[Illustration:  Gibbs shooting a comrade.]

After killing the captain and mate, they set about overhauling the vessel, and got up one keg of Mexican dollars.  They then divided the captain’s clothes, and money—­about 40 dollars, and a gold watch.  Dawes, Talbot and Brownrigg, (who were all innocent of the murder,) were obliged to do as they were commanded—­the former, who was placed at the helm, was ordered to steer for Long Island.  On the day following, they divided several kegs of the specie, amounting to five thousand dollars each—­they made bags and sewed the money up.  After this division, they divided the remainder of the money without counting it.  On Sunday, when about 15 miles S.S.E. of Southampton Light, they got the boats out and put half the money in each—­they then scuttled the vessel and set fire to it in the cabin, and took to the boats.  Gibbs, after the murder, took charge of the vessel as captain.  From the papers they learnt that the money belonged to Stephen Girard.  With the boats they made the land about daylight.  Dawes and his three companions were in the long boat; the others, with Atwell, were in the jolly boat—­on coming to the bar the boats struck—­in the long boat, they threw overboard a trunk of clothes and a great deal of money, in all about 5000 dollars—­the jolly boat foundered; they saw the boat fill, and heard them cry out, and saw them clinging to the masts—­they went ashore on Barron Island, and buried the money in the sand, but very lightly.  Soon after they met with a gunner, whom they requested to conduct them where they could get some refreshments.  They were by him conducted to Johnson’s (the only man living on the island,) where they staid all night—­Dawes went to bed at about 10 o’clock—­Jack Brownrigg set up with Johnson, and in the morning told Dawes that he had told Johnson all about the murder.  Johnson went in the morning with the steward for the clothes, which were left on the top of the place where they buried the money, but does not believe they took away the money.

[Illustration:  Captain Thornby murdered and thrown overboard by Gibbs and the steward.]

The prisoners, (Gibbs and Wansley,) were brought to trial at the February term of the United States Court, holden in the city of New York; when the foregoing facts being satisfactorily proved, they were pronounced guilty, and on the 11th March last, the awful sentence of the law was passed upon them in the following affecting and impressive manner:—­The Court opened at 11 o’clock, Judge Betts presiding.  A few minutes after that hour, Mr. Hamilton, District Attorney, rose and said—­May it please the Court, Thomas J. Wansley, the prisoner at the bar, having been tried by a jury of his country, and found guilty of the murder of Captain Thornby, I now move that the sentence of the Court be pronounced upon that verdict.

[Illustration:  Gibbs and Wansley burying the Money.]