ON the 4th day of March, 1794, the brig Falmouth sailed from Port-Royal, Jamaica, bound to Belfast, in Ireland, to which place she belonged. At the time she sailed, the following persons were on board:

William Corran master, Francis Turner mate, Henry Gilmore, J. Douthard, — Boyd, — Carrol, Joseph York, (mariners) William Willams, a cabin-boy, Joseph Porter, a passenger, and a black, servant to mr. Porter.

Nothing materially happened on the voyage, 'till two of the hands, Boyd, and Carrol, were taken sick, and died apparently of violent fevers, the one immediately after the other.—During their illness, the captain used to enquite after their situation, and to look at them down the hatchway, and sent them frequently from the cabin both soup and coffee.

After the death of these men, which happened pre­vious to the 2d of May, there appeared an apparent dif­ference in the conduct of the captain, which shewed it­self in particular instances of harsh treatment towards one or other of the crew, whom he charged with an [Page 5] intention to poison him and to run away with the vessel.

Very soon after the death of the man, they spoke an American schooner, the master of which captain Cor­ran had before been acquainted with; and who, on hear­ing that he had lost two of his men, offered to supply him with two more. Captain Corran thanked the Ame­rican for his friendship, but told him he would endea­vour to do with the hands he had. This circumstance appeared strange to the crew, as the loss of the men had rendered them but weak-handed.

On the second of May, he took from the mate a qua­drant, which he had given to him soon after their sail­ing; and likewise took from him his books of naviga­tion; taking into his own hands the entire navigation of the vessel.

Mr. Porter, the passenger, was in an extreme ill state of health, and was so feeble as to be confined to his bed, which was in the starboard state room. In this situation he lay till the 24th of May, when the mate, being in the larboard state-room, and the captain and mr. Porter's servant in the cabin, the mate heard captain Corran, in warm language, abusing mr. Porter, —swearing that he should not stay any longer in the state room, and ordering his black boy to go immediately and bring his master in­to the cabin. This the boy attempted; but finding him­self unable to effect it, and mr. Porter, at the same time, begging, for God's sake, that he might be suffered to lay where he was, the captain entered the state-room, and, with the assistance of the black boy, took mr. Porter, by force, out of his bed, and supporting him himself under one arm, and the black boy under the other, they brought him into the cabin, (he being unable to walk himself) and sat him down in a chair. The captain then ordered the black boy to bring out his master's bed, and make it up in the cabin, upon two chests belonging to mr. Porter.— This being done, he compelled the black boy to lay his master on the bed, and then sent for one of the top-gal­lant [Page 6] studding sails, of which he made a sort of a curtain to surround the bed. After this transaction, he ordered the black boy out of the cabin, and going upon deck, gave general orders that neither the black boy nor any other person, should come into the cabin without his leave, and that no person should concern himself with mr. Por­ter, as he would take care of him himself.

On the night of the 26th of May, about midnight, the captain sent for the cabin boy; the boy came to him, and the captain ordered him to fetch a candle; after he had brought it, he demanded of the boy where he had been? the boy replied, it was his watch below: He then ordered him to strip off his jacket, after which he bid him go to the locker and bring the cat-o'-nine-tails.—The boy went to the locker, and told the captain he could not find it: He threatened to strike him with a cutlass, if he did not find it immediately; the boy not being able to find it, he accordingly struck him with the flat of his cutlass. After which he took a pair of hand­cuffs out of a drawer in the cabin, and put it upon the boy's hands. He then put a pistol to his breast, and threatened to shoot him. After some little time, the boy took the first opportunity to make his escape out of the cabin, and as he ran across the deck, he desired the man at the helm, if the captain enquired for him, to tell him, that he had jumped overboard. The boy ran forward, got into the hold, and hid himself for three days, sub­sisting on some Indian corn and sugar, which he found in the hold. Immediately after the boy left the cabin, the captain fired his pistols through the cabin windows, and shattered them considerably.

The 27th of May, between the hours of 10 and 11 o'clock at night, the captain called Henry Gilmore, and ordered him to bring a light. When Gilmore came with the light, the captain gave him a drink of grog, and told him that he hoped he would be in his favour, and that he was not afraid of the law. Gilmore replied, that [Page 7] he did not wish to be against him or any person. —The captain soon after came upon deck, and desired that no person should be permitted to come into the cabin, without orders from him, and that the watch, then on deck, should give the same charge to the watch which was to succeed. About a quarter past 12 o'clock the whole crew were alarmed with the cries of mr. Porter, ex­claming "Murder! Murder! &c"—through a hole in the bulk-head, which parted the steerage from the cabin; and by looking down the companion-door, several of the crew saw captain Corran striking at mr. Porter as he lay in his bed, with a cutlass. After striking him for some time, he desisted for a short space, and coming up the companion ladder, began to abuse mr. Porter, d—ing him, and declaring he was not worth five pounds in the world. He then returned into the cabin again, and began to cut mr. Porter as he had done before.—Mr. Porter again cried out and begged the captain not to cut him so—to take a pistol and shoot him. He d—d him, and said he would not shoot him, but would cut him every half hour till day light. In a short time, mr. Porter begged him to desist, as he was dying; and it is supposed that he expired about this time, as his cries were heard no more. Between one and two o'clock the captain came again upon deck, with a cutlass in his hand, and struck mr. Porter's black boy across the shoulders, and bid him go down and dress his mas­ter's wounds. He also called for a light, and went down with the boy into the cabin, and made several strokes at mr. Porter's body with the cutlass, exclaiming "What, d—n you, are you asleep?"

About day light, the captain called John Douthard in the cabin, who, on his entering it, found mr. Porter with his knees on the cabin-floor, and his face resting on his bed, apparently lifeless. Capt. Corran ordered him to take hold of mr. Porter's legs, and lift him on the bed. While Douthard was in the act of doing this, [Page 8] he made several strokes at the body over his head, which so intimidated Douthard, that he dropped the body and ran upon deck, and acquainting his companions that the captain had murdered their passenger.—At 4 o'clock, the captain came upon deck, and ordered Douthard to go down into the cabin, and sew mr. Porter up in a blanket, and told him that mr. Porter's servant should assist him. Douthard refusing to do this, he seized him and compel­led him by force to go into the cabin. By the captain's order, with the assistance of the black boy, he laid mr. Porter's body on one of his own blankets, sewed him up in it, and tied a white handkerchief round his head. The body was mangled in a most shocking manner; there were large gashes about the hips, above a foot long—he was also much cut about the arms: the sheet was very bloody, and much clotted blood was upon the floor, near the bed. After the body was sewn up, captain Corran ordered Douthard and the black boy to throw it out of the cabin-window.—Douthard told him they were not able, and requested his permission to call another person. He replied, that he would let no other person come into the cabin to help them. On finding, however, that they were not able to effect the purpose themselves, he consented that Henry Gilmore should be called. By the assistance of Gilmore, the corpse was brought upon deck, and laid upon a board in the gang-way. From the companion door to the gang-way, there was a considerable quantity of blood, which had run through the blanket as they were carrying the body along.—While the corpse was lying in the gang-way, the cap­tain came upon deck, leaned over the quarter-rail, co­vered his eyes with his hands, and appeared, for some minutes, much confused. He was roused from this reverie by John Douthard, who asked him, if they should heave the deceased overboard? He seemed startled by the question—but bid them "away with him." The body was accordingly committed to the sea: immediately [Page 9] after this, he ordered the vessel to be kept away N. W. and set the studding sails.

The mate was obliged to keep out of the captain's way, and was once forced to go in the fore-top—and at other times to conceal himself in the hold, as he had threatened to take away his life, and had pursued him apparently for that purpose, — being, whenever he came upon deck, constantly armed with a cutlass and a pair of pistols.

On the 29th of May, the captain sent several messages to the mate, desiring him to come on deck, and declaring that he should not hurt him. The mate accordingly came up the fore scuttle; and being afraid to go aft, remained before the windlass. Capt. Corran observing his shyness, and that his eye appeared perpetually on him, told him he kept a d—d sharp look out. After this he went down in the cabin, and kept for a considerable time hammering with a maul, which led the crew to fear that he wanted to force out the lumber-port in order to founder the vessel, but it afterwards appeared, that he was driving a great number of spikes into the after-scuttle, to fasten it down.—About noon, Henry Gilmore, who had been steering, was relieved from the helm, and came forward, where the mate was, who inquired of him, what course they were steering? He informed him N. W.—On which the mate replied, that that course would fetch no port in Europe, and that he was apprehensive that the captain had ill designs, both on them and the vessel. The mate then consulted as many of the crew as he conveniently could, who agreed to take the first opportunity to secure the cap­tain. About an hour afterwards, the captain came on deck, and having walked to the tiller ropes, and turned round to proceed down the deck, Joseph York, who was then at the helm, seized his arms behind, and struggling with him, the rest of the crew came to his assistance, bound him, and brought him into the cabin, where they secured his hands with a pair of hand-cuffs which they found in his chest.

[Page 10]Previous to his imprisonment, when he ordered the vessel to be steered N. W. he informed the crew that they were near the English channel: But on the 30th of May, when the mate had got possession of his qua­drant, and was enabled to take an observation, he found they were very near the latitude of this place, and in about half an hour after they saw land; but a thick fog coming on, they were not able to make a harbour 'till four days afterwards, when they came to anchor in Rose Bay, between La Have and Lunenburgh. On searching for the books of navigation, after confining the captain, they found that he had cut cut of every book the Table of the Sun's Declination.—Immediately on their arrival there, the mate went on shore, and made report to the magistrates of the transaction on board the brig Falmouth. The captain was carried on shore; and the depositions of the people being taken, he was committed to prison, and afterwards brought to Halifax, where the court of admiralty was assembled, on Friday the 11th of July, at the court-house, for the trial of this unfortunate man, for the murder of Joseph Porter, a gentleman who took passage on board the brig Falmouth, at Port Royal▪ Jamaica.—The court being opened with the customary solemnities, the prisoner was arraigned, and pleading not guilty, was remanded for trial on Monday. On that day the trial commenced, and continued by adjournment, till Tuesday; when the examination on the part of the crown being ended—the prisoner was called upon by the court to make his defence: But declining to offer any thing in his defence—he was again recommitted, and the court adjourned to nine o'clock on Tuesday.

On Tuesday the court again assembled, and the pri­soner having nothing to say in his defence, the court was ordered to be cleared. After a short period, the court was again opened, and the prisoner brought to the bar, when his excellency governor Wentworth, the president of the court, addressed the prisoner: and declared, that [Page 11] the court have deliberately considered all the evidence which had been submitted to them, were unani­mously of opinion, that he was guilty of the Murder of Joseph Porter. His excellency then demanded of the pri­soner, if he had any thing [...] [...]ge, why sentence of Death should not be pronounced upon him? After he­sitating a few moments, the prisoner began an imperfect narration of the proceedings on board the brig Falmouth, from her sailing from Jamaica, passing over the period when the Murder was committed; of which, however, he declared he was not Guilty. Having nothing further to offer, the president pronounced the awful Sentence of Death upon him, and he was adjudged to be hanged on Monday the 21st of July, between the hours of 10 and 1 o'clock, at Point Pleasant, between the ebbing and flowing of the tide.

On Monday, the 21st of July, this unhappy man was carried from the Prison to the Beach at Point Pleasant; where he satisfied, by the Forfeiture of his Life, the injur­ed Laws of the Country.

The above Narrative contains every material fact re­lated on the trial of William Corran; and perh there never was a trial in which every witness called, so per­fectly corroborated the testimony of his fellow—but, in the midst of this coincidence of evidence, the mind is left at a loss for a clew, by which to unravel the mo­tive that could induce Capt. Corran to commit a Mur­der, attended by so many aggravated circumstances.—The witnesses all declared, they were unable to assign any reason:- that they knew of no quarrel that subsisted between him and the deceased, previous to the 24th of May, when he was ordered out of the state-room:- that previous to that period, he had treated mr. Porter very kindly- and that his uniform conduct, both in the passage from Belfast to Jamaica, and on the passage home, till the 2d of May, had been such as to give no just cause of complaint to any of them.

[Page 12]Many have conjectured that a temporary insanity, at least, must have been the occasion of this horrid deed. To this conjecture every feeling mind must wish to sub­scribe, especially when the testimony of respectable persons, who have known capt. Corran previous to this transaction, unite in describing him as a man distinguish­ed by the general quietness and inoffensiveness of his manners.

Captain Corran was born in Ireland, in the town of Port-a-Ferre in the County of Down. He was a man of a middle stature; of a robust, athletic habit, and possessing great bodily strength and activity. He was in the 32d year of his age; and has left a father, two brothers and a sister, to lament his untimely end.

He was in this place a few year ago, being then a foremast hand on board a ship laden with provisions from Ireland. His activity and behaviour were so pleasing to his captain, that before he left this port, he appointed him mate of the ship.

What a contrast do the pleasing ideas that floated in his imagination at this period of his first advancement in life, form with the painful reflections that must have crowded into his mind in his last painful visit to Halifax! He feelingly noticed the contrast himself—"Here," he exclaimed, "I was first made mate of a vessel"—and hesitating, he seemed by his manner, as if he would have added, "Here all my worldly prospects end—here I must make my exit."

At the mention of his father's name, by a gentleman who attended him in his last moments, he burst into a flood of tears, and appeared more affected by a contem­plation of the distress which his death must occasion to his parent, than he had ever shewn on his own account.