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Mutiny on the Ulysses: Part 1-Voyage Around the World and the Trial of the Century

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Mutiny on the Ulysses Historical Trial Series by Eric Fryar Part 1: Voyage of the Ulysses In 1800, federal authorities tried five sailors for mutiny in one of the most famous trials of its day. In a virtual replay of the Mutiny on the Bounty, the sailors claimed that they had acted in self-defense against the abuse and murderous threats by the captain. On both sides of this high-profile case were the best lawyers in the county. Would the sailors hang?  This is an excerpt from a forthcoming book by Eric Fryar. United States v. John Salter, et al.   On Friday morning, October 24, 1800, thirty-year-old John Salter sat in a crowded Boston courtroom. He was on trial for his life. Next to him sat John Carnes, Stephen Bruce Jr., John Bullock, and Edward Smith. They were all charged with mutiny. John had been the first mate on the merchant ship Ulysses which had sailed from Boston on August 25, 1798, on a voyage all the way around the world. The voyage had been plagued by the incompe...
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The Wreck of the William Brown: A True Tale of Overcrowded Lifeboats and Murder at Sea, by Tom Koch (International Marine/McGraw-Hill 2004)

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The Wreck of the William Brown by Tom Koch Book Review by Eric Fryar On March 18, 1841, the William Brown under the command of Captain George Harris sailed from Liverpool, England for Philadelphia, with a crew of 17, a cargo primarily of salt, and 66 passengers, mostly poor Scottish and Irish emigrants in steerage. At about 10pm on April 19, the ship plowed into an iceberg in the North Atlantic, about 250 miles southeast of Newfoundland—the same waters where the Titanic would go down for the same reason 71 years later.  Captain Harris, who had ordered the ship to sail at full speed without a lookout posted, did not go down with the ship. He and eight sailors and one passenger got into the jolly boat. The first mate with eight sailors and 36 passengers got into the longboat. They left 29 passengers, many of them children, to die on the sinking vessel. None of the crew was lost. The next morning, Captain Harris abandoned the longboat and made for Newfoundland. The jolly boat was not...
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A Case of Piracy: Part 3-Sentence of Death

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 A Case of Piracy Historical Trial Series by Eric Fryar Part 3: Sentence of Death Two sailors are charged with piracy and murder in 1812 Boston. The most talked-about trial of its day. A surprise ending. This is an excerpt from a forthcoming book by Eric Fryar. " Guilty ."  The word hung in the air of the silent courtroom. The Court thanked the jury, dismissed them, and then adjourned. The prisoners were taken back to their cell. James Austin was crushed but determined not to give up.  Motion for New Trial On the morning of Thursday, October 30, 1812, Austin hurried to court and filed the following motion for a new trial with the Clerk: United States of America, District of Massachusetts}  Circuit Court of U.S. October Term, 1812} The United States by Indictment vs. Samuel Tully and John Dalton  And now after verdict and before judgment, the said Samuel and John, by their counsel assigned them by the Court, now move the Court here for a new trial of the issued j...
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