The Life, Trial, Confession and Execution of Albert W. Hicks: The Pirate and Murderer, Executed on Bedloe’s Island, New York Bay, on the 13th of July, 1860
9781465667359
213 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
On Thursday, March 16th, the sloop “E. A. Johnson,” sailed from the foot of Spring street, New York, for Deep Creek, Va., for a cargo of oysters. The same sloop was ashore near Tottenville, S. I. on Friday, getting scrubbed, and having some carpenter work done. There she laid till Sunday morning, when she floated off, and proceeded down the Bay. Again, she arrived in Gravesend Bay on Sunday afternoon, and remained there waiting for a fair wind until Tuesday at sunset, when she set out to sea, Captain Burr, a man by the name of Wm. Johnson, and two boys, named Smith and Oliver Watts, being on board. The next morning, Wednesday the 22d of March, the sloop was picked up by the schooner “Telegraph” of New London, in the lower bay, between the West Bank and the Romer Shoals. On being boarded, she was found to have been abandoned, as also to bear the most unmistakable evidences of foul play having taken place at some time, not remote. It was also evident that a collision had taken place with some other vessel, as her bowsprit had been carried away, and was then floating alongside, attached to her by the stays. Upon further examination, her deck appeared to have been washed with human blood, and her cabin bore dire marks of a desperate struggle for life. The Telegraph made fast to her, and started for the city, but was failing in the effort (as both vessels were fast drifting ashore), when the towboat Ceres, Captain Stevens, being in the neighborhood, took them in tow, and brought them both up to the city, when they were moored in the Fulton Market slip. The story of bloody traces was at once communicated to the Police Authorities, and soon it spread throughout the city that a terrible massacre had taken place. Speculation accused river pirates of the crime, but there was a doubt on the public mind. Throughout Wednesday, the circumstances connected with the case were canvassed thoroughly, but no new light could be obtained as to the mystery. The daily press served up the story to the public on Thursday morning. Scarcely had the papers been issued when two men, named John Burke and Andrew Kelly, residents of a low tenement house, No. 129 Cedar street, called at second ward station-house, and gave such information as led the officers to the conclusion that one of the hands who had sailed on board the sloop “Johnson” from the foot of Spring street, was implicated in the mysterious transaction. They said that a man, named Johnson, who had lived in the same house with them, had come home suddenly and unexpectedly the previous day, having with him an unusual amount of money, which he said he had received as prize money for picking up a sloop in the lower bay. They gave the man’s description, told which way he had gone with his wife and child. Immediately Officer Nevins and Captain Smith started on their way toward Providence, to which city they had reason to believe Johnson had gone.
