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Trial of the Alleged Captain of the Grey Eagle.
UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. Before Commissioner Edward D. Ingraham. A Frenchman called Donald, in the process, but who alleged his name was Sam. Nicholas, late captain of the brig Grey Eagle, was before the Commissioner, on a charge of having, on or about the 20th of May, 1854, on the Coast of Africa, taken on board said brig six hundred negroes, and did subsequently land said negroes at or near Havana, the said negroes having been taken on board with intent to make them slaves contrary to the act of Congress. The defendant was arrested this morning, on a warrant obtained by U. S. Marshal [Francis M.] Wynkoop, and placed in the hands of Deputy Marshal Jenkins, who found the defendant at a sailor boarding-house in Front-street. Joseph Town, a young man who was on board during the voyage, testified as follows--I am 17 years of age, and was born in Philadelphia; my uncle lives here, but my parents are dead; this man (pointing to the prisoner) was captain of the brig Grey Eagle on her voyage to the coast of Africa, and thence to Cuba; the Grey Eagle belonged to Philadelphia; but went from New-York, where I shipped in her to go to St. Thomas; we went to the coast of Africa instead; this man was captain of her on the voyage out; his name is Donald; we took six hundred and odd negroes on board at some part of the coast of Africa which I don't know the name of; we sailed from the coast of Africa, avoiding all sails coming back to Cuba, to a part of it unknown to me; the negroes were taken off by fishermen and landed in small boats; the man who was captain brought the vessel back, and superintended the landing; this defendant acted as doctor to the negroes coming back; he was not called anything coming back; the brig had no slave-deck when we sailed, but made it going out, about twenty days after we sailed; we took the Spanish Captain out as a passenger, and he and the defendant superintended making the slave-deck; we had large casks for water, and carried the rice in barrels, which was afterwards shifted into bags to make room; this defendant told me that we were going on a slaving voyage, before we made the slave-deck; the mate died on the passage back; I saw no handcuffs or shackles on board; the negroes were brought on board by other negroes in boats; a Spaniard came on board in the month of April, who I afterwards understood was one of the owners; the Grey Eagle was called an American vessel when I shipped on board of her at New-York, she hoisted the American flag going to the coast; I saw no flag coming back, but I understood, from the Portuguese on board, that if any flag was to be hoisted, it would be the Spanish flag; we were chased; but found it to be by a merchantman; an English man-of-war chased us for a while after we had shipped the negroes, and we ran; the long boat had the small negroes in; it was on the main hatch; they were taken out of the boat during the chase so that they might not be seen, and the negro women were taken from the quarter deck; we had all sails set during the chase; we took in the studding sails to tack and put her on a wind; we were 10 or 20 days at Cuba, but were not more than a couple of hours landing the negroes in Cuba; we lost some 16 negroes by death on the passage, and threw them overboard; some few were born on board. The Commissioner asked the defendant if he had any questions to ask witness, to which he replied that he did not know him. The Commissioner then told him in French and English both, that he had better procure counsel, and the case was postponed until 4 o'clock. At the time fixed for the second hearing in the afternoon, the case was postponed until Monday morning in consequence of the absence of important witnesses.--Philadelphia Bulletin, Aug. 5.
Source: Unknown, "A Case of Slave Piracy--Trial of the Alleged Captain of the Grey Eagle," New York Daily Times, Tuesday, 8 August 1854, p. 6.
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