The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-11-07

'ND%N
day AfternOon-Judge Purnell Ap-
pointed Mr.. william J.. Bellamy to
Defend Him.
The famous mutiny trial begun
yesterday morning in the United
States court and the largest NUM-
Der Of people ever in the federal court
room in this civ were present. On
the streets the mutiny trial is the chief
topic of conversation and nearly every
one has formed some opinion in regard
to the case.
Four witnesses were examined yes
'terday, Captain (. F. Hewett, Captain
Taylor, Henry Scott, the mutineer, and
Theodore Simon Is. The state rested
at 4:45 o'clock and District Attorney
Harry Skinner gave notice that he
would reserve the right to put on other
witnesses later
Selection of jury.
The securing Of the pury consumed
about two hours. it being 1908 wnen
the last member of the jury took his
seat in the box. Out of the "a regular
jurors nine members of the jury were
chosen and twenty-seven of the special
yenire were exhausted before securing,
the other three The jury as chosen
is composed of he following men:
Monroe Hickman, F. M. Moore, Billy
Watkins, G. F. Allen, H. G. Hewett, w.
A. Wilkes, L. J. Burney, J. D. McKeith-
an, w. w. Larklns, M. M. Caddell, r.
I. Durham, H. w. Hood.
= Of me fifty summoned on the spe-
<cial yenire, thirty-six responded to
their names when court convened. This
did remarkably well for the jury to
have been drawn the middle of the
week and shows the diligence of Col
onel Henry G.. Dockery, the United
p, States marshal, in summoning the men.
The number responding is fully as
large rs it often secured in the state
courts when there is only n county
to summon the men from and In this
instance there were elevent counties.
Some trouble was experienced in get
ting a .tenographer who could take the
testimony. The court learned that Mr..
G. c.. Scherer, VINO holds a position in
the Uunited States engineers Office,
formerly did court reporting so he sent
for him. Mr.. Scherer found but little
trouble in taking down the testimony.
He wa formerly q court stenOgrapher
in South Carolina.
After the jury had been chosen, Dis
trict Attorney Skinner called his wit
neSSes and there were fifteen, IiOt
counting Scott. There are twelve wit
nesses who have not been examined,
but will be placed on the stand later.
The witnesses not examined are those
who went aboard the vessel when it
first reached Southport and also those
who accompanied the mate of the King
when he went % the assistance Of the
Berwind.
Captain I. z. Hewett Testifies.
Captain Isaac T.. Hewett said he was
from Vineland, New Jersey, and was a
~seafaring man. He stated that he was
managing owne: of the Berwind own
ing an eighth interest. The Berwiad.
the witness said. he had built at Mill
Bridge, Maine; that all the owners
were Americans and the vessel regis
tered as an American vessel. His tes-
timony showed that the Berwind sailed
from Philadelphia OF July 9th with a
cargo of 975 tons of coal for Cardenas,
Cuba, and thence to Mobile, Alabama,
for a cargo of lumber. She was to go
from Mobile to Philadelphia. He nam
ed the white. members of the crew but
said he did not know the negroes.
Captain j. w. Taylor Testifies.
Captain Taylor, who was master oil
the schooner Blanche H. King, which
vessel went to the assistance of the
Berwind, was the next witness to ties
tify. His testimony was as follows:
"My name is John William Taylor
and my place Of residence is Provi'
dence, Rhode Island. l am a %seafarins
man and at the present time am master
of the schooner Blanche H. King.
EARLY in October the King was
bound from Brunswick. G a., to Phila
delphia, with 4 cargo of crosstiss
About nine o'clock on the night Of Oc'
tober 10th a vessel was reported ahead
and as we got nearer | saw the vesse
was acting in a peculiar manner. The
vessel was directly in our track. A
$50 1 saw a red light and l noticed
that the vessel was not in the custom
airy course. l hailed the vessel anC
asked what was the trouble and on
of the men answered that one of tn
men on board had killed five men anG
named them. He said they wanted t,
be taken off. When asked the name o
the vessel he said the Harry A. Be-
wind. I had the large boat cleared
away end sent the mate and seyera
sailors to the mems assistance. Tn