railroad station, suspicion naturally fell on me; and the officers
having no difficulty in getting on my track, I was followed and arrested
one night at my father’s house, after I had been in bed some time.
I was fast asleep; the officers awoke me, and putting a pair of
handcuffs on me, carried me back with them to Norwich, where I was tried
and sentenced to a year and six months’ imprisonment in the Norwich
jail.
I remained in confinement about three months, when I managed to make my
escape, and went to Lowerpart, Gloucester, Rhode Island, where I went to
work on a farm. But my whereabouts was discovered, and in six weeks from
the time of my escape I was re-arrested and taken back to Norwich jail,
and put to work in the quarries, with a ball and chain fastened to my
leg.
I had been at work a month in this way, when one day, by means of a
stone hammer and chisel, I broke the chain from my leg, and running off,
made for the woods, pursued for some miles by a strong party of
officers.
I took refuge in a house by the roadside, and had the satisfaction of
seeing them go by at full speed, supposing me to be still ahead of them.
As soon as they had passed, I left the house and took to the woods,
where I remained hid in some bushes until night, when I came out and
took the road to Providence.
Early the next morning I was stopped on the way by a man on horseback,
who knew me to be an escaped convict by the clothes I wore, not having
had an opportunity of changing them.
As soon as I saw him, I made for the woods by the side of the road. He
dismounted and followed me, and, being a good runner, had nearly
overtaken me, when I turned and stood at bay.
We had a long and terrible struggle in the mud and water of the swamp,
he all the time shouting at the top of his voice for assistance, which
brought the neighbors to his aid before I could effect my determination
to kill him, which I had fully made up my mind to do rather than allow
myself to be taken.
I was, of course, overpowered by numbers, and after being safely bound,
was reconducted back to Norwich, where I was punished and kept in close
solitary confinement for more than a year.
During this confinement, it seemed as if every wicked quality of my mind
was brought out in full activity. I used to sit and plan all sorts of
desperate schemes, and a feeling of the most unquenchable vengeance took
possession of me. For I fancied myself persecuted, wronged and
ill-treated; I imagined the world had declared war against me, and I
determined, as soon as my term of imprisonment should expire, to war in
turn upon the world.
At last the long wished for end of my imprisonment came, and I was
discharged. Swearing vengeance against the whole human race, I left the
jail and went back to my father’s house, where I remained for a short
time and then went to Lower Gloucester, where I went to work in a shoe
manufactory, having learned that trade during my confinement in the
Norwich jail.
But this hum-drum sort of life was little suited to me, and besides, I
felt so incensed against mankind that I found it impossible to restrain
my thirst for vengeance on society for the fancied wrongs it had done
me, so I resolved to go again out into the world; and going to
Providence, an old shipping master, by the name of Chittel, shipped me
on board the whaleship Philip Tabb, bound to the northwest coast of
America. The ship belonged to Warren, R. I., where I joined her in the
course of a few days.
I no sooner got on board than I began to make mischief among the crew,
among whom I got up a series of rows and fights. I gratified my wicked
and evil propensities with a total disregard of consequences either to
them or myself. I had no fear, nor did I care for anybody or anything.
The captain was in a great hurry to sail, and not wishing that he should
for a few days, when we reached Newport I incited a mutiny, which
resulted in a fight, in which the mutineers got the worst of it, and two
men were sent ashore in irons.
The captain thinking that he had rid himself of the
ring-leaders—although the men sent ashore were really the most innocent
of the crew—again set sail and proceeded on the cruise.
For a few weeks everything went on smoothly enough, but in a short time
I succeeded in sowing dissatisfaction among the crew, which in the end
led to another mutiny; my idea being, if possible, to get possession of
the ship.
The captain and mates tried first to quiet the men by fair words, but
failing by these means to get them to resume their work, they armed
themselves, and a hard and desperate fight took place in which the
captain and first and second mates were very badly cut with knives and
axes. The mutineers were, however, again subdued, and two of them were
put in irons. I played my cards so well, that notwithstanding I had
incited the whole affair, and was in all respects responsible for it,
the captain did not suspect the part I had taken, and I escaped
unpunished.
[Illustration: MYSTERIOUS MURDER—THE SLOOP E. A. JOHNSON, ON BOARD OF
WHICH IT IS SUPPOSED A BRUTAL MURDER HAS BEEN PERPETRATED.]
[Illustration: DETECTIVE NEVINS DESCRIBING THE MURDERER’S ARREST TO THE
REPORTERS.]
[Illustration: THE PEOPLE OF NEW LONDON, MAKING AN ATTEMPT TO LYNCH THE
MURDERER.]
When we arrived at Wahoo, Sandwich Islands, the mutineers who had been
put in irons, were whipped with the cat, on board ship, till they were
nearly dead. While we remained in port, the captain thinking to gain the
good will of the crew, permitted us to go on shore nearly every day, and
the men would have been well disposed toward him if I had not
continually poisoned their minds against him.
While on shore I engaged in every kind of wickedness; I robbed and beat
the natives, and was finally taken by the authorities and locked up
until the vessel was ready for sea.
I imagined that I had been arrested at the instigation of the captain,
and I determined that as soon as we were once more in blue water, I
would be revenged upon him for it, but no opportunity occurred before we
reached our cruising ground, where we only took one whale, and were then
obliged to put back to Wahoo for repairs, the ship being leaky.
On our way back, one of the boat-steerers having been observed in
conversation with me by the captain, was questioned in relation to the
subject of it, which he refused to disclose. The captain then commenced
to abuse the boat-steerer, and from words they soon came to blows. The
boat-steerer, who was more than a match for the captain, would have
overpowered him, but that the first mate interfered. He no sooner did
so, than seizing a belaying-pin, I felled him to the deck, and the other
officers coming up, a general fight took place.
The boat-steerer and myself succeeded in giving them a severe beating,
and had complete possession of the ship, for the rest of the crew were
afraid of us, and did not dare, even if they had been disposed, to take
sides with the officers, whom we drove below, with the exception of the
first mate, who still lay insensible upon the deck.
After this, the boat-steerer and myself held a consultation, and had we
been navigators, which we were not, it being our first voyage, or had we
even known where we were, or what course to sail, we should have
murdered all the officers, and taken the ship.
Two days afterward, on coming on deck, we found the ship was approaching
land, and a number of vessels in sight, which forced us to alter our
plans. So we released the officers, who brought the ship to anchor in
the harbor of Owahie, S. I., where we remained about a week, none of the
crew being allowed to go on shore, and the boat-steerer and myself,
knowing that while in port, and in sight of other vessels, the captain
had us in his power, and could at any time have punished us, asked
forgiveness, and stood upon our good behavior until we put to sea again,
after repairing ship.
On our way out we touched at the Marquis Island, and then cruised a
season on the whaling ground; but, not being successful, we left, and
went into Typie Bay.
One day, having permission to go on shore with the boat-steerer and some
of the crew, we landed on one of the islands for the purpose of
procuring cocoa-nuts and wild figs, with which the place abounded.
After securing as many figs and nuts as we wanted, we were about
returning to the ship, when we were attacked by the natives.
A desperate fight took place. We killed a number of the natives, and
succeeded in driving off the rest, and thus having a taste for blood,
and the demon in me being fully aroused, I suggested to the
boat-steerer, that this would be a good time to kill the officers, and
take the ship. He agreed to the proposition, and so did those who were
with us, and it was arranged that as soon as we were on board, each
should select his man—kill him at once, and then put to sea, steering as
well as we could for the western coast of America.
There were two boats. The boat-steerer and myself being in one, with a
portion of the crew, and the balance of the party in the other.
Our boat reached the ship last, and when we got on board we found the
officers armed and fully prepared to receive us. It was evident we had
been betrayed, and I afterward learned that one of the men in the first
boat informed the captain of our intentions as soon as he arrived on
board.
As soon as our feet trod the deck a bloody and desperate fight ensued,
in which the officers were assisted by a portion of the crew, and they
finally succeeded, though not without being severely wounded, in
disarming and securing the boat-steerer and myself, and put us in double
irons.
They kept us in the run of the ship until we touched at Wahoo, when we
were set ashore.
We were no sooner on land than we gave free vent to all our passions and
desires. There was not a day went by we did not commit a robbery, and
had it been necessary we should not have hesitated to have added murder
to our other crimes. At last we were taken and locked up until the ship
was ready for sea again, when we were sent on board and kept in irons
until we arrived at an island—the name of which I do not now
remember—where we were allowed to go on shore, and got into a fight with
the natives, who succeeded in driving us to our boats.
During our stay here another disturbance and mutiny was organized by me,
in which the officers were disabled, and the ship having again become
leaky we put back to Wahoo, where she was condemned and the crew
discharged; myself and the boat-steerer making our escape to the
interior to avoid the consequences of our mutinous conduct.
For a long time we led the life of freebooters, robbing and plundering
wherever we went, and dissipating the proceeds of our robberies in the
wildest debauchery.
At last I was taken, and, for the third time, incarcerated in the prison
at Wahoo, but was released through the intercession of the captain of a
Dutch ship, the Villa de Poel, of Amsterdam, who gave me a berth on
board.
We sailed for the Bay of Magdalina, California, where we took a right
whale, and when we had towed him along side the ship a quarrel took
place between me and the mate. We had a desperate fight, but they
overpowered me and put me in irons.
But the second mate and myself had previous to this opened our minds to
one another, and finding we were of the same way of thinking, we became
warm friends.
He was an American, a native of Boston, and he succeeded in procuring my
release, and put me on as boat-steerer.
The second mate and myself finding that we should stand no chance in
case of trouble, the whole crew with the exception of ourselves being
Dutch, resolved to leave the ship on the first opportunity which
presented itself.
We had not long to wait, for one night when we were lying to, near
shore, on which a tent had been pitched, we armed ourselves with pistols
and cutlasses, and taking a boat from the davits, we dropped into it
quietly and went ashore, taking possession of the tent.
In the morning our absence was discovered, and a boat was sent from the
ship to bring us on board, but being well armed we would not allow them
to land, and they were obliged to go back. Another boat came, but we
resolutely refused to go back and would not allow them to land until the
captain had agreed to pay us off and give us our discharge. This, after
some parleying, he consented to, and we took the ship’s boat and put out
into the bay, where we boarded and joined the barque Fanny, of New
Bedford.
We sailed immediately for Cape St. Lucas, California, and not meeting
with any success, proceeded to the Bay of St. Josephs, where we left the
ship, and after the lapse of a few years, during which time I passed
through a series of adventures almost too numerous to mention, and the
details of which would fill a volume, we found ourselves in Lower
California about the commencement of the Mexican War.
We remained here about a year, living a wild, guerrilla life, plundering
all who promised anything like booty, and never hesitating to take the
lives of such as resisted us or were likely to betray us. We spared
neither sex nor age. How many times, during this period, I dyed my hands
in human blood, I do not know. No prayers, no entreaties moved us; it
seemed as if my heart was dead to every human feeling, and was a
stranger to pity and every soft emotion.
Often at midnight, when all nature slept, and none were abroad save the
wild beasts and we wilder men—the former not so much to be feared as we,
nor yet so cruel—for while they only sought their natural prey, in
obedience to a natural instinct, we preyed upon our fellow men, in
violation of every natural sentiment—I say, often at the dead hour of
the night have I and my companion stealthily approached some house,
previously selected for our purpose, and breaking in upon the fancied
security of the inmates, killed them as they slept.
The old man, whose grey hairs glistened in the moonlight, and whose
venerable presence might have touched any hearts but ours; the little
children, locked in each other’s arms, dreaming of butterflies and
flowers and singing birds; the young man and the just budding woman, the
fond wife and the doting husband, all fell beneath my murderous hand, or
were made the shrieking victims of my unholy passion first, and then
slaughtered like cattle.
During this time my gains were large, but we squandered all our money in
the various towns in gambling, drinking, and with prostitutes, never
once feeling remorse for what we had done, but ever ready for some new
deed of horror the moment the proceeds of our last crime were spent.
Cunning and shrewd as we were, however, suspicion at last fell upon us,
and we were obliged to leave the country. While we were waiting on the
coast for an opportunity, the U. S. store-ship Southampton came into
port; we shipped on board of her and went to Monterey, Santa Cruz Bay.
Having accomplished my object in escaping from the scene of my late
depredations, and having arrived at a place where neither my past life
was known nor my present purposes suspected, I resolved to leave the
Southampton at the earliest possible moment; and finding on consultation
with my partner, the boat-steerer, that he was of the same mind, we
began to keep an eye to windward for chances.
One night, when I thought circumstances favored our project, I let my
hat drop from a gun-port, as if by accident. The marine on duty was
walking the poop deck, but it being a foggy night, he did not see us as
I hauled the boat from the swinging-boom alongside under the bow, and
myself and partner got in and pulled for the shore.
The noise of the oars attracted the attention of the sentry, and he and
the captain both fired at us, without effect, and the store-ship
Lexington, which was lying close by, fired a gun loaded with grape,
which struck the boat just as we landed, knocking it all to pieces, but
doing us no injury. As soon as we landed, we made for the woods, being
obliged to pass a fort filled with American soldiers, who fired upon us
without effect, so that we were enabled to reach the shelter of the wood
unharmed.
We remained in this wood for a few days, and then travelling on, we
reached the city at night, where we stole horses and made for the mines.
We had not ridden far before we met two travellers, who were returning
from the diggings. As they approached us, we stopped; and when they were
about passing us, we drew our pistols, and bade them stand and deliver.
They made no resistance, but quickly transferred such dust, nuggets, and
other valuables as they had about them to our keeping, when we bade them
good day, and allowed them to proceed upon their journey.
Arriving at the Salina plains, we stopped at a house over night, where
we committed a robbery, and continued our journey the next day to the
gold mines.
On our arrival there, we went about from claim to claim, and from
diggings to diggings, adding to our store of dust by robbery and murder;
and though we were perfectly reckless of consequences, and carried on
our operations in the boldest manner, we escaped detection, though we
did not avoid suspicion, and were more than once in danger of expiating
our crimes by sentence of Judge Lynch.
I have no doubt that during this period, many of the crimes attributed
to the notorious Joaquin, and other robbers, were committed by us; but
the devil, whose work we were so industriously doing, seemed to protect
us, and for more than a year we pursued our career of blood and crime
with impunity.
Having by this time accumulated sufficient dust to satisfy our desire,
besides that which we had squandered in gambling in the various mining
towns and districts, we made our way to San Francisco.
We had as much gold as I could lift from the ground with one arm, which,
upon our arrival in San Francisco, we exchanged for coin, and then
commenced a long period of debauchery and licentiousness.
Every bar-room was at that time a gambling-place. The laws were loosely
administered, and the only code really recognized was that of might.
Among the lawless, there were none more lawless than I; among the
profligate and depraved, none more so than I; among the reckless and
desperate, none were more reckless or so desperate as I and my
companion.
The bar-room, the brothel, and the monte table, were the only
attractions for us, and for six months we led the life of demons,
leaving no bad impulse, no fiendish purpose, no gross passion, nor any
wicked design, ungratified or unaccomplished.
After our money was all gone, and we began to be marked and suspected,
we shipped on board of the brig Josephine—a Spanish vessel, bound for
Valparaiso, and having on board a large amount of treasure, consisting
of gold dust and Mexican doubloons.
One night, while we were coasting down, myself and partner having
completed our arrangements, armed ourselves, and going into the cabin,
gagged and bound the captain and officers, and placed them in a boat,
compelling the crew to follow, leaving us in possession of the ship.
We then collected all the treasure, which we placed in the boat we had
reserved for ourselves, when we scuttled the vessel and set fire to her.
What became of the officers and crew I never heard, but the owners of
the brig Josephine, should they ever read my narrative, will learn, for
the first time, the news of her real fate.
After seeing the vessel burn to the water’s edge, we pulled away, and
favored by fine weather, we arrived within a short time at Mazatlan,
having in our possession nearly or quite a hundred thousand dollars in
dust and doubloons.
Here we purchased a hotel and bowling alley, and for a year and a half
carried on business, occasionally indulging in my old propensities, and
never missing a chance of appropriating to my own use such property or
effects belonging to the travellers who stopped with us, as I could lay
my hands on, occasionally taking to the road and waylaying those whom it
would have been imprudent to have robbed while they were in the town.
But though our business flourished, and we might, had we exercised
ordinary prudence, have grown rich and lived honestly, our propensities
for gambling, carousing, and every sort of vile dissipation, ran away
with our ill-gotten gains, and by the time eighteen months had elapsed,
we were forced to abandon our hotel and take to our old business of
robbing and murdering, until we were forced to fly to escape punishment,
and once more took to the highway.
The scene of our operations was the road leading from the mines, where
we stopped the mules, murdered the conductors, and took such silver as
they had in charge.
We came by these means into possession of large amounts of silver in
bars, which being altogether too heavy for transportation, we were
obliged to bury, and went back to Valparaiso.
At Mazatlan there lived a Chinaman by the name of Bill Cassa. He kept a
public house, and being a reckless, unprincipled sort of fellow, and
fond of money, although he was already rich, we selected him to become
the purchaser of our hidden wealth. So, putting up at his hotel, we
commenced sounding him, and finding his curiosity and avarice excited by
our hints of hidden treasure, we at last offered to guide him to the
spot where it was buried, provided he would pay us a sufficient sum of
money in gold for the secret.
He agreed to this proposition, but the cunning fellow refused to take
any money with him upon the journey, so that we were obliged to depend
upon his honor for keeping any bargain he might make with us after
seeing the amount of silver we had for sale. Had he taken the money with
him, we should have been obliged to look for another customer, for we
should have murdered him and possessed ourselves of all he had. I
suppose his confidence in us was not over large, and so he would not
consent to give us anything until after we had shown him the spot where
the silver was buried, and should have returned to Mazatlan. We started
with him at night, and by morning reached the spot. After examining the
silver, which must have been worth at least a hundred and fifty thousand
dollars, he agreed to give us $25,000 in gold for it. We consented to
this, and going back to Mazatlan we received our money, and went to
Valparaiso, where we opened a boarding-house, but at the end of a year
we had gambled and spent nearly all our money, and so took again to our
old career, working on the road between Valparaiso and the mines, where
we robbed the mule trains as before, murdering the conductors, and thus
coming into possession of a very large amount of silver in bars. After
we had accumulated as much as we thought would serve our purpose, we
went to a small village called Sueda, in the neighborhood of the mines,
and there sold the buried metal to a Spanish merchant, named Don Juan
Alte, for $15,000, when we returned to Valparaiso and took passage on
board the bark Maria, of Baltimore, Captain Mattison, bound to Rio
Janeiro.
Nothing of particular interest occurred on our voyage to Rio, but after
staying there six or seven weeks, and spending nearly all our money in
gambling and debauchery, we took the road between Rio and Montevideo,
where we robbed all worth robbing, and murdered all who resisted us.
There is many a whitened skeleton bleaching by that roadside now, on the
same spot where it fell by my murderous hand; and the traveller, as he
rides along, sees many a place where the grass grows taller and greener
than that which surrounds it; but he little dreams that its roots are
enriched by the blood shed by me. If I should travel that road now I
should have plenty of ghostly company, for, though dead men tell no
tales, and are but dead to all the world beside, to me they are now
living horrors, and will insist in keeping company with me.
I remember one day that, a few miles from Montevideo, we attacked a man
and three women, all of them being on horseback. We robbed them, and
should have killed them all, but the women were beautiful, and for once
I allowed my heart to yield to the soft feeling of pity, and we did not
murder them.
I shall never forget the look of these poor frightened creatures
kneeling at my feet, praying me to be merciful, while my partner, Tom
Stone—that was his name, I do not think I have mentioned it before—stood
a few feet off, with his pistol at the head of the man who was gradually
divesting himself of everything valuable he had about him.