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

NV the lhtGt AGkOI II -
ana Ship-Burnidg-Ihe Cook Kills the
c.r..,. and M.te-He and Companions
Then Burn the ship-Arrssted In Brazil.
p,.,-hs In the United States on he war.
Ship Lancaster
Newport News. Va. November s.-Ihe
United States steamship Lancaster drop
ned anchor in Hampton Roads this morn
ing from Bahia. Brazil. In military con-
m on the warship are five men
of the crew OF the schooner Olive Pecker.
whose captain. J. W. Whitman, OF
Rockland. Me-. and first mate. William
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 sell con-
fessed perpetrator OF the murders and
who afterwards set fire to the vessel.
The Olive Pecker sailed from Boston on
June 9TH with a cargo of lumber Tor
Bahia. and the story of this tragedy OF
the sea is told best in the words OF the
murderer, who tonight gave to the Az
ISOLATED Press the following version Of
his crime:
II was the cook aboard the Olive Peck
or, a two-masted schooner. from Boston
~ III oAtk ioA W ~ t"S >eRNt
| as his servant. l had good reason to be-
lieve that the captain did not taAe to
me and l was always I'm fear OF my life
whenever he got into his mad hts. He
had a dog. which was always coming INTO
the cook house and annoying me. On the
day of our little difficulty the animal
came inside and l threw a boiler OF hot
water on him.. Well! He howled. and
the next thing i knew. the captain was
calling for me. / went to his cabin and
he commenced cursing me. telling me
that this sort OF thing had to stop. L
did not say anything to him and he or
dered rae into his cabin to make up his
bed. This was in the morning. / made
up his bed and he ordered me out with
a vollev of oaths.
Il saw he was in a mean humor and
determined to arm myself against him
1 knew the captain had some pistols In
his cabin and l went back to get one of
them. Just as soon as l entered the cap
tain fired a beer bottle at me, and, seeing
that l lodged it he picked up a pistol
from the table and sent a ball in my d.
rection. / had got my hands on a wea-
his table, and of course I opened fire on
the ID rascal. My first bullet took
| effect in his forehead and the second
went into his breast, killing him almost
instantly.
Il then went up on deck and called to
the mate, who was in the fore rigging.
! He shouted down to me, asking what /
wanted. 1 told him to come downfall
He started down and when he reached
the deck 1 went for him. He was an old
fellow with whiskers. and 1 felt like
smashing him with my fist. He looked
at me as If to inquire my authority to
order him about. and 1 leveled the wea-
pom at his old be-whiskered head. saying
you are With that 1 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,
| fhinkinO I would ho oh1n ~ La Tho chi,,
by myself. I saw that the captain was a
ghost and I came upon deck again. The
Innate was grooming, and 1 felt it my duty
to put him out of his misery. One more
shot did that.
II secured the captains other pistol.
and after giving the mate a second bull
let. I started toward the crew. who were
aft. with a pistol in each hand. and gave
them to understand that 1 was to be the
master Of the Olive Pecker. and that the
first man who undertook to disobey my
oraers wo Tha nave to take the conse-
without a murmur. / first ordered them
to throw the mates body overheard, n
then we went down into the cabin and
brought up the captains corpse, dispos-
ing 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
h They did that and we then got
belongings and prepared to take to
the boats, first setting fire to the old
snip.
MY chum and 1 went down in one of
the boats, while the other four men took
to another. They pulled off in a differ
ent direction from US, and we never saw
them again until we met in prison in
Bahia. They must have peached on us,
for no sooner had we landed from the
ship we. had taken, than the officers
placed US under arrest and sent us to
Bahia.
THE Pecker was one month out from
Boston, and was within two lays Of
Bahia when all this happened. She was
a two masted schooner and started OUT
with a crew of eight"
The marine officer then concluded the
story for the correspondent Of the Asso.
ciated Press. The officer stated that
when the men were thrown into prison
at Bahia. the United States consul at
that port communicated with the navy
department at Washington concerning
the arrest OF the murderer and his ac-
complies, and received instruction to
place them aboard Of the fourth-class
cruiser lancaster. which, at that time
was several undred miles south Of
Bahia, and which would be ordered to
that port as soon as possible. The sea-
men remained in the old prison at Bahia
Tor four weeks before the arrival of the
Lancaster.
When the men were sent aboard tho
cruiser. they were found to be so filthy
and poorly clad that it was necessary fo
give them baths and new wearing an
parei. The cook was ordered in chains.
aha tne remainder OF the unfortunate
Shps crew were placed in military con-
nemen and brought to Hampton Roads.
where the vessel arrived yesterday morn,
ing. The five sailors are under the i'm
preston that they are being held as wit
nesses against the cook, and will he ex.
pected to testify that he murdered Tho