A Strange Shooting Case. Some Experiences of the Seamon of the Confederate Alabama.

Te Aroha News, Issue 166, 21 August 1886, Page 5 (Supplement)

A Strange Shooting Case.

Some Experience s of t he Seamon of the Confederate Alabama.

8 men who! liij&ed papers wlth r th> mubh-vauiftecl Cotifedl'at'e cruiser the, Af^maaam w?jtejl* h hr« r did not end^nt^eVaiiecf into an* Euglish port with the Confederate flag flying. You will thuß realise that I participated in, the capture of several dozen Federal naet'ch'antmen and whalers. , There, was aeameness about our manner of making- captures which we were glad to have broken now and tben. It , was but rarely that a vessel was overhauled during the night. If we were in. chase of her we simply kept her in -eight, ,or tried to, until daylight came. v While we could not aaticipate any stubborn resistance, the right sort of shipper might fire a volley into a boat's crew, or go. to some other uncomfortable extreme. As a rale, we had only to close in on our victim, fire a solid Bhot acroes his pourse, and he would heave to and put, the befct face possible on a bad matte-. The First Lieutenant would be sent off' to him with a boat and half a dozen marines, And in the course of half an hour his fate would be decided. If it was, thought best to bond him the papers were made out and signed, and he was permitted to go his way. If his craft was to be destroyed the men were allowed to bring up their clothing and knick-knacks, the officers to pack up their personal effects, and inside of an hour the craft would be ablaze, and we would be sailing away in search of another victim. Wben we ran around in search of whalers we came upon a Yankee skipper who didn't know what surrender meant. We were just well to the west of the stormy cape, when, one morning after breakfast, we raised a whaler He wast eaded up the I coast, and about noon w& overhauled him, and came into the wind. t was then seen that he had fifteen or sixteen men aboard, and that all were armed with muskets and meant to defend the ship. The lieutenant was sent off with his biat, but no sooner was he within musket range than the whaler opened on him, killing one man and wounding two at the first volley. The officer pushed ahead and demanded a surrender, but he got another volley and the reply that the whaler " would go to the bottom before he would surrender to a d rebel !" The boat was recalled, and our gunners were instructed to hull the whaler with solid shot. We approached him within rifle-range and opened fire. Every one of the balls plumped through his side at and above the water-line, and he answered with his muskets, eeverely wounding two men. He was repeatedly hailed to surrender, but in reply he encouraged his men to maintain their fire. We coon had the sea pouring into his starboard side through a dozen holes, and when it was seen that he would soon go down we ceased firing and again demanded his surrender. I can remember just how he looked as he sprang upou the rail— tall, gaunt, hair flying aud eyes blazing, and shouted in reply : " The Ben Scott don't surrender ! Come and take us— if yoif can." Five minutes later his craft settled down bow first. We lowered the boat, to save hie crew, and strangely enough not a man was lost. When we brought them aboard the Yankee skipper walked up to Sena me?, bareheaded, barefooted and coatle3s, and said: '• If I'd only have had one old cannon aboard we'd have licked ye out of yer butes ! Here we are, and what are you going to do with us " He was voted a jolly good fellow, and the crew were better treated than any other ever forced aboard. In order to give them their liberty the very next capture we made was bonded and they were put aboard to hail for home.— " Detroit Free Press."

At the Hotham Court;, before Dr. Lloyd and a full bench, Edward O'Connor was presented on a charge of having shot at Mr Andrew M'Lean, grocer, of Queensberrystreet. The principal witneaa was Mr' McLean, who stated that the prisoner had been dealing with him for groceries, &c, up to November lasf-, when O'Connor wrote, saying that Mr McLean waa not to give him any more credit. The prisoner came to his shop and asked for his account, and upon Mr asking him if he intended settling it the prisoner became abusive, and threatened to strike Mr McLean with a pound weight which he took from the counter. Mr McLean pushed him out of the door. The prisoner returned at a later hour carrying a rifle, with which he threatened to " blow his brains out." Mr McLean advised the prisoner not to do anything so foolish, and "stopped inside out of prisoner's way. The witness did not see the prisoner afterwards until he was in custody. Witness retired to bed that night between 10 and 11 o'clock, and was reading till midnight, when he heard the report of a rifle and noiee resembling broken glass. Mr McLean got up and went for the police. On returning, accompanied by Constable Scannell, a search was made in the kitchen, when a bullet wa3 found beside the wall shattered into pieces, having been fired through the window. Mr McLean and Scannell then went tq the prisoner's house, and found him sitting by the fire and a rifle by his side, which had the appearance of , having been recently discharged. The evidence of Joseph Cross was to tho effect that about) 12 o'clock at night, whilst in Purcellstreet, he saw the prisoner carrying a rifle, and there was a child with him, who was carrying a bayonet. Mr Cross jokingly said to the prisoner, " Shoulder arms," where-, upon the prisoner lifted his rifle, and, taking the bayonet from the child, made a thrust at witness, but missed him. Witness advised the prisoner to be careful about what he did and the child asked witness and his companions not to aggravate the prisoner, as he might do some damage. The prisoner afterwards walked away in the direction of McLeans store*. Constable DoyJe ftates that about 6 o'clock on the evening of the 12th he proceeded to Mr McLeans house, and there noticed the prisoner on the opposite side of the street. The prisoner had a rifle in his hand, the bayonet being fixed. The witneps advised him to be oarefil with the weapon, and the prisoner, who is a militiaman, said that he was just returning from duty. As the prisoner aeemed much excited, Doyle advised him to go home ; the prisoner then eaidthatho had "plenty of powder and lead in his pocket for McLean." After other unimportant evidence had been taken, the prisoner was committed for trial.

Little Effie, three yeara old, went to a strange city with her mamma,, to visit an uncle, and.the next morning was occupied in flattening her; noee. against the window- , pane, and satisfying her childish curiosity by gaeiug. at the, unusual scenes,' "Oh, Auntie ! Do see this awful homely man • "'H.nttoi child. .That is Mr ilarcL.the Mayor. You must not talk that . H© b a very nice man," ' "Mister Lordfcand the _ faopa^ presses closer against the glass' watoheflxhlm clear out ot sight! " My l w v with a tp#s;,p£ . h^r little head, * 1 1 knctwhenetermade^J" „