AGEDIES OF THE SEA.

NZ Truth, Issue 161, 18 July 1908, Page 7

AGEDIES OF THE SEA.

/'* FRATRICIDAL CAPTAIN GQQPERE

Hanged at the Hotwells.

TLnd often did I strive V_N> -Kield the ghost : but still the epvipus flood Kept ia'niy soul, and would not let it. " forth "' „ . 2To asek %© empty, vast, and wancL.ring '-' aft7'' "-'-' "' '- _.- ' Blulf' smothered it. within, my panting bulk,' A - - . iWhi'ch almost burst to belch it m the sea , —Shakespeare.

An atrocious murder was committr ed m 1.7 -RL, through the instrument- , ality of Captain Samuel Goodere, "tifcon his brother; Sir John Dineley Gbbdere, on hoard the Concord man-•'of-war, of whioh the former was captain. Sir John, it appears, was posjsesssed'otvan estate of £3000 per annum,' situated atj Eyjesham, m Worcestershire, wfiifch he derived from his father, Sir Edward. His brother, the subject of this sketch, having Seen bred to' the sea, was advanced to the rank of captain of one of His Ma jesty*s warships. ■ ' Sir Jo-trir having no children, very ] sanguine expeetatiqhs wsEe entertain? 'Ed» by his biftfth^' '#atV?lte should inherit the • property, hut^lutf on his discovery that, he had made a< will m -favor of iheir , sis't^r's children, 'his rage knew "0 bounds, anft'he^oe|«mihed upon •.•■_•-.?. ... i ■.«#*, !A MOST t^IABOLIC?AI_ -REVENGE for the supposed' injury- which he had teceiVjedi>ttSfee vfes__el of v^hich Captain Gpodere- had r the cbronviand was employed ais one of the Channel cruisers, and m the month of January, 1741", was lying at Bristol., At this period it happened that Sir : John Goodere was m tbat city , transacting- some business, with his attorney, a. Mr Smith. fEhe captain, haying been made ac.jqiitlinjed with tne circumstances, fixe;T~upOn tbis as apro,per' time to put his plan into execution. Throwing, himself into the. Attorney's way, Samuel Goodere. informed him that a neflect reqpinciliatioh had taken place Jj'etween MtheSmi itotwithstanding a misunderstanding : which was known tb have -existed. After some conversation; learning that his brother was J go'ih.g. to -dine with # Smith on a certain day, the captain asked to be invited to meet Mm. Having deter'lniiied on : this *as a favorable opportunity to '. CARRY HIS DEStGN into ex^tion, on. liis going ashore iie carrier i with him some of his seamen, to whom he gave instructions that Sir John^ being insane, h,e de.isyred him tp\ he carried on board the Cbricdicd, pretending that he wanted .to convey him to a place of safety. (The mien, therefore, having been re-

italed during the eyenihg'at a neighboring •puj&ic-bouse, as night approached, placed themselves m rga^tiiiess to obey the orders ha^ received ; add* when/ Sir John made his appea"ran6ft r ~tnev seized him ail's foroibl^j'tiut him .into a bpat, m which they \ immediately pulled for the, yi|ssel.<. '. '. fOme p_*6testations made by thecapl^r'tKkt it was^ only a deserter ■^^iri'.''"'^^''^^^ apprehending, silenced all^enquiiDy from "the crowd

Which had assembled on perceiving this outrage. ' and thfc' unfortunate baronet was secured without an effort being made to procure his re-? lease, or to save him from the Woody fate which awaited bim. As soon as the victim was m the hbat he said to his brother : VI know you hav6 an

INTENTION TO MURDER ME ; and if you are ready to do it, let it be done here, without giving yourself the trouble to take me on board. The fratricidal captain replied : '"No, brothel ani going to prevent your rotting on land ; but, however; : I would have you make* your peace with God this night." Sir John having reached the vessel, he called to the seamen for help. but. they, having learned their captain's commands from their shipmates, did not offer to render the slightest aid, and the wretched gentleman was imr mediately conveyed to the purser's cabin.-

*fwo ruffians among the crewi nam-ed-©Hailes White and Matthew- Mkhony,were selected by Captain Goodere to perform the dreadful scene whioh was now to be enacted. While Goodete stood, at the entrance of the 1 •; cabin .guarding ,it with a drawn sword' his two assistants entered it, approached their victim; He cried aloud for mercy, offering all he possessed, as a return if they would SPARE, HIS LIFE; but, regardless of Ms prayers, White and Mahony deliberately proceeded to the completion pf their sanguinary intentions. Seizing Sir Jotth by tbe shoulders, they threw him .- on the deck, and there, with a handkerchief they took from .his pocket, they attempted to strangle him. Ending that 'j&eir efforts were unavailing, they a cord from their g»il.ty Cftmimander, with wh*eh they speedily ' despatched their victim. White fcneit on Goodere's "breast and held his hands, while Mahony fixed the oor-d^rbund his throat, and tightened it B ufttir stanguiatioh took place. Then they Accompanied their captain to th__£caba>n, where he save them the sum Screed upon for their services, and bade them seek their safety m flight; TShli. "• miirder. however, was soon made. kh<^;n on shore, thrpugh: tlie instEumentality of the crew of the vessel; ;i and the circumstances having com^e teethe knowledge, of Smith; the attiolne^' he procured a warrant tp .. be issued, upon which the law offic-. ers of t£e city proceeded, on board tl^e tJoiL«ord,- There they found that the captain .had already been put under .arrest by the lieutenant and the jailing master, and he was immediatejLy conveyed into custody TO THE" BRISTOL PRISON. It was not long before Mahony and White were < als° secured, and, the prisoners being brought to trial at the Bristol Assizes an Inarch 2s, 1841, they were bonvicted on the clearest evidence, and sentenced to [ death. Captain Goodere's time, alter conviction, was spent chiefly m writing letters to persons of rank, urg-in-e them to interest themselves to

save his life. His wife and daughter presented a petition to the King, but a_H endeavors of this kind proving ineffectual, the condemned captain employed a man to hire some soldiers to rescue liim while he was on his way to the scaffold.

Goodere's efforts m this respect, however, were as unavailing as those which he had made to procure a mitigation of his punishment. The circumstances having been made known to the sheriff, he took such steps as were deemed expedient to prevent the success of the plan. The wretched com-; panions m guilt of the captain ex-hib^ ited the greatest hardihood, and when the gaolers were employed m putting on their irons they evinced no fear of death.

Captain Goodere's wife and daughter, dressed m deep m/ouriiing, took A SOLEMN LEAVE

of him on the day before his death. He was conveyed m a mourning coach to the place of execution, while his accomplices were taken thereto m a cart. On April 20, 1741, the three were hanged together, near~the Hotwells, Bristol, within vie^p;Wf^r|fife place <where the ship lay When the murder was committed.