WHOLESALE MURDERS BY WRECKERS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 19, 22 January 1878, Page 4

WHOLESALE MURDERS BY WRECKERS.

The mystery surrounding the fats of Captain Bitiout and his crew (says an English" exchange), whose vessel w«s wrecked in December, 1874, on the Newfoundland coast, and probably the fates of muuy other vesaela and their crewa is likely to bo cleared up in the course of a few days in the Canadian Law Courts. In the above month Captain Ridout's schooner went ashore an-J became a complete wre:k atßonneßiy, he and his crew of six men b .feiy reached land, It was koown^by many that the men had been saved, but btyond that nothing further was heard of them, and it was generally supposed that they had met with foul play, though this.su^picion was not openly assened in consequence of the uptorioußly bad character of the suspected persons. Recently^ liowever, an old trapper^ named Jticko, .being, aa he supposed^ on the point of deaf b, made & confession as to

the murderers of the shipwrecked sailors. Captain Ersklne, of H.M.S. Eclipse, hearing of this r ;went down to Bonne Bay to .investigate tbß matter. He there found the duugYterof one of the suspected parsons, who ; were foufbrothers named B^noit, a Frenchl Canadian family. She had been driven; from her home by her father; and wheir discovered by.Gapt. Erokinej -was livipg among the rdcks, subsisting on dead fish and birds,: and was almost ioaked.. She also made a statement implicating her father and; her three uncles in the murder. She. paid Captain RiiJquj had about £300 in gold, and notes in his possession, and encamped with 'hie; ciew near the settlement of Trappar Jacko. Her father and;uncles underi " took to pilot the me;n overland t6; George's Bay. On the way Captain' Eidout and three of the sailors werev stooping down ■■together," endeavoring | ' io kindle come wood,,when the brothers fired on them. Those of the four who were not killed at once were afterwards despatched - with axes. .Seeing this horrible treachery, the three remaining seasnen attempted to escape by crossing a thinly-frozen pond; but, breaking through the slight covering of ice, they were ehot down by the murderers, who then divided the plunder. The man Jacko, who was aware of the unfortunate men having encamped by hia abode, and also that they, had set out on their journey under the guidance of the brothers, was bribed with a portion of the spoil, and he did not disclose the secret until he was on the point of death. Much difficulty was experienced by Captain Erskine in capturing the murderers, as they had got information thatithey were being pursued; but .by placing several men in each seaport on the coast the whole of the brothers were; [apprehended. They were lodged in prison at Channel, where the girl was also detained as a witness. It is expected that when the trial, which will take place at St John's, comes on, some further revelations will be xnaie. Some time ago it was alleged that these wreckers placed beacons on certain parts of thecoasttb decoy vessels on the rocks.