Murder of George Glas and his family

“Glas was a native of Scotland, and have been originally intended for a surgeon. He was evidently a powerful man, for during a former voyage he is said to have been “greatly superior in strength to any in the ship”. His strength, however, did not now preserve him from an awfull fate. The Sándwich has a treasure on board to the amount of about £100,000, and Glas, as subsequently appears, must have also had with him a considerate amount of money and valuables. The treasure attracted the cupidity of the crew, and George Gidley, cook, Peter Mackinley, boatswain, Andrew Zeckerman, and Richard St. Quintin conspired together to obtain it. Captain Cockeran and Glas seem to have had some suspicion of their intentions, and thwarted their designs for three successive nights. At last on Saturday, November 30th, 1765, at 11 p.m., the four assassins killed Cockeran and then the two other sailors who were not in the conspiracy. Glas, awakened by the noise, got out of his bunk, and seeing what was the matter, rushed back too the cabin for his sword. When again leaving it, Mackinley, who had concealed himself behind the door, sprang on him from behind and pinioned his arms, at the same time shouting to his companions for assistance in his murderous design. Glas was overpowered, chiefly because he had thrust his sword through the flesh of Zekerman’s arm, whence he could not withdraw it. The plucky Scotchman fought furiously, but the four scoundrels were eventually too much for him. The sword was wrested from his hands, and with it he was repeatedly stabbed, till he died.

His dying groans brought his wife and daughter upon deck, who, seeing what had happened, vainly implored on their knees with clasped hands mercy from the murderers. Telling them they must die, the unfortunate mother and daughter clung to each other in a last embrace, when Mackinley and Zeckerman caught them both together and flung them overboard. There now only remained two boys besides the four murderers. The murders took place in the British Channel, as the ship sailed to London. The miscreants changed the vessel’s course, and steered for Ireland, where on Tuesday, December 3rd, 1765, at 2 p.m., they arrived, within ten leagues of the harbour of Waterford and Ross. Here they determined to scuttle the ship, but first loaded the “cork” boat with dollars “to the quantity of about two tons”, and then, knocking out the ballast port, quitted the ship, with fiend-like nonchalance leaving the two boys to perish in the doomed vessel.”