The Sun. — 1825-02-10 (London, England)

XAND E R.)  ALLEGED MURDER.  Robert Simpson, the Master of the " Harriet" trading vessel, was placed at the bar on an indictment, charging him with the wilful murder of Daniel Williams, a lad 13 years of age, by flogging him with a rope, exposing him to the inclemency of the weather, anti throwing him into-the sea during the time the vessel lay off the Banks of Newfoundland. There was no Counsel for the prosecution. Messrs. ALLEY and PLATT were on the pirt of the prisoner. Joseph Digging, the first witness, was a seaman on board the " Harriet," the prisoner was captain, and the deceased was cabin-boy. On the 15.1 i Nov. last, in the afternoon, while the vessel lay offVewfoundland, the prisoner desired the deceased to pick some oakum, and yarn was given to him for that purpose. Shortly afterwards the prisoner accused the boy of having thrown some of the yarn overboard. The deceased made no reply to this accusation, and the prisoner beat him severely with a boat-hook, and also with a rope from the leach of the trysail—the blows were given on all parts of the body. In the evening the deceased went below to take his clothes off, and while he was stripped, a large black mark was apparent on his left thigh. After changing his apparel, the boy went to the deck. The prisoner called him, but he made no answer. The deceased, at ten o'clock the same night, was standing on a chest on the weather-quarter, with his face to windward. The prisoner was on deck during the time, anti having ordered the second mate to keep him standing there, he went below ; when the prisoner was gone, the deceased attempted to get or, but he was forced back by the second mate. The prisoner aftewards came on deck, and inquired if Taffy, meaning the deceaSed, had been rebelling? The second mate said that he could not keep him up, and the prisoner seized a top-gallant stay-sail tack, and beat the boy with it very severely; and as the latter held up his arms to ward ofFthe blows, he fell °lithe chest. IVlien he got on the chest, the prisoner struck him "agliin repeatedly ; he put up his arm as before, and when he dropped it the prisoner said, " I was determined to make him drop his arm, or break it." The prisoner then directed the second mate to tell the chief mate to keep the boy on the chest during the watch, from twelve to four. The Second Mate told the prisoner, that the boy had stolen some of the men's tobacco. The prisoner then went below. At six o'clock in the morning the boy was standing against the weather rail ; he trembled, and appeared so weak as to be unable to stand. The prisoner came on deck at 8 o'clock, and beat the boy with some of the running rigging, and then ordered him to go forward. The deceased scrambed on deck, and took hold of the boom brace. The man at the helm said to the boy, " Come away, or you will go overboard," but the boy paid no attention to what he said. The witness, seeing his danger, with some difficulty pulled him away, and then went below. The deceased was afterwards sitting by the ,lalleY fire; the witness went to bed, and the boy was handed down the scuttle; the helmsman got breakfast, and offered the boy some, but he either would not or could not swallow; the cook afterwards made some tea, but the boy could not drink it. In about half an hour the boy was sent for by the prisoner, and handed out of the forecastle ; he was unable to walk at that time without assistance. The witness afterwards saw the boy in the Captain's gangway; when the Captain came up he struck him on the right side of the head with his hand, and ordered him to go instantly to the cabin. About half-past two o'clock the same day the witness was sent below to look at the boy, and he found him dead. He saw no more of him till eleven o'clock the following day, when he was directed to go down, with others of the crew, to sew up the deceased in a sheet. On pulling off the boy's trowsers, witness observed a black mark on his thigh, and two others on the belly ; the body was then sewn up in a sheet, and carried on deck ; prayers being read, the corpse was thrown overboard ; the night the boy was exposed on the chest was very cold and sleety. Cross-examined by Mr. A