The trials of Samuel Goodere, Esq : Matthew Mahony, and Charles White, for the murder of Sir John Dineley Goodere, Bart. (brother to the said Samuel Goodere) on board His Majesty's ship the Ruby / [Samuel Goodere].

  • Goodere, Samuel, 1687-1741.
Date:
1741
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The trials of Samuel Goodere, Esq : Matthew Mahony, and Charles White, for the murder of Sir John Dineley Goodere, Bart. (brother to the said Samuel Goodere) on board His Majesty's ship the Ruby / [Samuel Goodere]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    that It is ufual in Ships of War to place a Centinel over Perfons under Arrefl; and ac- cordingly one was placed by Mr. Goodere^s Order with a drawn CutJas in iiis Hand at the Door of the Cabbin where Sir John was confin'd. This Centinei, about twelve at Night, was relieved by ont Buchannan. It was impoflible for the Prifoners to put their wicked Defign in execution whilft this Biichannan remained at the Cabbin Door ; fo, to remove that Obftacle, Mr. Goodere, (after having been in clofe Conference with Ma- hony and White) comes down to the Purfer's Cabbin, takes the Cutlas from Buchannan^ and orders him on Deck, polling himfelf at the Door of the Purfer's Cabbin, with the drawn Cudas in his Pland. I fhall open none of the Circumflances difclofed by Mahony in his Confeflion, as being no Evidence againft Mr, Goodere^ but it will be made appear to you in Proof, that Mahony and White came to the Purfer's Cabbin whilft Mr, Goodere Hood polled at the Door of it j that they were let into the Purfer's Cabbin by Mr. Goodere himfelf. Mahony in particular was feen by one Macgiiinefs (who kept watch in the Gun- Room) to go into the Purler's Cabbin, Mr. Goodere at the fame time {landing Centinel at the Door of it, and waving his Cudas at M'-Guinefs, to make him keep back. He did fo; but Mr. Goodere waved the Cutlas at him a fecond time, and bid him keep back. Then, Gentlemen, it was that Mr. Goodere and his two Accomplices efFedled the cruel Murder of his unfortunate Brother. Mahony was heard to bid him not ftir for his Life ; and then in conjunftion with Whiter whilft Mr. Goodere ftood Watch for them at the Cabbin Door (which Mr. Recorder will tell you was the fame as being actually within it) fell on this unhappy Gentleman, as he lay in the Cabbin : And one of them having half throttled him with his Hands, they put a Rope about his Neck, and at length ftrangled him. Great were his Agonies, and long and painful the Conflidl betwixt Life and Death, tie ftruggled violently, and kicked againft the Cabbin, crying out feveral times very loud. Murder \ mufildiel help^ for God's fake; faz'e my Life, here are t'ujenty Guineas^ take it: For he well knev/ they were ftrangling him by his Brothei-'s Order, and therefore offered therii a Bribe to fpare his Life, but the Ruffians were releritlefs and inexorable. The Ship's Cooper (one Jones) and his Wife lying in the adjoining Cabbin, heard his dying Out-cries, and the Noife occafioned by his kicking ^ his Cries too were heard by others far beyond the Cabbin-Doof. Nature at length gave way, and he expired under thefe Cruelties. Then Mahony called for a Light, that they might all have the Evidence of their Eye- fight that Sir John wasa6lually dead ; and (which is a fliocking Circumftance in the Cafe) Mr. Goodere himfelf handed them in the Candle on that Occafion. Biichannan perceiving the Light difappear, was coming to him with another ; but Mr. Goodere waved his Cut- las at him to ftand off. Such, Gentlemen, was the fatal Conclufion of this tragical Bufi- nels. What was feen by the Cooper and his Wife after the Candle's being handed in, with regard to rifling the Deceafed, I choofe fhould come from their own Mouths. The Murder being thus etfe6led, Mr. Goodere locked the Door, and withdrew to his own Cabbin Mahony and White were, by his Order, put aboard the Yawl, and fent to Brifiol. They did not fly the City, Gentlemen, depending that their Fellow-Murderer would fome- how fmother this Deed of Darknefs, and take care of their Security for the fake of his own : But Divine Providence ordered otherwife. The honeft Cooper, though he durft not give the Alarm whilft the Murder was committing, for fear of fharing the fame Fate with Sir John^ yet, as foon as he could with Safety, made a Difcovery of the whole that he had heard and feen. 'Twas concluded Mr. Goodere had made away with his Brother j which too evidendy appeared on the Cooper's forcing open the Purfer's Cabbin-Door, where Sir John lay murdered, and thereupon die Cooper had the Refolution to feize the Murderer, who remained on board, (though his Captain.) He pretended Innocence; and when brought by Warrant before Mr. Mayor and other of the City Magiftrates, publickly de- clared, he did not then know that his Brother was murdered, and went fo far as to deny his having had any hand in either the feizing, detaining, or murdering him. But, Gende- men, if my Inftru6lions don't miflead me, we fliall fix the thing at leaft as ftrongly upon Mr. Goodere as Mahony, and more ftrongly upon them both than I am willing to open it. We fhall therefore call our Witneffes, and, upon the whole of the Evidence on both fides, appeal to your Judgrhents, and to your Confciences, whether both the Prifoners, by the Parts they bore in this horrid A6tion, have not forfeited their Lives to the Juftice of their Coun- try as Accomplices in Guilf, and Principals in the Murder of the unfortunate Sir John Dine ley Goodere. Mr. Shephard. Mr. Recorder, I beg leave, before the Witneffes are examined, to fay, that there are a great many Circumftances in the Cafe laid before this Court, and I don't know how material it may be for the VVitnelfes to withdraw, and not be in the hearing of each other during the time of Examination •, I fubmit it to you, as it is ufually done in Cafes of this nature, whether it ought not to be done in this Cafe, where it appears from the Gentleman's