The Eddy current., 1897-12-25

John Andersen. cook of tho schooner
Olive recker, for the murder Of Mate
William Saunders on tho high seas IN
August Last, was begun in the federal
court yesterday Andersen was also
Indicted Tor the murder Of Capt Whit
man and the burning Of the schooner,
but the prosecution elected to bring the
first trial ;or the murder OF the mate.
hapid progress was made. and Il is pos.
sihie the case may be concluded to-day.
Attorney General Mcintosh, for the
accused, IN outlining the defense,
stated that no would show Andersen
had been subjected to unhcard Of cru
ely, and that tho murders we're com
mitied In nelf-defcnse. A number o.
minor witnesses wcre hcart upon the
Identification OF the vessel and her car
go, and Martin Barslad. a Norwegian,
member OF the schooner's crow, was
called 20 the stand as the first eye
witness 10 the terrible tragedy, which
VIII go down as one OF the most
dramatic and remarkable OF modern
tines.
barstad testified that he was a. ths
wheel during the whole affair. lie saw
Anderson throw water on the capt lln's
dog on tho morning OF Aug. 9. ne day
Of the crimoi then heard the captain
curse Andersen. after which followed a
noise AZ OF some ono falling. lie sup
posed the captain had struck Andersen,
who came up and asked the mate TO
protect him. The mate said:
Go TO h--ll; you've got 10 die. any
wa.
Shortly after this Andersen came out
Of the captains cabin and called the
mato down out OF the rigging and shot
him four times. lie summoned all
hands and made them throw the body
overheard. after which no took tho
crew down into the captains cabin
and gave them some whisky. His
story OF the burning Of the vessel un-
dei Andersen's ds-ectlons and the voy-
age TO land IN small boats varied little
from the published accounts.
After Barstad's testimony the court
look recess for one hour.
When the court reconvened, John
Lind was called 10 the stand. He tes-
tihtd that he had shipped ~ a common
sailor on board the Olive Pecker. LAnd
told substantially the same story M
harstad, except that he did not see
nQcfHen shoot the mate, Andersen
came up TO him and told him that he
had killed the captain. and that tho
mate had TO go, too. The witness then
went and called the watch, and while
he WAS doing this he heard three or
four shots on the other side OF the YES
eel. Witness helped 20 throw the body
overboard, and Andersen, he said,
cursed tho dead body OF the mate. He
could not state what language was
used. Speaking OF the whisky Ander-
sen had given thom. IAnd said Il was
only half a bottle, and no one was
drunk The captain and mate wero
dead when thrown overheard Ander-
sen fired elk shots when the small boat
loft the burning schooner, though why
he did Il witness could not say. Lind
told how the crew drew lots TO see who
should go together, and his lot fell
With that of Andersen. lie said An
dersen shot the dos. which came ashore
In the boat. and on the way 70 Belmont
sold the captains watch.
Andrew March. another OF the
Achooner's crew testified that he dld
not witness the killing OF the mate. but
heard Andersen say he had killed him.
Witness wns In his bunk AZ the time.
and heard Andersen call the mate
down from aloft. he heard tho con-
versatlon between Andersen ana the
mate, and heard four shots. after
which Andersen said; Come out
here. boys. and lower the boat TO put
mo ashore. The captain and mate are
dead. and am IN charge Of the ship"
William Marlborough. another sea
man, was the last witness examined
lis siury did not differ materially
from the lthera. and when ho had con
cluded his testimony court adjourned