The National Register. — 1812-01-05 (London, England)

JAN. 5.  bound to the Brazils, its an ordinary seaman. The ship having been dee.; tained a long time at Rio Janeiro, proceeded aftern ards for a carp it) Demerara, from whence she returned on the 3d or 4th of October last, at which time Williams was discharged, and was paid upwards of 401. the balance of his wages. Capt. Hutchinsop supposes, as he possessed an address superior to his situation; wrote a good hand, and had gone to sea at an advanced age, that he must have been driven to that line Of life by his former bad conduct. As sailors on a long voyage, under strict discipline, have not opportunities of doing much mischief, Captain H. cannot relate much of Williams's misconduct ; but mentions hisattempting to impose himself upon a man at Rio Janeiro, as secondniate of thee Roxburgh Castle, and by that means obtaining a small sum of money. It was this circumstance that drew from Capt. H. the expression attri• bated to him, " that if he lived to go on sherd, he-would certainly be hanged.' Williams always endeavoured to pus as a native of Scotland; but Captain H. who is himself from that country, easily discovered him to be an Irishnlan, and suppohes him to be from the county of Down. When paid his wages by the owners, he represented himself to them as coming from Campbehown, in Argyleshire. Besides the. fraud committed on the second mate of the Roxburgh Castle, Williams was engaged in a Captain H. in his late voyage, had altogether a very bad crew ; and, whilst proceeding from Rio Janeiro to Demerara, when. of Surinam, they broke into open mutiny e upon which Capt. H. anchored under the guns of the fort at Braam's-point; and applied to Capt. Kennedy, of his Majesty's brig Forester, who, by threats and persuasion procured their return to their duty. Three of the principals.in the business were sett into confinement at Surinam, for 25 hours • one of whom WailWillieni Allblas., the same petson who was- apprehended on suspicion of being • concerned with Williams in the late murders. Williams, pn this sion, escaped punishment, having pleaded that he wailed Astray by his companions. , From the evidence adduced*before the Maglstriies,'it,appears, that I two men were represented as having been seen nipping fray the batiste of Mr. Wiiliamson, When the murders were conimitted,—sne a man. six feet high, the other shorter. (or Williamson,) was 'five feet eight inches high; and Allblas is a stout mart about six feet: So ' far these two men answer the description of thefugitives. Feether, All bliss states himself to be a native of Dantzic, but speaks very good EngBell. at his examination on Saturday week, before Mr. Merhland, at Shadwell Office, he acknowledged 'he 'bad been drinking in company with Wiliiacos, at three or icily pebliceleotteei, on the nigbt of the murders at Mr. Williamson's. He said, that he left his comrade, Williams, •at half-past eight, schcu he went home, and sat up till twelve,and then retired to bed. Being aslicd by Magistrates if he could prove this, he said he could, by nleans c.f his landlady. She was sent for, ar.d attended vrieh another woman. Her story was, that the prisoner came. home from halfspast nine to ten o'clock, and went to bed at twelve. It was remarked to the Magistrates at the time, that the woman who at. tended with the landlady of Allblas, had been in the habit of coMing to the counting-house of the owners of the Roxburgh Castle' to receive a monthly allowance cf Allblas, and always represented herself. ar.d signed the receipt as his wife.. Allblas denied, previous to this woman's coming forward that he had any wife, and appeared to wish not to claim any intimacy with the witnesses. Upon being asked. how he had supported himself so long without empiolmeht, be said he had PaWned his clothes, and lived upon the bounty of some good friends. Under these cireurpstanceS, and upon the word of theses women (for we are informed • that they were not sworn) Allbla3 was diseharrd. John Harrison, the sail-maker, who was the first to communicate his suspicions of the guilt of Williams, served an board the Roxburgh Castle in that capacity. He had the best opportunity of studying the character of the man. Having been the only means of pointing out one of the authors of these barbarous murders, and bearing a character from the Captain the very reverse of that of Williams, no doubt he wild be rewarded.