AMERICAN WITNESSES IN A SPANISH COURT
The party found the forms of justice in Spain, those who knew anything
about them, quite different from what they were in New York and New
Jersey. The court-room was an oddity to Uncle Moses, and he had the
idea that the _provincia_ must be building a new court-house, and that
the apartment was a temporary one, not adapted to the use for which it
was required.
The five smugglers were brought in, each of them with his wrists
handcuffed behind him by the officers. Gray's looks plainly indicated
that he was a foreigner; but he could speak the language as fluently
as any other person in the room, though perhaps not as correctly. He
glanced at the four Sir Knights who had overcome him in the conflict on
the deck of the Salihé, and especially at Scott, who had lassoed him.
Captain Velazquez appeared to be entirely subdued by his misfortunes,
as doubtless he regarded the loss of the Golondrina and his arrest.
He was not as savage as he had appeared to be the evening before. The
other three men had obeyed orders in the affairs on the steamer, and
had submitted quietly when they were overcome, and were of little
account.
It was not a very intricate case, for the capture of the schooner with
her contraband cargo made everything very plain sailing. The officers
of the customs and the police, to whom the vessel and the prisoners had
been delivered the night before by Captain Ringgold's agents, stated
what they knew about the affair, which was very little. Then Gray
was called upon to explain. He gave his evidence in Spanish; but Mr.
Gaskette, who had been brought over as an interpreter, and Louis could
understand him.
The Scotchman, who seemed to be more troubled about the capture of the
little steamer than about the smuggling, without committing himself in
regard to the latter, stated squarely that he had engaged the Salihé of
Captain Chickworth, and he thought he had the right to use her when he
found her in the bay, near the Palmones River. He concluded that she
had been sent there for him.
He found on board of her a party of young men, who appeared to be
Dutchmen, and who had been drinking too much wine. Mr. Gaskette and
Louis laughed when they heard this statement, and even the commander
understood enough of it to be amused. To the surprise of Gray the party
had refused to allow him the use of the little steamer. He had tried to
compromise the matter, and he had offered to pay them money, and not to
interfere with their excursion.
The Dutchmen were obstinate, and would not listen to him. He had
been compelled to take possession of the steamer, but had made her
passengers comfortable in the cabin. Then they had risen against
his party, only three of them being then on board the Salihé, and,
resorting to the most barbarous methods, using their revolvers, with
which all of them seemed to be supplied, had recovered possession of
the boat, making them prisoners, and treating them like criminals, when
everybody knew that they were honest and law-abiding men.
Those from the Guardian-Mother who understood the testimony could not
refrain from laughing heartily at the number of lies Gray had crowded
into his evidence. Captain Velazquez and the seamen backed up the
statement of Gray, and it was plain enough that the Scotchman had
dictated the story they were to tell. Louis asked an officer of the
court if the prisoners had been confined in the same cell, and learned
that such was the case. Of course they had talked over the situation,
and had agreed upon what they were to say.
The question was then asked if the Dutch witnesses spoke Spanish. Only
one of those who had been on board of the little steamer could do so,
and Louis was called upon to give his testimony. He had some doubts
in regard to the sufficiency of his linguistic ability for such an
occasion; but he promptly took his place in front of the judge. The
dignitary of the bench was an old man, who looked as though he might
have seen eighty Spanish winters, judging by the innumerable wrinkles
on his face and the paucity of the white hairs on his head.
"What is your name?" asked the venerable dispenser of justice.
[Illustration: "'WHAT'S YOUR NAME?' ASKED THE VENERABLE DISPENSER
OF JUSTICE."]
"Louis Belgrave, _su merced_" (your honor), replied the owner of the
Guardian-Mother.
"You are a Dutchman; from what part of Holland do you come?"
"From no part of Holland; I am an American, your honor," replied Louis,
who had entirely recovered the self-possession he had lost for the
moment.
He proceeded to explain that he resided in Von Blonk Park, which was a
town in the State of New Jersey, and quite near the city of New York.
The name of the town had led Señor Gray to suppose he was a Dutchman,
though he had fully explained to him that he was an American, and that
neither he nor any of his companions were Dutch.
"What is your business?"
"I have no business," replied the witness with a smile.
"Why do you come to Gibraltar?" asked the judge, evidently puzzled by
the answer and the manner of the young gentleman.
"I am going all over the world in my steam-yacht, the Guardian-Mother,
which lies at the New Mole in Gibraltar; and we put in there to see
the place," replied Louis, blushing in spite of himself, for he felt
compelled to speak the exact truth.
"_Muy ricos!_" (Very rich!) exclaimed the judge.
"_Si, su merced._"
"You are only a boy!"
"No, _su merced_. My mother is with me;" whereupon Captain Ringgold and
Mr. Gaskette laughed, and there was a smile on the face of the judge.
Louis did not like to "blow his own horn," even so far as to state the
facts in regard to himself as the owner of the steam-yacht, and he took
the liberty to explain that his mother was his guardian, and that the
trustee of his property was present, and would inform him fully as to
his affairs.
He was then called upon to give his evidence in respect of the capture
of the Salihé by the smugglers. He gave the details of the excursion as
well as he could in Spanish, and he talked with considerable fluency,
though doubtless he made some mistakes. He appeared to be perfectly
understood by all in the court-room, and only twice did the judge ask
him to repeat anything he had said. Everybody seemed to be deeply
interested in him and in his narrative, perhaps because he was "_muy
ricos_."
"You were intoxicated, were you not?" asked his honor.
"I was not intoxicated: I never drank a drop of liquor, wine, or beer
in my life," replied Louis very gently.
This reply made a decided sensation among the Spaniards in the
court-room, and probably none of them ever saw or heard of a rich young
man who had never tasted any intoxicating fluid, for in France and
Spain even the boys drink wine.
"Were your companions intoxicated?" inquired the judge.
"Not one of them had tasted a drop of anything for months, if ever in
their lives."
The judge glanced at Gray, who had asserted that the party on board of
the Salihé had been drinking too freely, and there was a frown on his
honor's wrinkled face, which indicated that he believed the present
rather than the former witness. Louis proceeded to give his narrative
of the proceedings on board of the little steam-yacht, including the
capture and the recapture of the craft. The lassoing of the Scotchman
greatly amused the Spanish portion of the audience, and all eyes were
fixed about half the time on the burly victim of the operation.
The judge requested him to call up the one who had handled the lasso,
and Louis asked Scott to stand where he was. The hero of the occasion
complied with the request. He saw that the audience were amused and
excited; but he could not understand a word that had been said, and
did not know what it was all about. He was regarded with astonishment,
for the listeners could not comprehend how a mere boy, though a rather
stout one, had been able to overcome a man of Gray's size and weight.
The Scotchman seemed to be very much surprised to hear Louis talk
Spanish, for the latter had concealed his knowledge of the language
from him; and doubtless he could understand now how the "Dutchman"
had made some of his points against him in the affair. But Louis was
permitted to "stand down," as he had told all he knew of the case. The
judge called for Scott next, and evidently felt some interest in him.
A sworn interpreter was called, and Scott told his story through him,
though Louis and Mr. Gaskette watched him very closely; but there was
no important variation in his translation of the witnesses' statements.
Two or three times the judge tripped him up, and it appeared that
his honor was quite proficient in his English. The narrative of the
"hero" agreed very closely with that of Louis. Morris and Felix fully
confirmed them, and then Captain Ringgold was called to the stand.
After he had given his name and residence, he was asked a question in
regard to his business in Gibraltar.
"I am a shipmaster, in command of the steamship Guardian-Mother, which
is the yacht of Mr. Louis Belgrave," he replied, putting his hand on
the head of his owner, who sat next to him.
"Does your owner drink too much wine?" asked his honor.
"He drinks none at all; never a drop under any circumstances."
While the interpreter was rendering this answer, the judge gazed at
Louis, and evidently regarded him as a very wonderful young man,
besides being "_muy ricos_." The temperance question seemed to be
mixed in with the issue, for Gray had evidently intended to convey the
impression that the party on board of the little steamer were "young
bloods," so tipsy that they hardly knew what they were about, and that
it was a kindness for him to take charge of them, even if he did use
the yacht to tow out the Golondrina and the "honest men" in charge of
her.
Captain Ringgold stated that the Salihé had come alongside his ship
with the schooner in tow, and he decided to deliver her to the Spanish
authorities, for it was plain to him that she was engaged in an illegal
voyage, intending to rob the government of Spain of its just revenues.
The judge bowed as though he approved this decision.
His honor then wished to hear from Mrs. Belgrave, who was quite
startled when the commander asked her to take the stand. Dr. Hawkes
conducted her to the box on which she was to stand. The judge looked
at her; and his ancient eyes seemed to twinkle as he observed that she
was still a very pretty woman, though the mother of a boy of seventeen,
"_muy ricos_" besides.
"I congratulate you, señora, on being the mother of such a young man as
Mr. Belgrave, and one so very rich," said the judge in good English.
"I thank your honor," replied Mrs. Belgrave, whose blushes made
her look all the more interesting; and Captain Ringgold shared the
admiration of his honor.
"Does Mr. Belgrave, your son, ever drink too much wine, or other
intoxicating fluids?" asked the judge in Spanish, which was duly
translated to the lady.
"Never! He never drank a drop of liquor, wine, or beer in his life!"
exclaimed the witness indignantly.
"_Bastante!_" (Enough!) added his honor; and la señora was permitted to
retire.
Uncle Moses gave some information in regard to the wealth of the
young gentleman and to his temperate habits. The judge was evidently
satisfied so far as the capture and recapture of the Salihé were
concerned, and then proceeded to consider the custom-house question.
The officers testified in regard to the merchandise found on board
of the Golondrina. No bill of lading, consular certificate, or other
document was found on board or in possession of the captain.
It was proved that the goods were smuggled into Spain from Gibraltar.
The principals were Gray and Captain Velazquez, and they were heavily
fined, and sentenced to imprisonment for one year for smuggling, and
one for the assault upon the party on board the little steamer. The
others received a much milder sentence. The court adjourned, and his
honor hastened to pay his respects to Mrs. Belgrave, and insisted upon
sending her and the other ladies to the landing in his carriage. Then
he had quite a talk about the Guardian-Mother with the captain, and was
invited to visit her with his family.