in New York sun.
To those whose minds are troubled with
doubt as to whether or not there is a hell
the following from the British Naval Chron-
lcle, 1907 may not be unnteresting:
An Abstract from the Journal OF the Snip Sphinx,
in the Year 1856, Up the Straits.
May 12.-When we arrived at Manson we
found three ships lying there from London,
commanded by the Captains Bristol Brown
and Burnaby, all going TO Lipari to load.
May l3.-Ihese three ships sailed in COM
pany with the Sphinx wind n. w. to lipari,
where they anchored in twelve fathoms of
water wind s. S. W.
May 1.-THE four captains and Mr.. Bell,
merchant, went on shore upon the island
OF Mount Stromboli to shoot RABBITS. About 3
O'Clock they called their men together to go
on board their respective ships when, to
their lnexpressible establishment they saw
the appearance of two men coming very
swiftly through the air toward them; one of
them appeared to be dressed in black, and
the other in gray clothes; they passed close
by with the greatest rapidity, and to their
extreme CONSERVATION, descended, amid the
burning flames, into the mouth of that
dreadful volcano, Mount Stromooli. At
their entrance there issued tremendous
noises; the flames rushed out most terribly,
and Captain Burnaby cried out: THE Lord
bless me, the foremost of the two, in black
SiCthCSi 10 OId MI DOObN, III ASAN-uOOl tClS
Dor at Mapping; but l do not know the
other" He then desired them all to write
down in their pocket-books, or note it on
something, what they had seen; which was
immediately done by the three captains and
Mr.. Bell, and likewise entered in the differ
ent ships journals at the same time.
When these four ships had taken in their
Ioadngs at Lipari they sailed together for
London. When they arrived in the river
Thames, at Grayesend, Captain Burnaby's
wife came from London to him. He then sent
for the other three captains to come on board
his ship to congratulate him or his wife 8
arrival. After they had thus met a little
conversation passed between them in the
cabin, when Mrs. Burnaby suddenly started
from her chair and said to her husband: my
dear, I'll tell you some news. Old Mr.. Booty
is dead'
He directly answered: 1--WE all saw him
GO into helln' and told her what they had
seen, as before related, to her serious alarm.
When Mrs. Burnaby had returned to Lon
don she went to an acquaintance and related
this serious event-that her husband had
seen the soul of Mr.. Booty go into hell on
the 14th of May last This gentlewoman
then mentioned the same to Mrs Booty,
widow of the deceased, who Immediately
took writ out of the Kings Bench Court in
the penal sum OF Ell 900 damages, and arrest
ed Captain Burnaby for defamation upon her
late husbands soul. Captain Burnaby gave
bond to stand trial. and then took out of the
Court of the Kings Bench, in Westminster
Hall, summonses for all the people that had
attended the late Mr.. Booty in his last sick
ness and at the time of his DEATH also the
! sexton of the parish who buried him; and
the clothes he last wore before his sickness
he had taken care of, to be introduced in
court on the day of trial.
When the trial came on the different per-
sons with the black clothes were brought
into court, and were there met by Captain
Burnaby, the captains of the other three
ships and the men of the Jour boats, with
Mr.. Bell, who were all on the said Island of
Stromboli and saw the two apparitions de-
scend into the burning flames on the afore-
said 14th day of May last Ten of the men
the coat which the apparition had on were
like the one present being molds covered
with black cloth, the same sort that the coat
was made of. The different persons who
were with Mr. Booty at the time of his de-
cease made oath that his death happened at
8 o'clock P. NJ. on the 14th of May last, which
was in the year 1886. The jury then asked
the captain of the Sphinx if he knew Mr..
Booty in his lifetime. He answered that he
never saw him in his lifetime, but plainly
observed the dress the appariton had on,
which Mr., Burnaby said was Mr.. Booty, in
company with another, unknown.
The judge then spoke: The Lord grant
that may never see such sight as that,
for think it impossible for thirty men to
be mistaken"
The jury then gave their verdict against
the widow Booty, plaintiff to pay the costs
of the court. The foregoing are facts ex-
tracted from the journal OF the ship Sphinx s
| voyage up the Straits in the year 1856
The above trial is now to be seen on the
records of the court of the Kings Bench, in
Westminster Hall-Mrs. Booty, plaintiff,
against Captain Burnaby, defendant
These records are written on parchment
in Latin, in the lawyers old text-hand writ
ing, and are keot in glass case in the clerk S
office, where, for the sum OF one shilling,
they may be seen by all whose doubt or
! curiosity may induce them to it.
| A Cat Boarding House.