John Furlong (alias John Hobson) was a crew member of the sloop Lawrence when he and other crew members attacked and killed Captain Henley and First Mate May of the brig Ann.
Furlong and his accomplices were arrested in Savannah, Georgia, in August 1819.
John Furlong was tried in the U.S. Circuit Court of Georgia in Savannah and convicted of murder and piracy.
The United States Supreme Court reviewed the conviction to determine whether American law provided jurisdiction over foreign sailors on foreign ships in foreign waters. The Court determined that a vessel loses its national character when it engages in piracy, making it subject to United States law (United States v. Furlong, 18 U.S. 5 Wheat. 18, 1820).
John Furlong was hanged in Savannah on April 28, 1820.
The Federal Death Penalty Project 