The Sun. — 1858-12-21 (London, England)

THAMES.  SUSPECTED MURDER AT SEA.----TRA MYSTERY ExPLAINED.—Among the numerous applicants this morning a stalwart, weather-beaten seaman passed in among the crowd, and said he had some very Anportant information to furnish to the magistrate, which might save much trouble, and be the means undoubtedly of clearing up a mystery of a singular nature. On being desired to enter the witness box he said his name was Francis Reeves, that he was in the employ of the Trinity House Corporation, and that he was at present living at No. 1, Titley-street, Poplar, New Town. He was one of the crew of the Princess, Channel light-ship, stationed off Herne Bay, and was two months on board and ono month on shore. On the 4th of Nov. last the body of a man, who he had no doubt was a maniac in his life-time, was seen floating past the vessel. The master of the light-ship gave immediate orders to get up some ballast to sink the body. The order was obeyed, and the ballast was tied up in a piece of old canvas and made fast to the body with a rope. Another canvas bag, also containing ballast, was made fast to the legs of the deceased, but that was not sufficient to sink it, and as the tide was drifting the body past the light vessel, the crew had no time to attach mere ballast to it, and the master gave orders to prick it. The body was pierced in several places, and drifted out towards the " deeps," and was soon lost to view. On the 15th of November he read in •a newspaper, left on board by a passing steam tug, an amount of the finding of a body at Westgate Bay, near Margate, and an account of the Coroner's inquest upon it. It was stated that the body presented marks of violence, was stabbed in several places, and two bags of canvas were attached to it. The jury had come to the conclusion, from the extraordinary circumstances connected with the case, that a foul murder had been 014141ittA and that the deceased had Mu war dered on board ship, and after he was repeatedly stabbed, bags of sand were attached to the body, and it was thrown overboard. A verdict of wilful murder was returned against some persons unknown, and the Coroner was in communication with the authorities in a foreign country, to which the ship from which the body is supposed to have been thrown had returned. He had no doubt whatever that the body, which drifted into Westgate Bay, was the same as that which floated past the light-ship, and to which bags of ballast were attached, and afterwards pierced. The holes made in the body with a harpoon were mistaken for stabs inflicted before death, and the description given of the body, on which the inquest was held, corresponded in every respect with the body which was handled by the crew of the ' light-ship. He had thought it his duty to communicate with his worship directly he came on shore, that innocent persons might not be brought into trouble, and charged with a murder they had not committed. He believed the body had been identified as that of a North Sea pilot, who left a port in the north with a foreign ship which was wrecked, and the crew, or a portion thereof, saved. Mr. Yardley said he had road of the finding of a body in Westgate Bay, and that its peculiar appearance led to a suspicion that a murder had been committed at sea. The statement just made was of the highest importance, and the more publicity was given to it the bettor. The applicant had done quite right in coming to that court and making the statement he had done, and ho hoped that if anybody was taken into custody on suspicion of murder, the Justice who would have to hear the case would be written to and informed of what had taken place. The applicant then retired, and said ho should communicate by letter with the authorities at Margate.