The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-24

the Defendant.
Norfolk, December 20.-A1 preiimi-
naries having been cleared away rapid
progress was made today in the case
Of John Anderson, now on trial in the
federal court upon the specific charge
of numbering Mate William Saunders,
of the schooner Olive Pecker, on Au-
gust 9Th last while that vessel was on
the high seas.T The case nay be finished
tomorrow, though Andersen has yet to
be tried under the Indictments for muir
dering Captain Whitman and burning
the schooner.
a number of minor witnesses were
heard upon the Identification Of the
vessel and her cargo and Martin Bar
etad, the Norwegian, was called to the
stand as the first eyewitness to the
terrible tragedy which will go down
as one of the most dramatic and re-
markable of modern times.
Barstad testified that he was at the
wheel during the whole affair. He saw
Andersen throw water on the captains
dog in the morning about 8 O'Clock on
August 9Th, then heard the captain
curse him, after which Followed a noise
as of some one falling. and he supposed
the captain had struck Andersen, who
came VI and asked the mate to protect
him, and the mate said: Go to HI;
you've got to die anyway" Shortly af-
ter this Andersen came out of the cap
tain's cabin and called the mate down
out of the rigging, and shot him four
times. He summoned all hands on
board and made them throw the body
overheard. Then he made them go
down into the cab1n and get the body
of the captain and throw that over
board, after which he tOok the crew
down into the captains cabin and
gave them some whiskey. The crew
were forced to get into the small boat
and go to Siore. The trip thither, and
subsequent events were narrated very
much as heretofore published.
Barstad said that when they had
thrown the bodies overheard Ander-
sen said they were all guilty because
they had helped dispose of the odies.
He compelled the crew at the point of
pistols to gather UP their effects and
put them into a boat; then he made
them pour oil over the vessel and set
it on fire, after which all hands left
the schooner in the boat.
John Line was then cac'ed to the
stand. He testified that he was a
Swede and had shipped as a common
sailor on board the schooner Olive
Pecker. He told essentially the same
story as Barstad, except that he did
not see Andersen shoot the mate. An
dersen came up to him and told him
that he had killed the captain and
the mate had to go too. The witness
then went and called the watch to
come up, and while he was doing this,
he heard three or four shots on the
other side of the vessel. He helped
throw the bodies overheard and Ander-
sen cursed the dead body of the mate.
He could not state what language he
used. Speaking of the whiskey, Ander-
sen gave the crew. Lind said it was
only a half bottle and no one was
trunk; the captain. and mate were
dead when thrown overheard. Ander-
sen fired three shots when the small
boat left the burning schooner, though
why he did it, witness could not say.
Line old how the crew drew lots to
see who should go together, and his
lot fell with that of Andersen. He
said Andersen shot the dog which came
ashore in the BOAT and on the way to
Belmont he sold the captains watch.
Upon cross examination, Lind said
he had heard Andersen prior to the
killing ask the mate to protect him
from the captain and had heard the
mate tell Andersen: Go to HI; you
will be killed anyway" Andersen
that morning had thrown water on the
captains dog. The captain cursed
him in the worst language he ever
heard and then made for him." after
which 7 ind hoard q Noise &C Of Snna
one falling, and presently Andersen
came out of the galley and asked the
mate to protect him.
Andrew March. the big fellow" the
next witness, testified that he was sc
years of age, born at sea, of Spanish
parentage, and hailed from New
Foundland. March did not see the
shooting Of the mate. out heard An
dersen say he had killed him. The wit
ness was in his bunk at the time,
heard Andersen call the mate down
from alOft. He heard the conversation
between Andersen and the mate and
heard -four shots, after which Ander-
sen said: Come out here. boys, and
lower the o and put me ashore. The
captain and mate are dead and I am
in charge of the ship" The witness
said Andersen cursed the dead body of
the mate when il was thrown over
board.
On cross examination, March proved
a hard nut to crack and his testimony
could not be shaken.
Juan de Dios Barrial, the Spaniard,
did not see the shooting, but heard
shots. His story tailed in all essen
tials with that of his mates. Refer
ring to his conversation with Andersen
after the tragedy, Barrial said Ander-
sen took him aside and told him he
CAndersen) was a murderer, but had
killed the captain n mate to save
their (the crew's) lives, and before
they left the vessel they would all be
just as guilty as he (Andersen). Bar
rial said he urged the ook not to burn
the schooner.
William Horsburg, the Scotsman was
the last witness examined. His story
did not differ materially from the 9TH
ers.
Court adjourned until 10 O'Clock to-