The story of the Sunderland murder on board a ship: When the captain was violently killed by his own crew

The victim of the tragic case was a sea captain called Johann Friedrich Berckholtz, and the culprits were his own ship’s crew.

The full story has been shared by us by Philip Curtis, the secretary of Sunderland Antiquarian Society and it is one of dozens of great tales in the latest edition of the society’s newsletter.

A Prussian sea captain, whose gravestone is in St Peter’s churchyard, was murdered while his ship was docked in Sunderland.

Asleep in his cabin when he was bludgeoned to death

The intriguing case of Johann Friedrich Berckholtz unfolded in 1839. The unfortunate man had been in charge of a brig called the Phoenix.

Berckholtz was sleeping in his cabin when he was hit on the head three times with a heavy hammer. Members of the crew dragged his body through a skylight and onto a boat.

They took him ashore where they searched for a heavy stone that they could tie him to. Then, they dumped him in the River Wear before going back to the ship to clean up Berckholtz’s cabin.

Discovered on the north shore

Keelman James Alderson found the body 30 yards from the north shore by the bridge. It had a heavy piece of limestone tied to it but the body was revealed when the river was at low tide.

A policeman was called who took the body to the old Monkwearmouth workhouse, but there was an added issue and it was a real sign of the times.

Sunderland Borough Police had only been going for 18 months at that time and it had teething problems. Of the 35 Constables who were first appointed, 22 were dismissed by the Watch Committee and most of those were dismissed for being drunk on duty.

Traces of blood in the captain’s cabin

The head of the Force, Supt William Brown, took charge of the case and found traces of blood in the captain’s cabin.

He arrested all the crew of the mate, three seamen and two boys and suspicion soon fell on an apprentice called Daniel Frederick Mueller.

He admitted he had been involved but said it was the ship’s mate Jacob Friedrich Ehlert who dealt the fatal blows. Mueller turned Queen’s Evidence and left Ehlert to face trial alone.

Guilty and the jury took 8 minutes to reach a decision

Mueller was the main prosecution witness at Durham Assizes and, after an eight hour trial, the jury came back with a verdict in eight minutes. It was guilty.

Ehlert told the court ‘Ich bun unschuldig’ which translated as I am innocent.

He was sentenced to death by hanging and the sentence was carried out. Ehlert still protested his innocence in a letter that he sent home to his family and said it was Mueller who had committed the crime.

The apprentice had carried out the murder because the captain had been especially hard on him. Ehlert had spotted Mueller coming out of the captain’s cabin.

He took pity on him and helped to dispose of the body - only to find himself facing the noose.

Much more to enjoy at the Heritage Centre

In an ironic twist of fate, a Sunderland newspaper had an astonishing story to report days later.

It said: “We learn with astonishment that Mueller, the accomplice of Ehlert in the murder of Captain Berckholtz, has been engaged as a two years apprentice on board a Sunderland ship!

“The captain and crew must take care to lock up all hammers and lanterns when this fellow is on watch’.

Our thanks go to Philip for sharing the article which is one of many excellent features in the latest Society newsletter, which is issued to all members.

You can find out more about the Antiquarian Society by getting along to its Heritage Centre which is open in Douro Terrace on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9.30am to 12pm.

You can also visit the Antiquarian Society’s Facebook page or its website which is at http://www.sunderland-antiquarians.org

And to become a member, email [email protected]