Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-05-02
A GREAT TRAGEDY
Recalled by tho Death ofan EstIma-
bio Lady.
AN olD-TlMe NATIONAL SENSATION.
The Particulars Of Which May Probably
Have Faded Away In the
Dust.covefed PAGES
Of History.

SANTA Fk. n. NJ, May 1.-The death, -
reported by telegraph on Saturday, Of Ars.
Alexander Sidell Mackenzie, at the resi.
dence Of her son, Brig. Gen. r. 8. Nseken-
zie, L. s. A., in this city, will recall to
mind the excitement created some forty
years sgo, BY the hanging OF Spencer.
Cromwell and Small. on board the brig
somers, commanded BY her .distingsishsd
husband, CommodQra A|ax, &iaaS ~
rtMtnfy rPutation and his name was 10
miliar TO ......., ...
American Readers.
He was the author OF "a Year In Spain, By
A Young American and Spain Revisit.
ed" He was also author OF popular life
of John Paul Jones, and some other works
which were favorAbly received, besides be-
ing q valued contributor to the knicker-
booker and other periodicals 81 that dav.
The Somers went out In lSt2 with Q crew
OF 40 men and % apprentice boys under
age, and on the return from the
Csass sf Africa.
while spproac hing the Isle Of Fines, mu.
tiny Was suspected, which demanded 81
we're measures, IS the officers believed, to
secure the safety OF the ship. After an In.
vestiestion the young men above men.
toned were hung 70 the ysrd-arm. Il was
believed that the conspirators intended 70
murder the officers and divert the vessel
into q piratical cruiser. Commodore Mac.
kenzie. on reaching New York, marched
with his men 10 the nearest church. and
returned
for their safe deliverance. He also sent TO
Washington o sealed dispatch, conveying
the first news Of the tragedy that had been
enacted. The intelligence, s spread
through the country, caused sensation,
and what added to the interest was ths
feet that Spencer, the rngleader in the sus.
pected mutiny, was q son OF John Z.
Sp.ncer, the then Secretary Of War un.
der President Tyler's administration. As
was natural Secretary Spencer wrote let.
ter, which was extensively published, do
nouncing the act OF Mackenzie a.
Illegal and CnnecesssPy,
and saying II there were any grounds tor
believing that mutiny was contemplated.
the prisoners after their arrest and csniinc-
ment in irons could have been brought
with safety TO the United States. whers they
cou d then undergo . legal trial. The COM
modore was tried by q court oi inquiry.
and also by courtmsrtial, the triai ias.'
Ing TWO ho
Complaint was made during the trial b..
cause BENJAMIN +. Butler and Charles
| O'Conner, employed by The father OF
young Spencer, were not allowed TO sit BY
and put questions approved by the cosrt.
" hateyer may be thought Of the character
end
Necessity sfths EKeeuttes,
nj this late day, the act OF Mackenzie vas
complimented by the merchants OF New
York, and applsuded by the press at tho
time, and the public voice generally was
in his favor. Regarding the further histo.
nv of Commodore Mackenzie II may bs
stated that I've years after the usgsdy on
the brig Somers the Mexican war broke
out, snd towards Its close Mackenzie
was
Seat on HccSct Mission,
| BY President Polk, lat the instance OF tho
late Senator Slidell, a brother Of AleIan-
der Sidell Mackenzie, whose name wAs
changed TO meet some bequest TO Santa
Anna, then at Havana with q scheme 10
restore that ex-dictatOr to Mexico upon
some agreement advantageous TO the Uni.
| ted States: but the conference did not sue.
| ceed. Mackenzie, . few years later. was
| killed by fall from horse, and the brig
| Somers went down 10 the bottom oi tho
sea with all on board.