THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE PRISONER.
Soon after the arrival of the prisoner, the man John Burke, with whom he had lived in Cedar street, was confronted with the prisoner, whom he identified at once as William Johnson, the man who, with his wife and child, had left No. 129 Cedar street on Wednesday afternoon, and went on the Fall River boat. Mr. Simmons also stepped forward, and recognized the prisoner as one of the hands who sailed from this port with Captain Burr on board the sloop E. A. Johnson. Upon being asked if he knew Captain Burr, he said he did not, he never saw him, and never sailed in the vessel commanded by him.
On Sunday afternoon, an old man, named Charles La Coste, who keeps a coffee and cake stand near the East Broadway stage terminus at the South Ferry, identified Johnson as the man who, on Wednesday morning last, at about eight o’clock, stopped opposite to his stand, apparently looking to see what he sold thereat, when he asked him if he wanted some coffee. He afterward went into the booth and sat down, leaving what appeared to be his clothes-bag outside against the railings. He had coffee and cakes which amounted to the sum of six cents. When about to leave, he handed him a ten dollar gold piece in payment, when he asked him if he had no less change. He said he had, and pulled from his pocket a handful of gold, silver, and some cents, and, abstracting half a dime and a cent paid his bill. About this time some boot-blacks came round, and wanted to black his boots. He looked down at his feet, and said his boots were not worth the trouble. He then asked if he could get a carriage, when La Coste told him it was too early; he ought to get into an East Broadway stage, and ride up to French’s Hotel, as he had asked for the whereabouts of a respectable place to put up at. To this suggestion he demurred, when a newsboy came up to him, took hold of his bag, and implored him for the privilege of conveying his bag to any given point of the metropolis. The boy took the bag and followed the man.
At a later hour the prisoner was brought from his cell and taken into the officers’ room in the back part of the station-house, where a promiscuous assemblage of men had gathered in. The prisoner took his place among them. The boy, Wm. Drum, was then brought into the room, and in a moment rested his finger upon the man whose clothes-bag he had carried from La Coste’s stand to the house No. 129 Cedar street, one morning last week, about eight o’clock; he did not recollect which morning. The man thus pointed out was the prisoner. The same boy immediately afterward saw the bag, and identified it as the one which he had carried from the South Ferry to Cedar street. He asked Johnson fifty cents for the job, but, on his refusal, he compromised, and took three shillings.
Abram Egbert was introduced in the same manner as the boy, and selected Johnson as the man who spoke to him on the bridge of the Vanderbilt landing, on Staten Island, last Wednesday morning, between six and seven o’clock. He was not certain, but he thought he was the man.
Augustus Gisler, the boy who sold Johnson the oyster stew, the eggs, and the numerous hot gins, was also introduced in the same manner. He at once pointed out Johnson, and said, “That is the man.”
Another little boy, who had asked to black Johnson’s boots, at the South Ferry, was introduced. He looked carefully through the crowd, repeatedly fastening his eyes upon Johnson. The boy at last stopped opposite Johnson again; the prisoner noticed this, made a contortion, and turned away his face, when the boy said he could not see the man. The prisoner was then taken back to his cell, and his baggage underwent an examination in one of the rooms of the station-house.
THE BLOOD-STAINED CABIN OF THE OYSTER SLOOP “E. A. JOHNSON”
The first article identified was Capt. Burr’s watch, which was found in the prisoner’s possession by the detectives who arrested him. This watch the prisoner said he had had in his possession for 3 years. It was handed to Mr. Henry Seaman, an old friend of Captain Burr’s, who after looking at it for about half a minute, pronounced it to be Captain Burr’s watch; but to be certain, he would not open it until he had procured the necessary testimony to prove it. After a short absence he returned with a slip of paper from Mr. Seth P. Squire, watchmaker and jeweller, No. 182 Bowery, to whom it appears he had taken it to be cleaned nearly a year ago, at the request of Captain Burr. The following was the memorandum contained on the slip:
MR. BURR,
D B Silver Lever Watch,
J. Johnson, Liverpool, No. 21,310.
Cleaned April 5, 1859
by S. P. Squire.
The watch was then opened, and the name of the maker and the number of the watch found to correspond exactly with the name and number on the slip. By this means the watch was fully identified. Two small bags, which Johnson said he had made himself, were also identified by Mr. Seaman, and Mr. Simmons, of Barnes & Simmons, as having been the property of Captain Burr.
Mr. Edward Watts, brother of Smith Watts, identified the daguerreotype found in the pocket of a coat belonging to Oliver Watts, which was found in Johnson’s clothes-bag, after his arrest, as that of a young lady friend of his brother, living in Islip, L. I.
Captain Baker, engaged in the oyster business in the Spring street market, recognized the prisoner as a man whom he had seen on board the sloop E. A. Johnson. He was certain of the man, as he had frequently seen him.
Mr. Selah Howell, taking a position right in front of the prisoner, as he stood in his cell, at once identified him as the man who took supper with Captain Burr and himself, on board the sloop, the night before she sailed.
Mr. George Neidlinger, the hostler who saw the man leave the yawl boat on the Staten Island beach, just south of Fort Richmond, identified the prisoner as that man. He also identified a glazed cap found in Hick’s baggage as the cap he had on that morning.
Mr. Michael Dunnan also identified Hicks as the man whom he had met on the road between Fort Richmond and the Vanderbilt landing, last Wednesday, about six o’clock.