The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-18
Cook Anderson Killed the
Captain and Mate.
Will Be Brought to Boston
on United States Vessel.
The Murderer's Story C0ntradlcted
by Numbers OF The Crew.

Washington. ID. c., Sept ls.-The story
OF the murder OF Captain Whitman and
Mate Sanders OF the Boston schooner
Olive Pecker of the coast of Brazil show 5
the crime to have been one Of horrible
ferocity.
The fact that John Anderson, the cook,
has confessed 10 the murder, and that
the other mem bers of the crew had made
dispositions substantiating his confession,
has already been printed bat yesterday,
for the first time. IL was possible TO get
from official sources complete details Il
this shocking crime, and the incidents
show that it was sufficiently dramatic TO
suggest one of Clarke Russell's sea tales.
For week the state department has
been in possession of the official report of
the murders on the Olive Pecker and tho
burning of the schooner, made by Vice.
Consul Brice, the United States represen-
tative at Bania, Brazil. This report tho
state depai tment refused to publish for
the reason that the evidence and depOsi
tions contain 3d in 10 Will serve as tho
basis for the prosecution Of Anderson
when his trial takes place
It would be a breach Of official etiquette
and might ondsnger the prosecution TO
make public this report so it will he sent
to the department of justice ana be turned
over by the attorney general to the officer
who will prosecute Anderson.
TRIAL IN BOSTON.
This trial will take place in Boston.
The United States ship Lancaster arrived
st Bahia yesterday. She will take on
board Anderson and the other five mem
bers of tho crew of the Olive Pecker, and
will keep them in irons. safely guarded.
until they are handed over to the United
States marshal in Boston.
The Lancaster Is an old wooden ship,
and Capt Crowninshield, the chief o! the
bureau Of navigation of the navy depart
inent. estimates that il will take her about
40 days to make the trip from Bahia TO
Boston. She will stop at st. Lucia and Mt
BERN uda to take on coal. III she leaves
Bahia then TODAY she will he due in Bos-
ton about Oct 2S. But IL is difficult TO
accurately estimate the time she will con
sume In making the voyage. because she
will proceed under sail the greater portion
of the time. When she reaches Boston her
days OF active sea service will be ended.
THE MURDERER'S STORY.
From the official report Of the tragedy 1t
appears that on August 9. the captain had a
quarrel with the cook, Anderson, owing
to his belief that the cook had thrown hot
water on his dog. Anderson claims that
the captain assaulted him brutally. He
asserts that not only himself. but other
mem bsrs of the crew were subjected "a
such rough treatment from both the cap
tain and the mate, that he was i'm fear of
his life. Finally he says, when the cap
tain was about to strike him with bot
tie. he (Anderson) drew revolver and
shot the captain through the head, killing
him instantly. This occurred in tho
cabin of the vessel.
Having killed the captain. Anderson
rushed on deck where he founu the mate
Sanders, armed as he claims with mar
line spike. He says Sanders raised tho
marline spike To hit him. He fired the
same revolver with which he had killed
the captain, striking Sanders in the side
After that he fired two more shots, the
last one striking Sanders in the head and
killing him.
The stories Of the other members OF the
crew do not bear out the statements
of the cook. Thsy say that the mate was
unarmed Mt the time he was killed. Tho
marline spike referred to was used in work
on the rigging and it was suspended from
his neck by n cord.