The Sun. — 1845-11-19 (London, England)

CHARGE OTHEF MURDER ON BOARD SHIP TORY. EXAMINATION OF CAPTAIN JOHNSTONE. Yesterday, George Johnstone, late master of the ship Tory, from Hong-Kong, was brought before Mr. Broderip, at the Thames Police-court, charged with the wilful murder of Thomas Reason, a seaman, on the high seas, within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty of England. The prisoner is rather above the middle size, thirty. five years of age, of florid complexion, and rather sunburnt. He is a man of reckless appearance and manners, and seemed to treat the serious charge against him with indifference. Mr. Pelham appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Humphries, of Newgate-street, attended for the prisoner, who was apprehended on Monday evening by Inspector Evans, of the Thames police, and lodged in. the station-house of the Thames division. A bed was made up for him in the lockup, and two men sat up with him. He passed a very restless night, and frequently groaned aloud. On the charge being made known to him, he denied that he had been guilty of murder. Soon afterwards he had an interview with his wife, and gave utterance to a wish that he was dead. He is a native of Scotland, and is very respectably connected. It will be recollected that sixteen of the crew were charged by Captain Johnstone with mutiny on Wednesday last, and they stand remanded until this day. When Mr. Clarkson, counsel for the prosecution, first mentioned the case to the magistrate, he said that three men had been killed on board ' —Rambert and Mars, the first and second mates, and an able seaman, named Reason. The Learned Counsel intimated that Reason had been poisoned. Singularly enough, the captain, in his long and very unconnected narrative, alluded to the deaths of Rambert and Mars, but he never alluded to Reason, except that he had put him in irons, with two others, when the ship was near the Island of Ascension, and subsequently released him. Some of the prisoners, in describing the appalling scenes of bloodshed on board, and the savageness of the captain after passing the Island of Ascension, said that Reason was one of those who had fallen a victim to the ferocity of the captain, and that he cut him in a brutal manner with a sword about the head and body. Their statement was partially confirmed by Sinclair, the carpenter, a witness for the prosecution, who said he had seen the captain strike Reason several times with a sword in various parts of the body, but he could not say whether he inflicted more than one wound. The evidence given yesterday will be seen to throw additional light on the transaction. On the prisoner being placed in the felon's dock, the most lively interest was manifested by the people in the Court, which was crowded to excess. It was expected that the prisoner would be arraigned for three murders, but in the charge as entered in the police-sheet he stood accused of the wilful murder of Thomas Reason only. Mr. Humphries said he had been retained by some friends of the prisoner to defend him, a fact of which he was probably not aware, for he had not yet communicated with him. James Flower, a sailor boy, was then sworn. He is one of the apprentices of the ship, and said he recollected the death of Reason, but he did not know the date. The deceased expired one night in the cabin. Before he went into the cabin, he heard Reason say, " Spare me, captain, spare me." Mr.