The Sun. — 1834-03-15 (London, England)

FURTHER PARTICULARS.  Captain John Drummond, of the brig Martha, has been committed for trial on the charge of murder. The Cork Reporter gives the following account of the transaction, which it will be seen differs materially from that already made public. The Martha, the property of :Mews. Lockett and M'Neal, of Liverpool, sailed from Lagoons, on the Spanish main, January the 2d, for Liverpool, laden principally with mahogany. She had been but a few days at sea when, according to the statement of two of the crew, the captain manifested unusual severity to the men—keeping them unnecessarily employed at hard duty, withholding from them more than half their allowance of victuals, and otherwise treating them very bard. They state, that about three weeks ago, one of the hands, commonly known by the name of Jack the Dutchman, a foreigner, died in consequence of the captain's cruelty, and was soon after consigned to the deep. Matters, according to their account, went on in this state, when it was thought by themselves that they never cAuld survive the voyage. Expostulation was vain ; the system of cruelty and short allowance was rather increased than diminishad, until last Thursday, when the captain ordered the mate (William Ridley, an Englishman) to assist the men in working the ship. The mate declined, upon the ground of incapacity, b reason of his reduced state of body and the agony which proceeded from his swollen legs. In this state the ship was worked until Sunday morning last, when the captain is said to have ordered the crew to tie a rope round the mate's body, and haul him upon &el from beneath. The mandate was obeyed, and in an hour the man was dead ! At this time the ship was about 30 miles S.W. of Cork harbour, on her passige to her destined port. At 10, a.m., not an hour and a half after the mate died, the capt,in, with a brace of pistols, according to the statement of one of the men, cocked and presented, and of the other, slung across his waist, g .ve directions that the body should be thrown overboard. The men instantly obeyed ; and in a short time the captain lay down and slept, when it was reselved by all hands to secure him, by tying him with ropes. The ship then made for Cork harbour ; and she had not changed her course long when she was bcarded by a pilot from the coast, whin she was, at one yesterday morning, brought into the Cove. At an early hour measures were taken to secure all on board, and at half-past two P.M., they Were brought to Crrk. The captain appears a mild ioteilintelligentman Upon being questioned on the charge, be denied it most unequivocally, stating that the clew were, all the voyage, in a state of disoiganization and di.affectiim. The crew are, except one or two, in a deplorable state—their hgs swollen, and bodies greatly reduced and lacerated.  To THE ARNlY.—lmportant advantages are likely to accrue to the officers of the army, horn Colonel Stek% art's plan, to be elven in the Naval and Military Gazette of this afternoon, for the purchase of Unattached Promotions, and the Commutation of Hall-pay C•onmissions. Whilst it provid,a for a general and extensive promotion of officers, the plan, we understand, has the peculiar advantage of increa,ing the revenue. The subject, we understand, is expected to be noticed in the House of Commons next week.