The Sun. — 1839-06-20 (London, England)

INQUEST ON THE BODY OF THE FOREIGN CAPTAIN (BERKEIOLTZ), AT SUNDERLAND.  On Saturday and Monday last an inquest was held on the unfortunate Captain Berkhohz, when the boy Muller, whose accusation of the mate Ehiert has already appeared in The Sun, repeated his statement, through an interpreter, to the following effect. According to a report with which we have been favoured by the Sunderland Herald, Muller said—l had the watch between twelve and two on Wednesday morning, on board the Phoenix. About one o'clock in the morning the mate came on deck, and desired me to come down into the cabin. I refused at first, and the mate drew out a bottle of brandy. I took some spirits and then went down. The mate had a lighted lantern under his jacket. (The jacket was produced, which the boy acknowledged to belong to the mate.) The lantern produced was acknowledged by the boy to be the one used. The boy said the mate had not the jacket on him, but used it as a cover to the lantern. The mate gave him the lantern into his hand, and desired him to take the cover off—meaning the jacket. After removing the ccver (the j icket), from the lantern, the mate stood in the door of the cabin where the captain was .leeping. The light fell upon the face of the captain, and the mate struck a heavy blow with a large hammer. He gave three blows on the head of the captain. When he got the first blow he only groaned once. When the mate gave the first blow the boy wanted to run away, crying, Mate, what are you doing ? ' The mate held the boy fast, and desired him to assist him to put the body away, and threatening to kill him with a knife if he would not do so; and if he would assist him, he (the mate) would give him 3001., saying he thought the captain would have as much as give him 30W. The mate locked the witness in the cabin, so that he could not get out, and they both remained there. It appeared to witness that the mate was rather in liquor. The mate took the body out of the bed ; he took a rope and tied it round the neck of the body. The mate fetched a bag, made of sailcloth, out of a chest of drawers, and threw it over the whole body. After having done this, he unlocked the cabin door, and the witness took the opportunity to run out. Whilst going out he saw the mate take a sheet from the bed to wash the floor. The mate came running after him on deck, and took hold of him, threatening to kill him. The mate took the sky-light up, and then took a small rope from a block, front which he cut a piece off, and let one end of it through the sky-light into the cabin. The mate went down himself, and tied the rope round the bag which contained the body. The mate:came up again, and pulled the body up, hand by hand. When the body came on deck the mate threw it overboard at the stern, on the larboard side, into the river.  Mr. Guy Potts, Captain of a steamer, was unable to identify Ehlert as the man who on Thursday brought something on board his boat. The mate, Ehlert, on hearing, read to him Muller's s'atemet.t, said it was false, and exclaimed that he was innocent. He was then confronted with the boy Muller, who was accordingly called in. The prisoner, as soon as he saw the boy face to face, reproached him with telling a falsehood. The boy was then told that his evidence bad been read to the prisoner. Prisoner (to the boy)—Who killed the Captain? Mul. ler—You. Prisoner You are the murderer. Muller—You are the murderer. The CORONER, in summing up, said that be believed the mate was the murderer. The Jury, after fifteen minutes' deliberation, found " the mate guilty of murder."