Evening star., 1898-07-30

confident that Captain Briggs would go
clear, for his own defense was masterful
and without the missing papers the charge
OF piracy could not be sustained, Even
Captain Roberts of the Sparrow and his Of
ficers forgot their prospective prize money
in admiration of the cool bearing of the
audac.ous American.
1t was 3 80 on the afternoon of the second
day of the trial. In another half hour the
court must close in favor of the American
The cfrcumstantial evidence against him
was strong, but the actual proof was cot
such as would satisfy any ordinary iury
A few minutes more and the court would
adjourn, after having declared CaDtain
Briggs guiltless. and the schooner Nancy
free to proceed on her voyage to Curacao.
While the preiminaries for closing the
court were about to begin, the booming of
a gun was heard down the bay. In a short
time the news flew through the court that
the war brig Abergavenny had just arrived
from the south coast of HaytL This news
in itself was not startling. There was no
reason why the arrival of an English man
of-war should in any way interfere with
the proceedings of court.
A few mirutes more and the gavel of the
Judge would announce the closing of the
court and, to Briggs, the favorable ending
of the trial. In the meantime an officer
In undresS uniform entered the court, and
advancing to the bench laid before the
judge, bundle of water-stained docu-
ments. They proved to be the missing
papers of the schooner Nancy. Now comes
the most remarkable part of this remark
able story, the part which it would be hard
t. believe were it not backed by the sworn
evidence of the Abergavennys officers and
crew.
Out of the Depths.
A few days before this a tender of the
Ahergavenny, in fishing off the coast of
Hayti. struck shark. The shark was
taken on board the Abergavenny. There
it was cut open in order that the sailors
might secure the liver for the sake of the
oil which 1t is known to contain.
Great was the surprise Of these rude dis
sectors at finding in the stomach Of the
shark bundle of papers. These papers
were the records of the schooner Nancy,
which Captain Briggs had thrown over
board when he found that he was being
overhauled by the Sparrow.
Dramatists have rackeG their brains TO
produce startling situation, but there is
nothing in dramatic literature Tor in the
pages of fiction that at all equals the scene
that followed in that Kingston court when
Captain Eriggs was confronted with the
evidence of his own infamy. and de-
clared by the court. just about ID free him,
to be a pirate.
The evidence was overwhelming. Con-
fronted with this testimony from the sea,
brave though he was, all the courage and
GOODNESS of the American skipper departed.
Feeling that heaven had arrayed its
powers against him, Capt. Briggs con-
fessed his guilt.
This man must have had in him some
elements of nobility, for when he found
that~his own fate was sea,ed he tried to
shield his crew. He made a speech still
remembered for its eloquence ami reason,
in which he tried to show that he was the
ruling spirit, and that his men were en-
tirely guiltless, or at least that hey did
not understand his purpose, and that in
doing what they did they simply obeyed
his orders. The outcome of the trial was
that Captain Briggs and his crew of seven
men were found guilty of piracy and soon
afterward were executed in accordance
with the law, by hanging from the masts
of the vessel on which they had recently
sailed.