The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-08-23
SAW HIM GO TO HE'LL.
Thirty Men Make Oath in Court Of
What They Witnessed at
StrOmbOli.
From the New York sun.

From the New York SUM-
To those whose minds are troubled
with doubt as to whether or not there
is hell, the following from the British
Naval Chronicle, 1907, may not be un-
interesting:
An abstract from the journal of the
ship Sphinx, in the war 1856. up the
straits:
May l2-When we arrived at Man
son we found three ships lying there
from London, commanded by the
Capts. British, Brown and Burnaby,
all going to Lipari to load.
May l3.-TheSe three ships sailed in
company with the Sphinx (wind
northwest to Lipari where they an
chored in twelve fathoms water (wind
south, southwest).
May 1.-THE four captains and a
Mr.. Bell, merchant, went on the
shore upon the island of Mount
Stromboll to shoot rabbits. About
3 o'clock they called their men
together to go on board their respec-
tive ships, when to their inexpressi-
bic astOnishment, they saw the APP
pearance of two men coming very
swiftly through the ar toward them;
one of them appeard to be dressed in
black and the other in gray clothes;
they passed close by with the greatest
rapidity, and, to their extreme con-
sternation, descended, amid the burn
ing flames, into the mouth of that
dreadful volcano, Mount Strombolit.
At their entrance there issued tremen-
dous noises; the flames rushed out
most terribly, and Capt. Burnaby
cried out: THE Lord bless me ! the
foremost of the two, IN blacbr-n1 no;u -
is old Mr.. Booty, my ,SSxS>2ot LtsSsft
Dor at WrappingSS do A~snnal nnlow =
the other" ch desired thSbssA
to write &Soa their pocket-books,
or soe 1t on something, what they
S.ed seen, which was Immediately
done by the three captains and Mr.
Bell, and likewise entered in the
different ships journals at the same
time.
When these four ships had taken in
their loadings at Lipari they sailed
together for London. When they ar
rived in the river Thames, at Grave
send, Capt Burnaby's wife came from
London to him. He then sent for the
three other captains to come on board
his ship to congratulate him on his
wifes arrival. After they had thus
met little conversation passed be-
tween them in the cabin, when Mrs
Burnaby suddenly started from-&er
chair and said to her husband: MY
dear, I'll tell you some news. Old
Mr.. Booty is deadi"
He directly answered, 1--WE saw him
go into hell" and told her what they
had seen, as before related, to her Sc
riOuS alarm.
When Mrs. Burnaby had returned
to London she went to nacquaint-
ance and related this serious event,
that her husband had seen the soul of
Mr.. Booty go into hell the 14th of May
last. The gentlewoman then men
toned the same to Mrs. Booty, widow
of the deceased, who Immediately
took writ out of the kings bench
court in the penal sum of el000 dam
ages, and arrested Capt. Burnaby for
defamation upon her late husbands
soul. Capt. Burnaby gave bond to
stand trial, and he 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 sickness and st-
the time of his death; also the sexton
of the parish. who buried him, and the
clothes he last wore before his sick
ness he had taken care of to be intro
duced in court the day of trial.
When the trial came on the differ
ent persons, with the black clothes,
were brought into court, and were
there met by Capt. Burnaby, the cap
tains of the other ships, and the men
of the four boats, with Mr.. Bell, WHO
were all of the said island of Strom-
boil, and saw the two apparitions de-
| Scend into the burning flames the
aforesaid f4th day of May last. Ten
of the men of the boats made oath
that the buttons on the coat, which
the apparition had on, were like The
one present, being moulds covepd-
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 decease make oath
that his death happened at IL o'clock
noon on the 18th of May last, which
was in the year 1885, 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 observ ed the
dress the apparition had on, which
Mr.. Burnaby said was Mr.. Booty, in
company with another, unknown.
The judge then spoke: "The Lord
grant that L may never see such a
sight AS that, for i 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 fore
going are facts, extracted 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 record of the court of the
kings bench in Westminster hall
Mrs. Booty, plaintiff, against Capt.
Burnaby, defendant.
These records are written on parch-
ment in Latin, in the lawyers old
text handwriting, and are kept in
glass case in the clerks Office. where,
for the sum of shilling, they may be
seen by all whose doubt or curiosity
may induce them to it.