Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-01-14
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PenftentiRrys
At Princess Anne, Somerset county, Nd,
Tuesday, Judge Holland sentenced Cap |
tain John A. Williams, the murderer OF
Otto Meyher, to IS years in the peniten-
tiary.
The murder was committed on Novem-
Der 26th, 1884. Meyher was one of the
crew of the oyster dredging schooner Eva,
of which Captain Williams was master.
Meyher shipped on the schooner ON
and poorly clad. About the middle Of
November, Meyher complained of being
i'll and told the captain he could not work
unless he gave him pair of boots. On
this occasion the captain knocked him
down and beat him. A few days after
Meyher grew worse and went to the cap
tain for medicine. The captain then told
him il he did not work he would kill him.
The same day the captain knocked Meyher
down several times with his fist and beat
him with shovel aud hnndspike. Mey-
her grew weaker and the captain contin-
ued to beat and kick bin. On the 26th,
Captain Williams seems to have spent
most Of the day in finishing the poor
fellow. He beat him, choked him,
kicked him, struck him with
handspike, and, when Meyher had at
last fallen helpless to the deck, the cap
| tain, according to the testimony of Fred
erick Boye, put a rope around his arm
pits, called for block aud tackle with a
hook at the base of the halyards, and
hooking this hook into the rope around
his body at the arm pits, dragged him
from the mainmast to the foremost and
then hosting him up until his feet were
from two to two and half feet from the
deck. Then he drenched his lower limbs
with cold water.
After this the captain asked him If he
would work. He replied, ~ work
work !" He was then let down on the
deck and he again took his place at the
cranks but was too weak to turn them.
When the captain saw this, he again
struck him several times across the small
of the back with hand-spike. Meyher
fell to the deck screaming. The captain
again put his foot on his throat and
silenced him.
A boat here came up carrying three
men and, the captain desisting, ordered
the men to take Meyher below. Meyhei
was unable to go into the hold himself, sc
Boye went into the hold and Haas,
handed Meyher down to him. When h,
was in the hold Meyher could not stand
so he was propped up against the we'll 20
the centre board) in sitting posture
The captain went into the hold and tn,
witness could not see him. The captain
made Meyher take of his boots and hi
shirt. The captain here beat him again
Witness could not see him, but he heart
the blows. The captain asked him if h
would work. Meyher replied "let M
rest to-day, will work tomorrow" TIL,
captain then came out, and, taking
shovel, said to witness "Dutchman xii
| him or will kill you" Witness refused
telling him II will not kill him thougl
you should kill me-" The cap
J tain then got piece of tarre
: rope about IL or is inches lon
rayeled out each end, went into the hol
, and tied the ends of the rope to Meyher'
two thumbs. He then called for th
, block and tackle with the hook on il
; Billy passed it down. He fastened tn
hook on the tarred rope and ordered Boy
} to hoist Meyher out. Boye declined. II
then ordered Billy TO hoist Meyher OF
5 and Billy obeyed. As Meyher was bein
t hoisted out by the thumbs, his hea
I caught under the deck at the side of til
7 hold. The captain put his foot dow
: and kicked him loose. His body swun
a across 10 the opposite side of the hold an
: struck the deck. This he did three times
Z, Meyher was thus hoisted by his thumbs OF
/, of the hold and some two feet above I'll
s deck where he was kept hanging by h
:, thumbs until he was asked if he woul
/ work if let down. He replied az wi
J., work" He was then let down on IL
y oysters in his bare feet. He ran like
Y crazy man from the mainmast to the for
J. mast when Haase caught him and unite
L the tarred rope from his thumbs. He WI
n in great agony and was so weak that h
y could not stand. He fell down, then 81
|. up with assistance against the mast. Il
Q was ordered to put on his boots. He WI
2 so weak that he could not do it. Haal
pulled them on for him. He was ordere
below, but could not go down alone. 1
was too weak. Haase assisted him I'M
70 the forecastle.
g That night the dying Meyher was p,
"a in boat and taken away by the captaii
1t and the next morning his body was four
'r in the Pocomoke river.