New York Daily Tribune

MALTREATMENT AND CONSEQUENT DEATH ON THE GOLDEN GATE—ARREST OF THE OFFENDER.

A seaman by the name of John Bowen, from Boston, was most grossly maltreated on the Golden Gate, during the passage from Panama, by Mr. Farnsworth, the second mate, from the injuries of which treatment he died on Monday, the 9th instant. There are many conflicting reports of the matter, and it is impossible to say what the real facts are. We subjoin the statements of several with whom we have met, in order to give all sides and opinions, and shall rely upon a legal investigation, which will be had, for the truth and real facts in the case.

From Mr. Potter, formerly an engineer on the Panama, and on duty during this passage of the Gate, we learn that on Monday morning, the 9th inst., when off the coast in the vicinity of Cape St. Lucas, the deceased was ordered by Mr. Farnsworth, the second mate to assist other hands in furling the sails. After the lapse of some moments, the mate observed that John was not attending to the duties assigned him, and on going into the forecastle he was found lighting his pipe. The mate then placed him in irons in the engineer's room, where he was kept about eight hours, when he was discovered to be sinking, and was removed, but he died shortly after. Mr. Potter says the physicians examined the body, and were of opinion that death was caused by congestion of the brain. He was a perfectly healthy man, and was quite troublesome to the officers on the whole voyage.

One of the hands on the steamer says that they were all ordered on deck to shorten the sails, and all went up together—John having a pipe in his mouth. As he came upon deck, Mr. Farnsworth said to him, "You smoke, do you? I'll smoke you," and with this he hurried him below, where he was placed in irons, and stationed in a place where the doctor said a man could not live five hours for the heat and steam.

MR. BENNET'S STATEMENT.

Mr. Bennet, a passenger and an old Californian, says that the place where the deceased was confined was not so hot as has been represented, and it was within eight or ten feet of the position where the engineer stands constantly. To satisfy himself, Mr. Bennet went down and stood in the position, with a heavy woolen coat on, for three-quarters of an hour, and he did not experience uncomfortable heat. He thinks the man was very much in liquor, which must have been the cause of his death.

When the news of the death and its cause became known throughout the boat there was considerable excitement, and serious fears were entertained of an outbreak or mutiny; but better counsels prevailed, and the matter was deferred until the vessel should reach port. Soon as the ship was boarded, information was conveyed to the Vigilance Committee and also to the legal authorities, with complaints for the arrest of the mate, and soon after the boat touched the wharf he was taken into custody by the officers, and is now confined in the Station-House.

Our informant also states that this same mate had a difficulty on the ship, while the passengers were coming on board at Panama, with some person belonging to some other ship, who came up passenger, and who determined to prosecute the mate or the Company for the injuries received from him, and the deceased was the principal witness of the transaction.

The matter will be speedily brought before the Courts for investigation, when further particulars will be divulged of this strange and inhuman transaction.

[Alta California.]

The Chronicle says:

"We are informed by Captain John F. M. McCauley who came out as a passenger on board the Golden Gate, that the circumstances of the late death on board that vessel are substantially as follows: Capt. McCauley states that from fifteen to twenty feet above the boiler and furnace, there is a square gallery, which is used as a promenade by the Engineer and his assistants; that a pillar of iron, entirely disconnected from the machinery, and only placed there to strengthen the framework of the vessel, passes obliquely across one corner of the gallery. It appears, from his statement, that the deceased, who was one of the crew, refused to obey orders, and was, by order of the mate (Mr. Farnsworth), ironed and fastened to this pillar. He thinks that there could not have been sufficient heat there to have injured a person in ordinary health, but is of the opinion that his death was, in reality, the effect of dissipation. (The deceased is represented as having been a very dissipated man.) The Captain states that he went, in company with some other gentlemen, to ascertain the average heat in the gallery, and found it upon examination to be 85 deg. Fahr. He thinks, however, that it was a little warmer on the day the man died, but that ordinarily, he would prefer remaining there, rather than on deck under the heat of a tropical sun. He says that the crew of the Golden Gate were very difficult to get along with, and speaks highly of the gentlemanly deportment and good character of Mr. Farnsworth."

While we present the above statement to our readers, we deem it our duty to say that it is currently reported that the deceased died from the effects of ill-treatment received by him from the mate (Mr. Farnsworth). There are a variety of conflicting reports circulating about town, and it is, undoubtedly, a matter of considerable difficulty to decide which to believe.

Upon the examination of the mate before the U. S. Commissioner, the testimony of several physicians went to show that the deceased was in a dying condition when he was removed from the room.

The United States Commissioner decided to hold the defendant upon the charge of manslaughter. He was admitted to bail in the sum of $5,000.

Libel Against the Steamer Golden Gate.—A libel was filed on the Admiralty side of the United States District Court, before Judge Hoffman, in which James McGuire and Thomas H. Place, two passengers by the Golden Gate on her last trip from Panama, claim damages against the vessel in the sum of $10,000.