The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-06
KILLED CAPTAIN And MATE.
Terrible Confession Of The Olive peckeF'S
Cook 10 Naval Officers.
The NATE MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD
After the Captain Was Dispatched--Ihe
Man Then Forced the Other Members
ofthe Crew TO Fire the Ship Cap
tured and Held mt Bahia.

|
anchor in Hampton Roads this morning
from Bahmla. Brazil In military confine-
ment on the warship are i've men Of the
crew OF the schooner Olive Pecker, whose
captain. ]. J.. Whitman, Of Rockland,
Ne. and First Mate william Saunders,
OF Sandy Cove, n. s., were murdered at
sea in August last
In the ships brig. closely ironed Is A.
j. Anderson. the schooner's cook. who is
the self-confessed perpetrator Of the muir
ders. and who afterwards set fire TO the
vessel.
The Olive Pecker sailed from Boston on
June 9th with cargo of lumber Tor
Bahia, and the story of this tragedy on
the sea is told best in the words OF the
| murderer, who tonight gave TO the Asso-
ciated Press the following version oil Ms
crime:
Il was the cook aboard the owe
| pcckcr twO-masted schooner from boS-
! ION fo Rahia and had 20 serve the cap
| tain as his servant. / had good reason
10 believc that the captain ala not take
| 20 me and ! was always IN rear OF my
life whenever he got into ms ihau nv.
| He had "A dog. which was always coming
| into the cOok-house and annoying me.
| ON the dav of our little difficulty the ami
NAL came inside and | threw boiler OF
| hot water on him.
| I knew the captain was calling for me.
i went TO his cabin and he commenced
| cursing me- telling me that THIS sort OF
| thing had 20 stop
lid not say anything to him and he
| ordered me into his cabin 90 make up MS
| bed. This was IN the morning.
Il made no his bed. and he ordered
me out with a volley Of oaths ! saw he
| was in mean humor. and III ermned
| To arm myself against him. knew the
| captain had some pistols in bis cabin. and
| / went hack To get one Of them just as
soon as entered the captain fred a beer
| bottle az me- and. seeing that ! dodged
| g. he picked up a pistol from the table
| and sent a bah I'm my direction: mad
| got my hands on weapon which Was
lying on the corner Of his table, ana or
course / opened fire on the d rascal.
| Mv first bullet took effect In his forehead.
| and the second went into his breast Kill
| ing him almost Instantly
KILLED THE NATE.
II then went mp on deck and called 70
the mate. who was i'm the forerigging.
He shouted down to me. asking what
I wanted. I told MIN TO come down that
the captain wanted him In the cabin. lie
started down. and when he reached the
deck / went for him.
lie was an Old fellow with whiskers..
and / felt like smashing him with my
"He looked at me az n 20 inquire my
Z
levelled the weapon M his old bewhiskered
head. saying at the same time. Now die,
Ike the dog YOU are"
with that I pulled the trigger and the
mate dropped tO the deck, rolling To the
port side Of the ship.
II then went down into The cabin. think
ing ] would be able TO take the ship by
II saw that the captain was a ghost
and I came up on deck again. The mate
was groaning and ] telt n my duty 20
arl of
shot did that.
II secured the captains other pistol.
and after giving the mate second bull
! lot / started toward the crew, who were
aft. with pistol In each hand, and gave
| them TO understand that ,as TO he the
master Of the Olive Pecker. and that the
first man who undertook - disohey my
orders would have TO take the cOnse-
qucnces They carried out my commands
without murmur.
u told them TO throw the mates body
overheard. and then we went down INTO
the cabin and brought W the captain
BURNED THE BOAT.
Next / ordered the men To get out the
| OH and saturato the whole vessel fore and
aft In such manner that she would
burn up like HI. They did that and
! then we got our belongings and prepared
to take To the boats, first setting fire
"Nfy chum and went down In one Of the
boats while the other four men took 10
another. They pulled or I'm "A different
direction from us and We never saw them
1 again until We met in prison In Bahia
| They must have peached on MS, Tor no
sooner had we landed on the ship We
had taken. than the officer placed us
under arrest and sent us 10 Bahia.
The Pockcr was one month out from
Boston and was within two days OF Bahia
when AN this happened She was two
masted schooner and started out with
crew of ci2ht
story for the correspondent of The Asso-
ciated Press.
The officer stated that when the mon
were thrown into prison AT Bahia, the
United States consul az that port COM
municated with tho Navy Department al
washington concerning the arrest OF tbt
murderer and his accomplices ana re-
ceiVcd instructions 20 place thcm aboard
| Of the fourth-ciass cruiser Lancaster
which. an that time was several hundreu
| miles south OF Bahia, and which would
be ordered 20 that port as soon as pos
sible. 1900
The seamcn remained IN tho old prison
al Bahia for four weeks before the dfrl-
| val OF the Lancaster
| When the men were sent aboard the
cruiser they were found 10 be 80 ntny
4 and poorly clad that Il was necessary 10
give them baths and new wearing apparel
| The cook was irOucd I'm chains ana the
| remainder Of the unfortunate SHIPS crew
| We're placed IN fulIlhtN cVhuH'nt'HN anu
| brought to Hampton Roads where the
| vessel arrived yesterday morning.
| The five sailors are under the impress
| sion that they are being held as witnesses
| against the cook and will be expected
TO testify that he murdered the captain
/ and mate.
II is more than probable. however. that
| they will not only be used as witnesses
! against the murderer, but Will be held
| and convicted on the charge OF firing
| shin on the high seas. which Is "a serious
| offence. and r. punishable by long term
| Of impris onHent ,.-, ~.
| In speaking with the Associated Press
| corresnOndent tonight. an officer from
| the lancaster stated that he Is of the
| oDiniOn that all OF the men were willing
uarties to the mutiny and did not do any
| thing ordered by the cook against their
7'APpEARANCE or PRISONERS
| Nf-NVpORT NEWS. NA.f Nov. 5.-Spe-
| cgai when I visited the Lancaster this
afternoon the men were being exercised.
| Each was I'm double chains-i O.. his legs
/ were fastened by heavy chain 50 that
| IN was impossible 10 move one Ieot more
| tban si~ inches ahead OF the other. and
| tbe chain around the ankles was passed
| through the heavy ring made Iast 10 the
| floor OF the deck. .,
| ono Of the prisoners was being shaved.
| ne vas guarded by four armed marines
| Ills feet were chained 20 the hoOr. and
| eacb arm was strapped TO the arm or the
| heavy chair IN which ne SAT Wn,e tne
| bsrber hurriedly performed MS task. All
| ooS the prisoners were closely shaved and
| heir hair was clipped close to the head.
0vrn Tha ~ men were sturdy looking set
| 1hev were BY far better LOOKING crew