Under Captain C Wulf on the Norwegian registered barque "The Norcap", Norwegian born Andreas Ohlsen plied his trade. Docked in Cardiff to collect a cargo of coal - the vessel rested in Bute East Dock for 2 weeks after arriving from Liverpool.
The ship's steward, William Byron was a native of St Vincent off the West African coast, himself a young black sailor. On the evening of 19 August 1869, Ohlsen berated Byron for serving him an intentionally contaminated mug of coffee. The two scuffled and a blade brandished. Byron claimed Ohlsen struck the first blow and dropped the knife, and he then lunged to retrieve the blade and pushed it into Ohlsen's chest penetrating the heart. Death was instantaneous. Bryon claimed he was protecting himself, but other crew members stated they saw Byron inflicting wounds on himself after the fight to feign prior injury.
The young sailor would face the gallows, possibly a victim of both racial predudice and the word of the mob.