The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-12-14
THE MUTlNEER'S TRIAL
The United States Court VIII Take up The
Famous Pecksr Case Tomorrow.
SELF DEFENSE WILL BE THE PLEA
VIII Claim Tint Ho Yn.
Driven to DO tho Decd by tho In
human brutality OF Whitman nnd
saunders. and for Hensons OF self
Preservation.

The most important trial, from many
Standponts, ever held In this federal
dlstrio: will begin Tomorrow morning
in the United States Court, when John
Andersen, cook Of the Inflated Olive
l'ecker, ana his three comra des, William
Horsburgh, John Lind and Juan dc
dos Barrial. will be placed on trial for
their lives, the first named charged with
the murder of the schooner'S captain
and first mate and the dcsruct ton OF the
vessel. The others are confronted with
the charge OF being accessories after the
fact 10 the mu-derers. and also with de-
stroylng the vessel.
The clso Is we'll known from one end
OF tho continent 10 the other and needs
no recalling here. The story told by the
men rivals anything ever written By
stevenson in It's quality OF coldbloodcd-
ness, suffering. cruelty and adventure
One reading II once Is almost compelled
to believe that IL Is n romance OF bucca-
neer days when Il was esteemed n little
thing when some hlood-stained brute
ind his pals were made to walk the
plank by some fellow fend who as
sumed charge Of the vessel and held
sway until his day for plankwalking
came, or tardy justice overlook him and
swung him to convenient yard arm rs
II scare-crow and a. warming.
The buccaneer breed has been sup
pressed hut there are afloat to-day on
the bosom of the ocean men In whose
veins the blood of the olden day still
ringles and drives to deeds of madness
| and death. OF such kind seemed
Cant. John w. Whitman and his first
| mate William Wallace Saunders. whose
bodies have long since furnished food
! for sharks in South Atlantic waters.
| Upon the question OF the brutality of
these men there Is n singular unanimlty
| of Testimony by the six sailors who,
| indeed agree to a remarkable extent in
| all the essential details Of the tragedy
| AS John Andersen has said, whitman
and Saunders were like men without
hearts, and according to the testimony
| Of all, they were fools with 1t all. for
! they did not have sense enough to see
! that they were goading n desperate
| man p:e.t the danger line and limit of
endurance. and IL the separate state
ments of the six sailors be true. these
officers literally courted the fate to which
they We're welded little later by the
desperate Swcdc, constituted by cir
cumstance the high priest OF death.
| a this trial tomorrow the fact of the
vicious and unrccnting cruelty OF these
! two men will doubtless be we'll estab-
lished and will probably save John An
| dcrsen's neck from the moose. The plea
| OF self defense Will he entered for the
| cook. AS no one saw him kill the CAP
| tain his own sta tcment, taken with the
knowledge Of Whtman's character, will
| probably be accepted. In tho case of
| the mate, there were witnesses. and
there is q difference of opinion, appar-
| emily upon the question Of how this
murder was committed. One man
states the mate WAS approach An
dersen with n marlin pin. Another says
Andersen shot Saunders in the rigging.
| Andrew March and Martin Bhrstad. two
Of the crew, have been held as Witness
es, and acquitted of the charges against
| them. 1t is q question as to whether
| their testimony will be sufficient to clear
up this point. Should there be any con-
| llict here, al least one more witness Will
he needed to go on the stand. Mr.. y.
J. Morris who is counsel for the three
men. Horshursh. Bavrial and Lind,
clitlns that Barstad and March are on
the same footing a!s his clients and if
they deserved freedom SO do the other
three. And these men. Horsburgh, Lind
and Barrill, Will not be allowed by
their lawyer to testify as the case
stands at present, claiming the constitu-
tional privilege OF refusing to testify on
the ground that the evidence might In
criminate themselves.
| INIT. liuSn Mlilcr Will De aSSOClalcu
with Mr. Morris in his defense Mr..
George Mcintosh will represent Ander-
sen and Is confident OF saving his clients
life District Attorney White will be
aided by Assistant District Attorney B
Rand Wexford. OF Richmond. Judge
Hughes Will nssoclate with him Judge
Nathan Golf. one Of the most eminen:
jnrists In the country. 1t IL hardly
probable that the case Will last longer
than the end of the week, which gives
n day for the cmpannelling of the jury
and prelim!naries. a day for evidences
n day for argument and day for in
, struc:lons and verdict. IT, IL not I'M
probable that much less time will hC
| consumed. for the Federal Court has q
way OF getting through its business with
4 less delay than most courts.
WITNESSES FROM BOSTON.
There arrived in the city last evening
n. number of witnesses from Boston. tho
home port of the Inflated schooner
4 who will testify at the trial. They con.
sisted Of Captain Hall and Captain
4 Maurice w. Childs, two of the former
4 owners of the Olive Peclter; Captain
I Lawrence Cain and three officers OF the
4 Boston harbor police; Messrs. Russell
4 Tldrldgc and Mccarthy, Clearing CLERK
\ Collins, of the Boston Custom-house
and Mcssrs. Budr0c, Names and Mari
ner. who are Witnesses icl the case.
lIKETIIE PICKER CASE.