The Sun. — 1841-08-18 (London, England)

AUG. 14. —The melancholy ia; of the sixteen passengers of the William Brown had not been effaced from our sad remembrances, nor our indignation lessened that such enormities had been allowed to pass, under the plea, of " necessity," without a public investigation, when another and more horrid murder, without the plea of " necessity" being advanced to justify it, is made known in Havre ; and I much fear the perpetrator of this bloody act is likely to escape. The sufferers of the William Brown were poor creatures—British subjects—seeking under a friendly flag shelter in a foreign country, where they might earn a livelihwd by their daily labour. This new victim was a British sailor engaged under the protection of another friendly flag to perform his voyage from Monte Video to Havre. We shall by and by be enabled to ascertain what is the protection of " friendly flags" afforded to British passengers and British sailors. The ship Leopoldina Rosa, belonging to Monte Video, left that place in the month of • May, hound for Havre. The crew was composed of English and American seamen, the captain and mate were Frenchmen ; there were sixteen passengers on board ; the men stipulated for coffee for breakfast and a full ration of meat. They had not been at sea more than a week when the meat was reduced to half allowance, and two sardines were substituted for their coffee. Two of the men remonstrated, and were placed by the captain in irons, but liberated after a confinement of three days ; they were marked, however, as objects for annoyance. On the 16th of May, the captain, after abusing one of these two, an Englishman, named James Dickson, struck him; a scuffle ensued. The third mate took a handspike, and attempting to strike the seaman, missed him, but struck the Captain on the head. The men came up, and the row was put an end to, the man, Dickson, retiring with the remainder of the men to the forecastle. The Captain retired to his cabin, with the mates, and having provided himself with a sword, and given the mates a pistol each, came on deck ; not finding Dickson, he went to the top of the ladder of the forecastle, asked if he was there, and being answered in the affirmative, sprung down, and instantly ran the man through the body three times. He then came on deck, arid desired the men to bring the fellow up, they replied they could not, as his bowels were hanging out, and he was bleeding away. The surgeon of the ship came forward for the purpose of assisting the poor wretch, but the captain refused to allow him to touch him or render him the least assistance. The miserable man soon died, and three hours after his body was thrown overboard. On the arrival of the vessel in Havre a report of what had occurred reached the police, the Captain was arrested and sent to prison ; the passengers were examined, and their depositions taken by the Procureur du Roi, who reported the case to the Procureur-General. Strange to relate, an order was immediately sent down for the instant liberation of the Captain, on the ground " that no notice could be taken by the French authorities of any act committed at sea under the flag of a foreign power." The Captain was set at liberty. The English Consul having examined the crew, who, with the passengers, declare there was no attempt at mutiny, and agree in the details of the murder, demanded the recommittal of the captain, the murdered man being a British subject. This, as well as a copy of the depositions of the passengers taken before the Procureur du Roi, has been refused, and the murderer is walking about the streets with complete impunity.