The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

N E W-Y O R K, June 15.

By a Mariner, Johannes de Han, late from St.

Eustatia, where he was when Johnson and

Andrews, first landed there, after the Murder

of Capt. Duryee and his Company, and till

after the Execution of Johnson for the said Crime,

we have the following further Particulars re-

lating to that Matter.

Our Informer says, that Nicholas Johnson

was a Butcher by Trade, a Dutch Man, and

had been six or seven Years last past, when known

in Eustatia. from whence he made several Voy-

ages.--That it was not long since he went from

thence on his last Voyage, that he was then Poor

and shabbily clothed and in Debt. That at his

last Arrival, he was observed to have a variety of

good Clothes and to be flush of Money,--that he

paid a Debt of 4 or 5 Dollars to the Landlord

where our Informant lodged, and on some Persons

mentioning to him, that his Circumstances were

suddenly mended, he said his last Voyage had been

a profitable one, however it was suspected that he

had got more than he came by honestly, and he

knew the Suspicion, but made no Attempt to leave

the Island where he had been about a Fortnight

before the Arrival of William Harris's Deposition

from St. Kitts. As this arrived, and Proclamation

was made of a Reward for taking the Criminals,

a penalty for concealing them, and Description of

their Persons ~-- Johnson presently was sensible of

his Danger, gave a Number of Half Johannes's

to a Negro Wench to keep for him, and retired

to a solitary Place upon a Hill or Mountain out

of Town,--where being seen and asked what he

was doing there, he replied he came to catch Ra-

bits. In 2 or 3 Days it was notorious all over

the Town that he must be one of the Murderers,

and a Party who went in search of him, met him

between the Mountain and the Town, he confessed


himself concerned in the Murder of Captain

Duryee and his Company, and on his Trial made

a full Confession as we before have heard. Dur-

ing his Confinement, he gave the following Ac-

count to our Informant, which differs a little from

what we had from St. Eustatia and in William

Harris's Deposition.

Johnson says, that the bloody Scheme was first

proposed to him by Andrews, who told him the

Passengers and Capt. had a great deal of Money,

which they might share between them.--They

agreed to make the Attempt as soon as they made

the Land, accordingly about 8 Days after, the

Night before they expected to get in, when they

were going to set the second Watch, William Har-

ris being at Helm, and the Capt. leaning with his

Head on a Hen-coop asleep, Johnson gave him

a violent Blow on the Head with an Ax, which

killed him without a Groan or Struggle. He then

made a Stroke at William Harris, who quitted the

Helm and ran forward pursued by Johnson, who

hearing some Body coming up from the Cabin,

quitted William Harris, ran to the Cabin

Door, and there meeting the old Gentleman pas-

senger, knocked him down with the Ax, and

as he groaned gave him one or two more Strokes,

which wakened the young Man, Son of the old

Gentleman, who cried out-- what are you killing

my Father? Just at the Time Johnson had got

to him and said, Yes, and I'll kill you too, and im-

mediately with all his Force gave him a Blow on

the Head which instantly killed him;--mean while;

Andrews knocked down and killed the mate, and

threw the Boy alive overboard. After this they

went in search of Harris, who having got to the

End of the Bowprit with a Knife, declared he

would kill the first Man that approached him, and

he having formerly sailed with Johnson, Johnson pretended to have a Respect for him, and therefore offered if he would join them, and swear to be secret and faithful, he should share the Plunder with them: this he promised, and they assured him he should be safe, but had previously agreed they would dispatch him before they got on Shore. After this he came in and assisted in throwing the dead Bodies overboard: They then went into the Cabin, broke open the Captain's and Passenger's Chests and Lockers, got a Bottle of Wine, drank Damnation to themselves and one another if they discovered the Secret, they then got a Bible and made William Harris swear upon it, that he would not betray them; being in sight of Land and several Vessels appearing, they concluded to sink and quit the Vessel, which they immediately began to prepare for, and having scuttled the Vessel, got out the Boat, and put into it two Chests, with what they thought proper to take, they left the Vessel and sailed towards the Land, telling Harris to steer clear of the Shore. But he telling them if they did not get pretty near Land, the Current would drive them to Leewards of all the Islands, they left him to steer as he thought best, but intended to throw him over before they got near Land. After some Time Johnson and Andrews both fell asleep, when Harris took an Opportunity to throw overboard both the Oars without Noise, as also his own Clothes; after stripping himself, and unhanging and dropping the Rudder overboard, he gently let himself into the Sea, and Swam ashore at St. Kitts, where he gave a blind suspicious account of himself, being afraid to say any Thing that might break his Oath of Secrecy, but at last he applied to a Minister, how a Man ought to act in a Case similar to his Own. The Minister convinced him that such Kind of Oaths were far from being binding, that it would be highly criminal to keep them. On this he went and made the Deposition already published, by which both the Villains were secured and one has already suffered. Soon after he had quitted the Boat, the irregular tumbling of it awakened the Criminals, who saw their desperate Situation, and were enraged that they had not an Opportunity to satiate their Revenge upon Harris. They first endeavoured to steer with their Hats, but afterwards did it more conveniently with their Sprit, and by that Means got into Statia, where they sold the Boat &c. as we have already heard. Johnson always appeared cheerful and undaunted from first to last, and was very earnest in his PRAYERS. He confessed nothing like being concerned in another MURDER, as has been Reported.