The Sun. — 1847-03-31 (London, England)

CHARGE OF WILFUL. MURDER.—William Peck and William Goodwill were indicted for the wilful murder of a:boy, named John Martin, by cruelly beating and otherwise maltreating him on board the brig Athelstone, of which ship Peck was captain, and Goodwill first mate. The crime was alleged to have bt.en committed on the 4th of January last, whilst the vessel was on her voyage from Quebec to Swansea. Messrs. Townsend and Yardly were retained for the prosecution; the captain was defended by Mr. Temple, and the mate by Mr. Welsby. The brig left Quebec in November last, bound for Swansea, and on the day named in the indictment she was in the English Channel; a gale of wind had been raging, but it having partially subsided, all hands were ordered on deck to make sail. In a short time it was found that the deceased had not comp on deck with the mate's watch, to which he belonged; the mate wont below for the purpose of sending him up, when he found the bcy in the act of dressing. He took a small line or piece of yarn, and beat the boy with it, and then stripping off his clothes except his under and flannel shirts, hauled hins on deck through the scuttle-holes; the mate went over to the lee side, and held the boy in the water, which broke heavily over the vessel, for about ten minutes; on being released, the deceased went below for the purpose of putting on his clothes; in about a quarter of an hour, the captain passed down to the forecastle, and was followed in a few minutes by the mate; shrieks end cries were heard by the crew on deck, as from a person in great agony, and the second mate was an eyewitness of the beating inflicted by the captain. The two officers wore down for about a quarter of an hour, at the end of which time the lad was again forced on deck through the scuttle hole. At this time there was blood on his face. He was dragged aft, the captain beating him along with a piece of rope near an inch thick, knotted at the end. During the whole of this time the boy had nothing on but the two shirts. The captain beat him far four or five minutes when on deck, and then ordered him to ascend the rigging to loose the mainsail. He afterwards ordered the second mate to go aloft, and thrash the boy to his duty, as he was sheltering from the clemency of the weather, on the lee side of the mast. The mate, however, did not strike the boy, but hit the ropes instead. On descending the lad was again beaten by the captain with the maintopsail halyards, ropes three inches in circumference. The captain then took up a boathook, and struck Mar tin on the small of the back with it, using all his power and might; this was repeated five or six time, and the boy appeared as if dying; it was between five and six o'clock on an intensely cold winter morning, with a heavy sea running. The boy was next observed lying on the chain-cable, amidships, with no clothing on him; he was stretched on the cold iron, with his legs and feet uncovered, and appeared insensible. Soon after, he was carried down to his hammock by the mate and one of the crew, and in a short time after he expired. The body was covered with marks all over black and blue, as though he had been terribly beaten : on the following day it was consigned to the deep, the funerul service being performed by the captain. It appeared that the unfortunate boy was rather sickly, of tender constitution, and was troubled with a flux. lie, however, was capable, when he chose, of taking his share in the working of the vessel. The first port the vessel arrived at was Holyhead, where she was discharged and the crew paid off, when one of the men laid the information. The above evidence was sworn to by five of the crew, who generally agreed as to the severity of the beatings, the uncovered state in which the boy was, and the blows with the boathook, which was 13 or 14 feet long. The jury Acquitted Goodwill and found Peck Guilty of manslaughter, with a recommendation to mercy. He was sentenced to two years' hard labour. This case closed the assize.