Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1897-11-10
MURDER ON A BOAT.


Newport News, Va. Nov. 7.-Th,
United States ship Lancaster dropped
anchor in Hampton Roads yesterday
morning from Bahia, Brazil. In mil
itary confinement on the warship are
five men of the crew of the schooner
Olive Peck, whose captain, j. w. Whit.
man, of Rockland, Me-, and first mate
William Saunders, of Sandy Cove, N
H.. were murdered at sea in August
last
In the ships forecastle closely
ironed is ]. Anderson, the schoonert
cook, who is the self-confessed perpe.
traitor of the murders, and who after
ward set fire to the vessel.
The Olive Peck sailed from Boston
on June ~ with a cargo of lumber fol
Bahia, and the the story of this tragedy
is told best in the words of the mur.
derer, who last night gave the follow
ing version of the crime
II was the cook aboard the Olive
Peck, a two-masted schooner, from
Boston to Bahia, and had to serve the
master as his servant. He had dog
which was always coming into the
cookhouse and annoying me. On the
day of our little difficulty the ANNA
came inside, and l threw boiler of hol
water on him. Well, he howled, and
the next thing knew the captain was
calling for me. | went to his cabiI
and he commenced cursing me, telling
me that this sort of thing had to stop
| did not say anything to him, and he
ordered me into his cabin to make u1
his bed, ] made up his bed, and he
ordered me out with volley of oaths
saw he was in a mean humor, and
determined to arm myself against him
knew the captain had some pistols il
his cabin, and l went back to get one
of them. Just as soon as l entered
the captain fired a beer bottle at me
and seeing that lodged it, he picked
up pistol from the table and sent
ball in my direction got in my
hands weapon, and of course openei
fire on the - rascal My first bulle
took effect in his forehead and the sec
ond went into his breast, killing him
then went up on deck and called tt
the mate. He shouted down to me
asking what wanted. l told him tt
come down, that the captain wanted
him in the cabin. He started down
and when he reached the deck 1 wen
for him. He looked at me, as if to
inquire my authority to order him
about, and leveled the weapon at hi'
old, be-whiskered head, saying at tn.
same time: Now die like the dog yol
are. With that l pulled the trigger
and the mate dropped to the deck, roll
ing to the port side of the ship. ther
went down into the cabin, thinking
would be able to take the ship myself
saw that the captain was ghost, ant
came upon deck again. The matt
was grooming, and felt it my duty tt
put him out of his misery. One NOR
shot did that. secured the captain
other pistol, and after giving the matt
another bullet, started toward thu
crew, WIZ were AT, WIFI plSIOI ID
each hand, and gave them to under
stand that l was to be master, and thai
the first man who undertook to disobey
my orders would have to suffer th6
consequences They carried out my
commands without murmur. / first
ordered them to throw the mates body
overheard, and then went down into
the cabin and brought the captains
corpse up, disposing of it in like man.
ner. / then ordered the men to gel
out the oil and saturate the whole yes
sci fore an daft in such manner tina
she would go up like hell. They die
that, and then we got our belonging
and prepared to take to the boats, frs
setting fire to the old ship. My chum
and went down in one of the boats
while the other four men took the
others. They pulled off in different
direction from us, and we never saw
them again until we met in prison in
Bahia. They must have peached OF
us, for no sooner had we landed from
the ship we had taken than the officers
placed us under arrest and sent US tc
Bahia"