The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-09

Washington November 6.-The attorney
general has advised the secretary of the
navy that he desires to have the mutin-
Gus crew of the American schooner Olive
Pecker tried at Norfolk, in the eastern
district Of Virginia. 1t was at first
thought that the case would be brought
to trial at Boston, but the language of
the statute is so explicit that the ques-
tion Of jurisdiction undoubtedly would
be raised. and probably with success, if
the crew were taken for trial to any
point outside the Norfolk district. To
avoid any chance, therefore, of a failure
to convict by reason of a defect in the
proceedings, the United States marshal
at Norfolk has been instructed to take
custody Of the prisoners, and the United
States attorney will be directed to pro-
ceed with the trial. The section of the
Revised Statutes which fixes the juris-
diction of cases of this kind is $780, which
is as follows:
"The trial Of all offenses committed
upon the high seas or anywhere out Of
the jurisdiction of any particular state
or district, shall be in the district where
the offender is found, or into which he
is first brought
Solicitor General Richards will go to
Norfolk tonight to spend Sunday with his
brother, who is an officer on the United
brought the prisoners to that port, and
during his stay he will confer with
United States Attorney White to the
conduct of the case.
Norfolk, Va, November 6.-The mutt
neers who flied the schooner Dive Pecker,
of Boston, on the high seas after the
captain and mate had been murdered by
John Anderson the cook, win be trans
ferred Monday from the United States
ship Lancaster, which brought them
from Bahia, Brazil, to Hampton Roads,
to the Norfolk city Jail, where they will
be confined pending trial before the
United States district court here. Judge
Robert w. Hughes will probably preside
at the trial and District Attorney Will
government, is now at Old Point ac-
quainting himself with the details Of the
case. 1t is not known when the case will
be called, but as the United States
courts recent session consumed only one
day, it is not unlikely that Judge Hughes
may order special session to try the
case
Anderson was seen today by an Asso-
ciated Press representative and again
told the story Of the crime. 1t did not
differ materially from that given to the
ously insisted that the deed was com
mitted to save his own life, and he also
dwelt persistently on the brutality Of
the captain and mate. He admitted that
he killed them, but did not admit that
he burned the ship with his own hands.
Juan Barrios, Spaniard one of the
prisoners, corroborates the story of An
derson in detail as far as he knows it..
After telling of the brutal treatment of
the cook by the mate and captain,
Barrios, speaking of the tragedy, said
that he in his bunk trying to sleep
when he heard a noise and in little
while some one came forward and
knocked on his window saying: Look
out boys. the cook is on deck with three
n m a VI w a G
giving the warning where the captain
was and he replied: I'm the cabin" He
then asked If any one had killed the cook.
and the reply was: mo, but the cook
is trying to kill the mate" The mate
was in the foresheets.
Barrios hid himself between the engine
room and his bunk and remained there
until Anderson called for the crew to
come out, saying that he was master Of
the vessel He came out of his hiding
place and saw the mate lying dead on the
near with three revolvers. He made the
crew throw the bodies over board, which
they did very unwillingly. One of them
told him the mate was not dead, but the
cook said he was dead enough.
The crew held a hurried sort Of consul
tation, according to Barrios. Some OF
them wanted to sail the vessel to Africa
and others wanted to come back to the
states. Anderson would trust none OF
them, but made them get in the boat
Then they poured oil over the schooner
BarrfOS does not KNOW VINO tOucneu Oh
the flames. He says that he was the
first to give the Brazilian authorities ar
account of the tragedy. He was very
much excited today, and broke down sew
eral times while talking. He seems to bt
craven and will probably do more swear
ing than all the others in order to save
his own neck. His manner is in decided
contrast to that of Anderson, who is at
cool and nonchalant as if it were ar
everyday affair
Card from Hannis Taylor