SIR GEORGE GREYS DEPARTURE. HORRIBLE CRUELTY AND MURDER BY A LIVERPOOL CAPTAIN.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1676, 15 October 1861, Page 3

SIR GEORGE GREYS DEPARTURE.

HORRIBLE CRUELTY AND MURDER BY A LIVERPOOL CAPTAIN.

His Excellency the Governor will hold an undress levee at half-past one o'clock, when he will be glad to see any of his friends who may wish to bid him farewell. »

His Excellency will leave Government-house at two o'clock, and will drive slowly down to the Central Jetty, whence be will embark. The streets will be lined by a guard of honor •f Volunteers of all arms, under the Cora-mand-in-chief of Colonel Eustace.

We believe that all shops, stores, &c, in the Hne of procession, will be closed, and that Adderly street, through which his Excellency is to pass, will be decorated with flags, arches, &c. Lieutenant Grey's suite of 1837, included a naturalist. Governor Grey's departing suite possesses one also. Mr. Layard, Curator of the Museum, that has grown to its ripe healtb tinder the fostering care of the Governor, proceeds with his Excellency, in the capacity of private Secretary, but really to collect the valuable additions to science which will be obtained during his absence by exchanges with the Australian Governments, and personal collections whilst in New Zealand.

Mr. Layard, as we stated in our last, placed his services at the disposal of His Excellency Sir George Grey, and His Excellency agreed that Mr. Layard should remain here as Curator of the Museum if possible. That was understood to be, we believe, contingent on tbe arrival of Colonel Travers by the mail steamer. Col. Travers did not come by the Celt, and Mr. Layard will therefore proceed to New Zealand, as first stated. . He will be absent about twelve months certain, and during tbat time Mr. C, Fairbridge and Dr. Pappe will perform tbe curator's duties, but will not touch the salary.

{From the Weekly Dispatch, July 14, 1861.)

The Liverpool magistrates were on Wednesday, engaged in investigating the charge of murder preferred against Capt. W. Wilson, of the barque Severn. The ease had been remanded from the previous week. It appeared from the statements of the witnesses, that gross cruelties (which it was alleged caused his death) had been practised upon a seaman named Jones, second mate of the ship, on the homeward voyage from Brass River, Africa.

The first witness examined on Wednesday, was a colored seaman, named Wm: Johnson, He Reposed that he shipped as able seaman in the Express last year, from Liverpool, for Brass River. The prisoner was the captain. Witness, together with the prisoner, was transferred to the Severn, at Brass River. Charles Jones, the deceased, was second mate ofthe Severn. He was sick with fever, but performed duty. About a week after leaving Brass River, Caplain Wilson sent Jones forward, saying that he would not do for the berth of second mate. Upon one occasion he (the captain) knocked Jones down on the forecastle, and when he was rising struck him again and knocked him down. The following day, the captain sent the deceased to scrape the maintop gallant mast. Jones told him he was not able to do so. The captain said he must scrape it, and beat him with the main brace. The next day the captain beat Jones on the head,, and by his violence made the poor fellow incapable of moving from the deck. The following day the captain sent Jones to the wheel. Jones said, " Captain, I can't steer by myself ; I don't feel very good." After steering a little wbile, the captain went up to Jones and said, " Which way are you carrying the ship, you ," and struck him with the spanker boom sheet. Jones fell, and the captain kicked him. Jones said, Captain, you will kill \me," and the captain said, [[Ji I kill you,

there is no one in Liverpool to speak about it." The captain continued to illtreat the deceased until a few days afterwards, when the steward came and said to the captain, " Jones very bad— him sick too much," and the captain gave the steward some medioine. Jones died the same night. The witness said he saw the captain, on the same day be gave the steward the medioine, " when dark was beginning to come," strike Jones ou the back part of the head, having something in his hand at the time, but he could not say what it was. Jones died that night. In answer to questions by Mr. Bremner, the witness stated that tbe captain habitually ill-treated all the crew, and that they had resolved on the voyage to complain to the authorities. This circumstance was corroborated by the steward, and the case was remanded until Friday.

[FROM OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Liverpool, Friday.

This afternoon, William Wilson, captain of the barque Severn, of this port, w,ho is further charged with causing the death of John Henderson, steward of the barque Express, on her outward passage from Liverpool to Brass River, was again placed before the magistrates. The court was very much crowded. Several witnesses, seamen on board the Severn, were examined, and they confirmed the evidence of tbe previous witnesses as to the repeated kicking and rope-ending by the prisoner of the deceased mate Jones, up to the very day of his death. In the absence of a witness from illness, the case could not prooeed, but the magistrates intimated tbeir intention to commit the prisoner.

The second charge against the prisoner is that of having caused the death of John Henderson, steward ofthe Express, on her passage from Liverpool to Brass River. The details pf this charge are, if possible, more revolting and barbarous than those of the case of Jones.

The facts of tbe case, as spoken to by the different seaman on board, are as follow : — It appears that about five weeks after the ship left Liverpool, the prisoner commenced his cruelties towards the deceased. After striking the deceased on the head with a spying glass, he asked one of ihe seamen named James to hand him a handspike. James would not comply with the request, but the mate did, and on getting hold ofthe handspike the prisoner threw it violently at the : deceased's right ancle, which bled freely ' from the blow. At noon the same day, the prisoner ordered deceased to briDg hira his dinner. The deceased did so, and then the captain threw knives at him and cut him on the face and head. The mate then said to the prisoner, " Captain Wilson, I would not use him in that way. I would send him home the first chance." Tbe prisoner replied, " He called himself a steward, and I paid him £3 ss. per month. D — n him, he shall never see England again." The mate said, " I would not say that. I would send him home the first chance." The captain again replied, " D — n him, I'll send him to his long home." After this time the prisoner beat the deoeased every day until they arrived at Brass River. Foar days before tbey reaohed Brass River, the prisoner struck the deceased on the temple with his fist. Deceased fell down from the effects of tbe blow. Prisoner then kicked him on the shoulder and he was much hurt. Two days after tbey got to Brass River, the prisoner struck deceased a violent blow on the head which brought him to the deck, and whilst lying there the prisoner kicked him five or six times on various parts of his body. He then ordered deceased to get up. Deceased got hold of the rail and endeavoured to get up. Tbe prisoner then ordered the mate to fetch a rope, when the mate brought him a " reef point," about an inch in diameter. The prisoner took the rope and doubled it, and gave it a bight round his hand, and he then struck deceased with the double rope 25 to 30 times, as hard as be could. At that time the deceased had only a thin dungareee slop and a flannel singlet on. During the 15 days tbat they lay in Brass River, the prisoner struck the deoeased with his fists, and kicked him with bis boots almost every day. One day whilst they we,re there, the prisoner said to the deceased, " D — n you, you shall never see Englaud again. You need not be particular what day or what hour you die." Soon after they got into the river the doctor came on board. The doctor ordered deceased some arrowroot and oatmeal gruel, when prisoner said, " No, there is none for him,"; and while de« ceased lay in that weak state, the prisoner struck and kicked him almost every day. On the Saturday before the deceased died, the prisoner struck him on the side of the head. The blow caused deceased to fall on the deck, and while he lay there the prisoner jumped on his chest with his two feet. Thejprisoner was in drink, but not very drunk, Deoeased cried out as loud as be could, but he was then very weak. The next morning, when the deceased was lying in his bed, which was placed on some boards on the deck, his head appeared as large as a "beef kid," and was fully twioe the usual size. His head and body were all black from bruises, and they appeared to be mortified and all corruption. The prisoner oame on deck and saw him in this state. He ordered deceased to get up, and strip and wash himself. Deceased rolled over on his body, and said "I am not able." Prisoner replied, "Get up, and strip yourself, or I'll make you ;" and at the same time he drew his fist and went forward, as if, lie was intending to strike

deceased. Deceased said, " Oh ! Captain, do not strike me ; I have never been well since you kicked me in the side on Brass River. Will you give me some medicine ?" Prisoner replied, "Yes, I'll give you some medicine. I'll give you a dose." Deceased continued iv that state until the following Wednesday, when he died, and was sent ashore to be buried. The prisoner was constantly swearing at the deceased, and on several occasions whilst beating him he said to him, " You shall never see England again, and you had better jump overboard." Twenty-four hours before his death, the captain made him go and pick oakum on the deck. He asked him to pick it faster ; and the deceased said, "Go away, and let me alone,'' when the prisoner struck him and knocked him down, and kicked him while he was down. On one occasion, whilst the prisoner was kicking and striking him, and throwing buckets of water upon bim, the deceased was creeping on the deck. Tfie prisoner asked him to get up, but deceased was unable to do more than raise his head. Aftej having kicked him for some time, the prisouer said to him, " Aro you satisfied now ?" When deceased said, " Oh, Captain, you had better kill me at onoe than leave me like this." Prisoner again struck deceased on the head, and remarked, " Oh, then, you tell me to kill you at once; then you are not particular in dying a few hours before your time." On another occasion, prisoner said to deceased, " If I do not throw you overboard, J. will make you that you will not see Liverpool any more." The investigation into the various charges against the prisoner will be resumed on Monday.