Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-06

Newport News, Va, November s.
The United States steamer Lancaster
| dropped anchor in Hampton Roads
this MORNING from Bahia, Brazil. In
military confinement on the warship
are five men of the crew of the schoon>
| er Olive Pecker, whose captain, j. W.
! Whitman, of Rockland, Me-, and first
! mate, VIM. Saunders, of Sandy Cove,
n. s., were murdered at sea in August
! last. In the ships brig closely ironed
| is j. Anderson, the schooner's cook,
who is the self-confessed perpetrator
of the murders, and who afterwards
set fire to the vessel. The Olive Peck
er, with crew CT eight, sailed from
Boston on June ~, with a cargo of
lumber for Bahia, and the story Of
this tragedy of the sea is told best in
| the words of the murderer who to-
night gave to the Associated Press
the following version of his crime:
II was the cook aboard the Olive
Pecker, a two masted schooner, from
Boston to Bahia, and had to serve the
captain as his servant.
L had good reason to believe that
the captain did net take to me, and /
was always in fear of my life when
ever he got into his bad fits.
HE had a dog which was always
coming into the cook house and an
noying me. On the day of our little
difficulty the animal came inside and
| threw boiler OF hot water on him.
well, he howled, and the next thing
knew the captain was calling for
me. l went to his cabin and he COM
menced cursing me, telling me that
this sort of thing had to be stopped.
81 did not say anything to him and
he ordered me into his cabin to make
up his bed. This was in the morning.
Il made up his bed and he ordered
me out with a voley Of oaths. | saw
he was in a mean humor and determin-
ed to arm myself against him. l knew
the captain had some pistols in his
cabin and | went back to get one of
them. Just as soon as l entered the
captain fred beer bottle at me, and
seeing that | lodged it he picked up
q pistol from the table and sent ball
in my direction. l had got my hands
on a weapon which was lying on the
corner of his table and of course |
opened fire on the - rascal. My first
bullet took effect in his forehead and
the second went into his breast, killing
him almost instantly. | then went up
on deck and called to the mate, who
was in the fore rigging.
''He shouted down to me, asking me
what | wanted. l told him to come
down, that the captain wanted him in
the cabin. He started down and when
he reached the deck l went for him.
"He was an old fellow with whiskers
and l felt like smashing him with my
fist.
HE looked at me as if to inquire my
authority to order him about and [
leveled the weapon at his old be-whis-
whiskered face. saying at the same time,
Now die like the dog that you are!'
with that | pulled the trigger and
the mate dropped to the deck, rolling
to the port side of the ship.
Il then went down into the cabin,
thinking l would be able to take the
ship by myself.
81 saw that the captain was a ghost
and l came upon deck again. The
mate was groaning, and felt it my duty
to put him out Of his misery. One more
shot did that. I secured the captains
other pistol and after giving the mate
a second bullet, | started toward rllo
crew. who were aft, with a pistol in
each hand and gave them to understand
that | was to be the master OF the owe
Pecker, and that the first man who I'M
dertook to disobey my orders would
have to suffer the consequences. they
carried out my commands without a
murmur.
81 also ordered them to throw the mates
body overheard. and then went down into
the cabin and brought up the captains
corpse, disposing of it in like manner.
Next 1 ordered the men to get out the oil
and saturate the whole vessel fore and
aft. in such a manner that she would burn
up like he'll. They did that and then we
got our belongings and prepared to take
to the boats. first setting fire to the old
ship.
My chum and I went down in one of
the boats, while the other four men took
to another. They pulled off in a different
direction from us and we never saw them
again until we met them in prison in
Bahia.