State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 2 (of 2)
History
State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 2 (of 2)
Trials -- Great Britain
T. COURT--On the 18th of January last, being Sunday, the barge
went up to fetch captain Goodere from Bristol, and about seven
of the clock in the evening he came on board, and when he came
into the gangway, says he, How do you all do, gentlemen?
Excuse me, gentlemen, from going the right way to-night, for I
have brought an old mad fellow on board and I must take care of
him. I saw a gentleman with a black cap coming up the ship's
side, and his groans shocked me, so that I could not help him;
he looked much surprised as a person used ill; as soon as he
was on board he was taken into custody, and carried by the
captain's orders down to the cockpit, and put into the purser's
cabin, and a centinel ordered upon him; and I saw him no more
at that time. Next morning I was told that the captain's
brother was murdered, and that the captain had given Charles
White and Mahony leave to go on shore.
THE RECORDER--By whose direction was he put into the purser's
cabin?
T. COURT--The captain himself went down and saw them put him
in.
VERNON--Whereabout in the ship is the purser's cabin?
T. COURT--In the cock-pit.
VERNON--Was it a place where gentlemen who came on board
commonly lay?
T. COURT--No, nobody had laid in it for a considerable time.
The next morning the cooper met me, and said, Here is fine
doings to-night, Mr. Court! Why, what is the matter? said I.
Why, said he, about three o'clock this morning they went down
and murdered sir John. The ship was in an uproar; the Cooper
said, if Mr. Perry (the lieutenant) did not secure the captain,
he would write to the board; we had several consultations in
the ship about it. The captain sent for me to breakfast with
him: I accepted his invitation; I can't say but he behaved with
a very good name to all the people on board. About ten o'clock
Mr. Perry, myself, and the other officers, with the cooper,
consulted about securing the captain. Mr. Perry cautioned us
not to be too hot; for, said he, if we secure the captain
before we know sir John is dead, I shall be broke, and you too.
We send for the carpenter, and desired him to go down and open
the cabin-door, the centinel who stood there having said it was
lock'd; the carpenter went down, opened the cabin-door, and
came up, and said sir John was murdered; and that he lay on his
left side, with his leg up crooked. I told them, gentlemen,
there is nothing to be done before the coroner comes; and
therefore we must not touch him: whereupon the door was ordered
to be fastened up; we then consulted how to take the captain,
and a method was agreed on for that purpose. And as soon as the
captain was taken, he declared he was innocent of it, that he
knew not that his brother was murdered. When the coroner came,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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