732 Sheet – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

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700 XY. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS

They were all jailed and subsequently taken to Boston, where all of them, except one who had committed suicide while in prison, were put on trial before a Federal Court. The court was presided over by Mr. Justice Story, and the charge was piracy.

The evidence was quite conclusive regarding their identity. However, some of them—the cook, Ferrer; the cabin boy, Costa; and the three sailors: Guzman, Portana, and Velazquez—were thought by the jury to have acted under the compulsion of the others. Consequently, they were found not guilty. However, seven of the Spaniards—Gibert, the captain; De Soto, the mate; and Ruiz, Boyga, Castillo, Garcia, and Montenegro—were convicted of piracy and sentenced to death.

The jury, in returning their verdict, recommended the mate De Soto to the merciful consideration of the Government "because of his generous, noble, and self-sacrificing conduct in saving the lives of more than seventy human beings, the passengers and crew of the ship Minerva," an incident which was brought to their attention during the trial. The wife of one of the counsel went to the President and told him the story of heroism, which so impressed the chief executive that he granted the mate a full pardon.

As for the others, Boyga cut his throat, and Ruiz pretended to be insane. However, it was decided that he was shamming, and with Boyga sitting in a chair, the six pirates were hanged at the Leverett Street Jail in Boston.

THE TRIAL

In the United States Circuit Court, Boston, Massachusetts, November 1834.

Hon. Joseph Story, Hon. John Davis, Judges.

Early in June 1834, intelligence reached this country that the British brig of war Curlew, Capt. Trotter, while cruising...

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Bibliography:

*A Report of the Trial of Pedro Gibert, Bernardo De Soto, Francisco Ruiz, Nicola Costa, Antonio Ferrer, Manuel Boyga, Domingo De Guzman, Juan Antonio Portana, Manuel Castillo, Angel Garcia, Jose Velazquez, and Juan Montenegro alias Jose Basilio De Castro, before the United States Circuit Court...*