MURDER WILL OUT.

Evening Star, Issue 3369, 6 December 1873, Page 1 (Supplement)

MURDER WILL OUT.

A STRANGE CONFESSION. (From the Correspondent of the New York World.) San Fkancisco, August 27. At an early hour yesterday the captain of the British ship Coulnakyle, about to depart for England, appeared at the police office and reported that one of his seamen had confessed to the secoud mate a startling story of a murder which be and two others had committed in New York six years ago < ‘ffioers immediately boarded the vessel, found the self-accused murderer in irons, and brought him ashore. Ten days since a sailor went to a shipping office on Battery street and stated that he desired to ship, but only on an English vessel. The Coulnakyle was lying in the stream awaiting a crew, and the man, after examination, proving to be a good seaman, was at once shipped. He received his advance, went aboard, and attended to his duties. About three days ago his strange conduct attracted the attention of the officers of the ship. He seemed oppressed with some secret, and showed aversion to every one who approached him. He was alternately sullen and melancholy; was continually muttering to himself, and was often seen by the officers to approach them, as if about to say something which was apparently torturing his mind, and then suddenly to draw back with a smothered curse and return to his work, impelled by some fatality to keep his secret. Thinking ’ that they might result from the natural < Feelings of a sailor about to proceed on a long 1 voyage, no attention was paid to these 1 ictions by the officers. On Monday, Capt, J Japp came ashore to clear his vessel at the j Custom house, expecting to sail in the after- ‘ loon. This the entire crew were aware of. f While the captain was absent, the sailor t ibove mentioned called the second mate to I iim, and requested a private interview in a ,he cabin. Filled with surprise and wonder e it the strange request, the mate led the way, ci bllowed by the man, who, as soon as the e loors closed upon them, burst into tears and 1; laid he did not want to go to sea. He gave s is his reasons that he, with two others, had u tilled a man in the city of New York six li mars ago, aud bad eluded the hounds of d ustice. The secret had weighed bira down, o uid was making his life miserable. He had n lad a long struggle with his conscience, but c vas now determined to meet his fate boldly, ii ["he mate, upon hearing this confession, put s 1 lie man in irons until the captain’s return, v vhen the British Consul was sought for, and ii ipon his advice the police were informed of v, he affair. The man was turned over to the fi •olice, aud upon his arrival at the station- o louse he suddenly came face to face with 1 laptain Lees, of the detective force. The a elf-accused was instantly recognised by that o fficer as a man kuown to him as Aleck a irown, but who has over 20 aliases. This hown, the captain informed me, escaped si rom his clutches on board of a Pacific mail n teamersome 15 years ago. He had committed H

burglary and murder, and Lees tracked him to the company’s wharf, but too late. The vessel was just leaving, and though the detective followed him in a Whitehall boat he was unable to board the steamer. Brown, seeing be was recognised by Lees, stated bis desire to make a confession, and, that official declares, made a startling disclosure of crimes, many of ’which are distinctly remembered by Captain Lees, and will also be by the public as soon as the confession is disclosed. Brown’s career, from what can be gathered from the detectives (who are extremely reticent about the whole matter, on the grounds that it would interfere with the interests of justice to make facts public at present), has since his escape, 15 years ago, been criminal almost beyond precedent. He is said to be one of the most skilful burglars in the country, and always hitherto to have eluded detection with groat skill. It was at first suspected by Captiin Japp that Brown made his self-accusation to be relieved from the voyage, but the fact that in addition to his murder in New York, be confessed crimes in this city which Captain Lees knows now he was implicated in, and of which he cm be easily convicted, leaves little doubt of his sincerity.