The Sun. — 1854-08-03 (London, England)

MASSACRE OF THE CREW OF THE HARRIET -CONFESSION OF THE PIRATE CHIEF.  A letter dated Athens, July 22, supplies the following copy of the confession made by the chief of the gang of pirates who not long since murdered the crew of the Harriet in the Levant. His examination took place of board the French steam-corvette Chaptal. The pirate deposed :  "In the course of the month of March last I left Con: stantinople for Syra, in the Galaxid, Captain Epami• nondas. Having arrived at Syra, the Sub-Commissary of Police, Angerinos, as well as another Samiot, conk* selled me to go to Athens. The next day, Strati, the Commissary of Police, sent for me. I told him that I had no money, and that what I wanted was to serveas a seaman on board some merchant vessel. He said that there was just then no work for sailors, but that if I would return in a few days he would put me up to some. thing good. He would send me, he said, to Chalcis, where I should see Colonel Giorgiades, who had written to me to come to an understanding with the police commissary, Strati. This letter is at Chalcis with my other effects. • " One day when I was at Strati's house he showed me a letter which he had received from Stamati. The first page of the letter was addressed to me. Stamati directed me to conform to Strati's instructions in all points, and that some day I should be great and my children after me. Strati forbade me to reveal aught that he had said to me, and then advised me to join the war in Tbessaly and to go to Chalcis. He recommended me to go by the coast of Cape Douro, and to seize and sink all the French and English ships I could find, as those nations were opposed to the enterprises of the Greeks. Strati hired a goelette, with a crew of five men, is which I embarked with 23 others, of whom 25 were Samiots. The captain of this vessel came from Stylida, in the Gulf of Zeitonni. Strati gave me 20 drachmas, but none of the men who embarked with me received pay : they only had provisions for two days. I was appointed chief of the expedition, and I alone knew its object, which I did not reveal to my companions until we had fairly left Syra, which we left three hours after sunset in the evening. The next day we arrived at about four or five miles from Gabrios, on the coast of Andros. "At that place we were becalmed until midnight. About three hours before daybreak, just as a breeze was rising, our men saw an English schooner. I was asleep at the time, but they called me. I ordered my eight and twenty men to follow me towards the schooner, and we boarded her. We had previously hailed the ship, and found that it was English, and that the crew also were natives. When we got on board, we made all the meu go down into the captain's cabin, and then we demanded all the money on board. The English produced three pounds sterling, two watches, a telescope, two corm. passes, and a barrel containing a small quantity of rum. We then ordered all the crew on deck, and there we massacred them with our knives, and cast their bodies into the sea. I gave no order to kill those men, nor did I kill one myself. We had meant to sink the schooner, but we abandoned this intention, fearing to be perceived by other vessels. After the massacre we went to Chalcis, where I landed with my 28 companions, and we paid a visit to our com• patriot Colonel Stamati Giorgiades, but did not find him at home. The next day we went to Bourgi, where we found Stamati, his son, and another person. The same day we went back to Chalcis with Stamati in a barque which belonged to him. We stayed a month with Sta. rnati, to whom we told our adventures, and he approved our conduct. Of the 21 men who followed me 18 left Chalcis to go to Stilida. Stamati advised me to become a pirate, and to go to the Anatolian coast, there to wait till a fitting opportunity presented itself for attacking Samos. We left Chalcis in a perame, touched at Tsourav Tynos, and Myconi, and thence went to Samos. Repenting of my conduct, I made any submission to that governor of the island, and reported to him all the circumstances attending the massacre of the crew of the English schooner.