The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-11-23
The NAVASSA CONSPIRACY.
The Negro Laborers Plan to Murder
the Whites, Then Flee from
the Island.
Arrest and Trial for Murder of Eigh' cen
of the COnspiratOrs.

ton Its small size and barrenneSS made
it too insignificant for a place on the map
1t is freauented by sea birds, and in the caves
and cavities of its rocks are large deposits of
bird guano. The land was secured by
number of American capitalists, and a com
panv was formed to operate these, called the
Navassa Phosphate Company. large force
of negroes, 1877 from the United States, were
shipped out as labOrers and they were OH
cered by eleven white people, mostly from
Baltimore. They shipped under the mari
time laws and were so regulated and govern
ed. Shipping or so enlistlng, they were
ameuable to these laws, and the riot they en-
gagged in on September 18th placed them
under jurisdiction Of the United States
Court.
The leaders in the riot, some eighteen III
number, were arrested by United States naval
officers and brought to Baltimore on the
Galena. a war ship. and imprisoned. Their
Indictment followed in the United States
Court and on Tuesday their trial began. The
United States is represented by District At
torney Thomas G. Hayes, and the prisoners
by Archibald Stirling, jr., his son }. Edward
Stirling. and some five or six other attorneys
including two colored men.
No details of the conspiracy have been
published, and the first full statement was
made in opening the case by District Attor-
ney HAYES. After reading the law applicable
TO the case, Mr.. Hayes proceeded to tell OF
the conspiracy which resulted IN so much
bIoodshed and murder.
There was conceived and executed by
these meu. he said. "a plot to kill the white
men on the Nayassa Island, which Is without
a precedent in the history Of modern times
A plot 10 murder these officers IN which the
leaders were selected, the men assigned who
Al h,rg
blows should be dealt, where they were to
oct their arms and afer the Bloody work was
done and the last white witness of their crime
vas beyond the reach Of earthly courts,
where these murdeTers were to betake them
selves. The conspiracy had been brewing
for many DAYS before the l4,h Of September,
the day IT was executed On the night OF the
18th of September, Friday. 1t reached ITS
completion In the darkness Of the night
in the rocks, away from the barracks where
no human ear could hear the bloody details
of their murierous scheme, which tomorrow
was 60 witness. this plot was agreed on
..Snow and Texas were their chosen cap
taius. they we're to lead the hosts. Roby.
the superintendent OF mines. vas TO be hrst
killed in the liEgiugs, which was distant two
miles from the settlement; Philips and Blue
bali we're to deliver the fatal strokes, Philips
Z
examine his work 10 the pocket; as soon
As this blow was struck By Philips, Blue
BALI was 20 spring from his pocket and
xith a sledee hammer dispatch their nrst
victim. The firearms were then to be secured.
Then the men in the gang Of Roby under the
lead OF Texas were 90 JOIN the gang %
o Rouke. who were q short distance OF. under
the leadership of SNOW they promised
PROMPT CO operation. The companies thus
united we're then 20 sill in the dIEElngs Samuel
Marsh. the tally keeper. They seemed Will
ing 20 spare . Roake. While these iTo
murders we're 10 be committed IN the dlgg1UEs
70 vas arranged that James Aahon. the car
{ boss. was 20 be killed by Richmond Shorty.
government witness. Who worked 10 the
car gang. '.oa the third Iuadi thee with
/ their forces vel in hand under command OF
I SNOW and Texas, these men vI'h those
T who were not 50 ~j.iiug were 20 be threatened
With death f they did not JOIN them. They
I assumed that the officers would take reiaEe
I in the Governor house. and Is vas agreed
I that dynamite or 6rc was % drive them oat.
and. a. they came oct they were to be may-
drrad bY the uaa vho c0ald get The best
chance AAer she bloody work Was done
I they vere 20 Eti back 10 the I ulted States As
/ best they c0uld Alter the bloody work 81
The lsth OF September was over The leaders
Is
I the plot had asiscarried; that SIX white uen
were left alive 60 tell the story 81 che MASSACRE.
{ A well arranged plan OF defense Was mapped
ont In case she rJutcrs were afterwards arrested.
E aud alI the mea vere drilled nightly 10 i6s
details al the sIDrv thcg should tell.
Mr. uayps then Nent 90 10 tell 81 ihe exc
eutiou % The plot and lhc horrible murders
of the ltth cf SepiembtS. shrn the aeEroes
frvolted attacked the uh.ies and murdered
E in cold bired James Mahou. samuel Nagss.
I Thomas " Foster, ". T. SheA and Joseph
E Falfs. All IL Baltimore. j t0rraed . tale q
cruelty aui crime seldom recorded 90 the
F history Of humanity. lie described 'he vofA
a. Navassa is.aui, the coalition andsr uhsch
the men shipped and the rules and rrga.a
. tons governing 'seu-
The only officers 10 charge 81 The cplorcd
lsbo7ers uere as follows; Mr.. Roby was 10
charge Of the diguugs, with Ar. Samne.
Marsh and John D Rookie as his assistants.
Mr.. James Mahou vas the car boss and Mr.
William T. Shea She superintendent Of iae
wharf. M. Upton, The superintendent, had
died on the 4ih ul September previous, from
d{rFrhea. which had been prevalent on the
island and under the usage Of the company
DR.. Chas. u. Smith, thr Surgeon Of she
island became and was the superintendent oa
he dsy Of the not, Nr Fales vas the boat
carpenter, NJ Henry A. Jones the Other
carncater. Mr.. Thomas y. Foster. the book
KEEPER: Mr. Jacobson, the blacksmith.
The attack began at $50 a. 3D.. and, after
Mr.. Rohy bad been lct for dead and his
senseIcss body thrown into pit, the whole
crowd surrou aided the superintendent house,
where Mrs. Foster was alone. bat when Dr.
smith appeared gun In hand, al left and
started toward their quarters An attempt
was made to arrest colored man, when
about eighty renewed the attack
The second attack began % about ] q clock,
the officers found that they had hardly any
ammunition suited 20 their pistols; they loaded
them with what they bad and fired al she
mob from the upper windows Of the supeun
tendeut's house. their fire was without par
tjcle Of eject Only giving two slight flesh
wounds 10 BoRser and Morris, two Of the
rioters. as they had formed barricade IN
front OF the house with the cars, from behind
they threw the stones and fired their pistols
The attack continued at short intervals until
about 3 o'clock; between these hours DR..
Smith and Mr. Foster made various efforts 10
pafley with them. These parleys would be
broken of by yell and shower OF rocks
would be thrown aud shots fred 81 them as
they stood on the porch entrea'ing these men
10 Aesis;. In one OF these parleys DR.. Smith
saw John Ward take deliberate aim at him,
as be stood without arms with hand upliited
on the porch, with pistol and fired. and li
he had not Jumped into the door would have
been shot. Mr. Poster asked that the officers
be permitted TO 20 aboard an English brig
the Amorrette, in the othng. and that they
would leave them in charge OF the island
To this they would reply, mo; We won [
agree 10 that; give as MahOn aud surrender.
Ii YOU don't we will kill every one Of You.
Between 2 and o. clock the mob tried to
drive the officers out Of the house by the use
of FIRE rags: these failing, they then resOrtad
TO the use Of dynamite. Then commenced
the hurting Of dynamite cartridges at the
house. The effect Of this explosion was to
blow of the shingles and tear up the porch,
bnt NOT being confined, it did not do the
deadly work i was intended to do. After a
while the officers discovered three of these
prisoners had broken open the magazine and
that Henry Jones with a thirty pound case of
dynamite was creeping on bis knees and try
ing to get it under the superintendent house.
The officers then decided that their only hope
was to leave the house aud trust TO making
stand elsewhere. At about 4.3O P. m, they
started TO leave: as they struck the board
walk. on the seaside. they were discovered
and attacked. The officers became separated
and ran: each was pursued by half dozen or
more men. some of whom were these prison
ars. They were overtaken and upon the
most positive assurance of their captors that
thew would not be harmed they surrendered
their pistols and guns. Not one OF these hVe
men were killed until after they had surren
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