The San Francisco call., 1897-11-06
FIRE AND
MURDER ON
THE SEAS
How the Captain and
Mate of a Schooner
Met Death.
SLAIN BY THE DEMON
COOK.
After Killing the Officers He
Compelled the Grew to
Obey Him.
SET THE VESSEL ON FIRE
AND ROWED AWAY.
The Chief MisCreant and His Dupss
Are Sent Back From Bahia on
the Lancaster.
After Killing the Officers He
Compelled the Crew to
Obey Him.
SET THE VESSEL ON FIRE
AND ROWED AWAY.
The Chief Miscreant and His Dup IS
Are Sent Back From Bahia on
the Lancaster.
Special Dispatch to The CALL

Uniled States steamer Lancaster dropped
anchor in Hampton Roads his morning
from Bahia, Brazil. In military contlne-
ment on the warship are five men OF the
crew OF the schooner Oliver Packer, whose
captain, J. w. Whitman OF RockI and
(Me.) and first mate, William Saunders OF
Sandy Cove (N. S., were murdered at sea
in August. In the ships brig, closely
ironed, is J. Anderson, the COOK, who is
the self confessed perpetretor of The mur-
ders and who afterward set fire 10 the
vessel.
The Packer sailed from Boston on the
9th of June and the story of this tragedy
OF the sea is told best in the words OF the
murderer, who tonight gave the follow
ing version of his crime:
II was the cook aboard the Oliver
Packer and had to serve the captain as his
servant. l had good reason to believe that
the captain did not take to me, and l was
always in fear of my life whenever he got
into his mad fits. He had a dog which
was always coming into the cookhouse
and annoying me. On the day OF our lit
tie difficulty be animal came inside and
l threw boiler of hot water on him.
"WelI, he howled, and the next thing
1 knew the captain was calling Tor me.
went 10 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 ordered me into his cabin
to make up his bed. This was in the
morning. I made up his bed and he or
Gered me out with volley OF oaths. /
saw he was in a mean humor and deter
- al
knew the captain had some pis-
tolls in his cabin and L went
back to get one of them.
J ust as soon as entered the captain fired
beer bottle at me, and, seeing that l
lodged it, he picked up pistol from the
ia bic and sent ball III my direction. |
had got my hands or weapon which
was lying on the corner OF his table, and,
of course l opened fire on the -
rascal. Ny first bullet took effect in his
foreh cad and the second went through
his breast, killing him almost instantly.
II then went upon deck and called to
the mate, who was in the tore-rigglng.
He shouted down to me, asking what l
wanted. | told him to come down, that
the captain wanted him in the cabin. He
started down and when he reached the
deck | went for him. He was an old fell
low with whiskers and | felt like smash
ing MIN with my fist. He looked at me
as If to inquire my authority to order him
about and eveled the weapon at his old
whiskered head, saying at the time:
Now die, like the dog you are With
that pulled the trigger and the mate
dropped to the deck. rolling to the port
side Of the ship.
II then went down into sthe cabin,
thin king l would be able to take the ship
by myself. ] saw that the captain was
ghost and [ came on deck again. The
1 T.lrx Col r,Oty a 1tN
! TO put him out of misery. One more shot
did that. | secured the captains other
pistol and after giving the mate a second
bullet I started toward the crew, who
were aft, with pistol in each hand, and
gave them to understand that | was to be
master of the Oliver Pecker, and that the
first man who undertook to disobey my
orders would have to suffer the conse-
auences. They carried out my commands
without murmur
II first ordered them to throw the
mates body over board, and we went down
into the cabin and brought up the cap
| tain's corpse, disposing OF it in like man.
ner Next l ordered the men to gel out
| the oil and saturate The whole vessel. fore
and aft, in such manner that she would
| burn up like -. They did that, and
| then we got our belongings and prepared
to take to the boats first setting fire to
! the ship.
NV chum and l went down in one of
| the boats, while the other four men took
10 another. They pulled Oft in different
| direction from US. and we never saw them
again until we met in prison in Bahia.
! They must have peached on us, Tor no
sooner had we landed from the ship than
! the officers placed US under arrest and
! sent us o Bahia"
! The Pecker was one month out from
| Boston and was within two days of Bahia
III l. k,-k = Star
masted schooner and started out with a
| crew of eight. The statement was sent
ashore by an officer OF marine.
The officer stated that when the men
were thrown into prison at Bahia the
| United States Consll at that port COM
municated with the Navy Department at
| Wa shington concerning the arrest of the
| murderer and his accomphce, and re-
| ceived instructions to place them aboard
| the cruiser Lancaster, which at that time
was several hundred miles south OF
Bahia, and which would be ordered to
that port as soon as possible. Tne seamen
| remained in the old prison at Bahia for
foGr weeks before the arrival OF the Lam
| caster.
When the men were sent aboard the
| cruiser they were found to be so filthy and
| poorly clad that 1t was necessary to give
| them baths and new wearing apparel.
| The cook was ordered In irons and the
remainder of The unfortunate ships crew
| placed In confinement.
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
the mate. 1t is more than probable, how
| ever, that they will not onlv be used as
witnesses against the m urderer, but will be
held and convicted on The charge of firing
a ship on the high seas. The other five
men of the Oliver Pecker's crew are Will
| liam Herburg, Andrew f. March, Manuel
| Barrial, John Lend and M. Barstad.