The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-07


experisnced-snd found the three under arrest
TO have been auiity OF a full and determined
intention TO commit n mutiny on this vessel
menjed iaitnonrh no overt at had been. co n
mitted) that the prisoners be put 70 death.
S sgs 1n tSe e sns sii' or a, mvr.de 10 MAKE any eI.
Commander Maekenzie', plea when con-
I'm the necessities Of my position found my
Law, and In those I must trust 20 find my
oa, ,Ss .sns.nc. a IL l ISss no and si% al h hands Sss.F wsrs
piped to punishment He at once Informed
Spencer Of the decision and his fate. and. indeed.
turned at. from bis position he could have seen
the. whips preparing at the main yard arms.
on board a naval vessel. The young midship.
man was told that ten minutes would DO al.
lowed to him and to Cromwell and small 70
dictate any diving message TO their families.
scrlblns the occurrences Mackenzie said
He sank with tears upon hi. knees. and said.
I am not 1T TO die ! then repeated to him
from the catechism. and begged him a.sn officer
duced the exsmplo OF dying with docorum.
That Immediately restored him to entire
vent and mad. similar eommuniostions to the
other. two. Cromwell fell upon. his knees.
completely unnamed. protested hi. innocence;
already said TO me: AS these are my last
words have IN say. I trust they will be be.
knowing his fate. Said j have nobcdy to
care for me but my poor old mother. and
.s..ratcd s'tim.t. Q, The :ston, OF tho cq m.
;Sen wished 70 ). sno, instead 81 being dis.
gracefully hanged. I told him this could not
be. Iertonded hi. time to the en- OF the hour.
He asked for n Bible ant PRAYER book. which
were brought. In one he read a bit. and kneei-
ing. repeated from the other the prayer for
father, Which wrote down He added An.
this will kill my mother The prisoners were
now unlroned. ard under armed guard con.
They asked to nave their faces covered. and
bags. were drawn over tbem. directed that
rope that was TO swing them into. eternity"
I! .,. va; u: S'. nd c :slS. NIB sfd s sadt VII: . h,i
s%sil also ADDRESSED them. afsins them to Al.
wa, tLon hoisted 70 the peal, the signal gun
fred. and IN a few minutes all three bad been
SoaS.n e d soa os sfssi s sTRf.s s' eSs:ls Tor The The
cheers for God Almighty. were also given.
weighted and The other two we're wrapped in
their weighted hammocks. and all were
S dT,,ppsa,s sse, 10 ,h ss. 'is aS:~ %h h.c yish Ps'y read So9 ;sc
afterwArd. Mackenzie said: II could not but
be ~anunR to the d .ed OF that day"
Others OF the, crew were no" put IN irons,
ton and secret intercourse with the executed
men. and In ironr were brought into the port OF
New York. but discharged by order OF the Score.
Of inquiry at once. with Commodore Stewart
Old Ironslces and grandfather Of Charles 5.
man-the most eminent criminal lawyer OF the
then great bar OF this city-as Judge Advocate.
The daily newsp. pers took sides immediate
edited by James Watson Webb. strongly iusti-
ed Mackenzie's action. AMI Mr., Bennett. In his
the accused had not been brought before the
council OF officers for defence and why could
not the prisoners htye been kept In irons and
brought TO New York for trial. Commander
Mackenzie wa even arraigned for cowardIcs by
the editor OF he Administration paper at NASH
nierce commented in n~on.tommittai wav.
THE SCn gave the facts. but made little com.
m.n,, except 70 draw s,ten,iOn 70 absence OF
Judicial view. Charles King. s%fterward Presi-
lent of Columbia College. u his evening paper.
ings and saying. of the court OF inquiry were
printed at lenvth daily. and while Its ~sittings
hanging was discussed. Public Interest deep.
lowed. lis Judge Advocate was , Baltimore
.smysT ri aG With Msssenris' ~ AS had JUDGE
Advocate Ogden Hoffman. who. like the. great
Engllen trsklut, 9aNlnk Dccn n mlusHlpUluu
before coming TO the tar. was a stickler for ma
val discipline. Counsel emOloyed BY the
Small and Cromwell families TO assist tho
Judge Advocate were not all Jv~l 20 take part
in the observation-disclosures. them Charles
O'Conor. although MACKENZIE had such emil
nent defenders as John Duer. George Gri.in.
and Theodore Sedgwick. The proceedings OF
the c~ourt-martial. as.pr!nted. consume ESQ
printed pages In double column. Its finding
by majority vote Of q verdict OF not guilty was
acrimoniously attacked In a review in pam
phlet form OF seventy pages by the novelist
James Fenimore Cooper, Who concluded tina:
MAckenzie's act. 'if not one OF basest coward
ice. was OF lameDtable deficiency OF tudg-
nient." and with that view a large majority Of
the American p, ople conceded.
The tragedy proved a deathblow TO Mid
shipman speneer's estimable mother. and IL
broke the heart OF the father. who soon gave
up political life. II embittered the last few
years OF the somers's Commander. who died not
long afterward at his country. home In larry
own. Secretary OF the Navy Cpshur. who con-
frmed the scquittAl-Which was voted by eight
% four member. for s~uilty-was not long after
ward killed by the explosion Of a trial gun on
the frigate Princeton.