The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-19
MURDERED ON SHIPBOARD.
CAPTAIN AND MATE KILLED AND
VESSEL BURNED By CREW.

Tho Crew Of the Olive Pecker Appear at n
brazilian Port and Send News OF the Murder
OF Capt. whitman and Rlnte HnraburEh-
The Herbert FulIsr Murder Recalled.
Boston. Aug. 1s.-A cable message was re-
ceived in Boston to-day from Bahia, Brazil. say
ing that the crew of the Boston schooner Olive
Pecker had mutinied and had murdered the
Captain, J. w. Whitman Of Rockland. Me-, and
tho mate, william Harsburgh. who Is supposed
TO DO also o citizen OF Maine. The vessel was
burned, the crew escaping to the shore. 1t is sup.
posed somewhere near Bahia Blanca. whore the
cable message says they now are. The message
simply said that the Captain and mate had been
murdered, the vessel burned, and that tho crew
had reached Bahia, O port some distance north
OF hcr destination.
1t is presumed from the fact that murder was
done that the crew mutinied. and after killing
Capt. Whitman and the first officer set fire to
the vessel and escaped to the shore. The sup
position is that tho mon are under arrest, az the
United States Consul at Bahia would assume
charge of them upon their arrival there.
The passage for q sailing vessel from this
port to Bucnos Ayres at this season OF the year.
under ordinary weather conditions, would be
from sixty to seventy days, and the Olive Pecker
must have been very near her destination when
tho tragedy occurred. For this reason It Is
thought that the crew landed at Bahia Blanca,
which Is about seventy miles from Buenos
Ayres. instead of at Bahia, as tho message said.
Capt. J. w. Whitman was a. years old and
resided at Rocklnnd, Me-, where he leaves a
widow and little girl about twelve years of age.
The mate. William Harsburgh. was % years old,
and belongs in Maine. Little 10 known Of him,
as he was shipped the day before tho vessel left
Mystic Wharf, having been engaged to fill tho
place OF tho old first mate, who was
discharged by Capt. whitman for nation
ton to duty. The second mates name
is William Mitchell, SO years old. a
native of France. The rest of tho crow were:
Steward, Peter Thompson, a Dane, aged 43.
Soamen-Andrew March. a native Of England.
SO; Manual Barial. a Spaniard. 80; John Lind,
q native of Sweden. 81. and William Saunders
of Nova Scotia, 40. Those are tho names OF the
men who sailed on the Olive Pccker with Capt.
Whitman. Tho commissioner articles show that
originally a different mate. cook. and one sea-
man were shipped. but before the time of de-
parture came these three were released. SO that
Mitchell, the second mate, Who shipped as en-:
gineer. was supposed to act In that capacity
hosting anchors. running. tackle. and handling
freight. At sea he acted ms second mate. al
though there is nothing in the articles to show
this. Before the departure of the vessel he and
the Captain had n little trouble. which resulted
in a short delay OF the vessel. Just what the
row was about is not known in Boston ship
ping circles to-day, bnt it is supposed to have
been something about an advancement of wages,
burSh, it is alleged. unscrewed the cap OF the
engine cylinder. and hid II 40 that tho anchor
The harbor police boat was called to the
schooner by the Captsin. and the officers wanted
Commissioner Grant in relation to the matter,
and finding, that to have Mitchell taken to
f anniFv W GssideS cause is take a del lse Of ms ssv ,"ith d bim,
Whether or not this trouble in Boston herbor
he'd in any oi w sag , to the tF' william ON ssh a5Pn b 2 is ,n a
third mate; belonged in SANDY Cove. Digby
said to live. Saunders had made previous trips
TO, South America. his last having been on tho
Atsawycr's shipping office. where the crew
was furnished, all the men are well known.
They have sailed from Boston for several years.
Olsen's boarding house on Garden Court street.
There they are well spoken OF. nothing being
shipped By the Export Lumber COMPANY. which
has offices :, II the E F. building: and was
The company declined to put a valuation on the
cargo. 6Yt 1t il thought to DO fully insured.
vas ,4 Suit R'a at h sifSsr M Tss in S' 1855 $50 ' Sy George assf sa a.
EEjiiiiG ! i and "a h OF , b%pTIinG d}3a .I,bensb w s5s Z Z +:
tain lir' he'll a large Interest ere Tin IN the sr' n"sssl. ' She S Was
1853 feet long. her breadth OF beam WINS 81. Q
feet. and the depth of her hold wasls.3tect; The
upon which there is a partial insurance. '
\ coincidence in connection with this latest
sea tragedy is that the same owners. j. p. Eli
cott & Co. sent out the bnrkentine Herbert
Fuller. on which three murders were committed,
when she left hero for Buenos Ayres on her WOW.
age. Capt. Whitman is spoken OF In the high
est terms by tho owners OF the vessel. He is
well known In this city rs a capable navigator.
Tho owners OF the vessel have declined to
, make any statement regarding tho case. nj.
though n close friend Of Mr.. Ellicott said to-day
that the United States Consul at Bahia was
: asked by cable to-day to hold the men for extra
dition.
RoCKLASD, Me-. Aug. ls.-Capt. John W.
Whitman, or Jack" as every body here knows
him, had hailed from R5ckland for ten years.
, He came here from Gloucester. where every
fisherman and every coaster In tho business
knew him. He was q native of Guysboro. ". s.,
: where no leaves n father and brother in pros.
: perous circumstances. the former q farmer and
r the latter in the lumber business. After rom.
: ing TO Rockland Capt. Whitman commanded
\ tho fishing schooner Grace Young until the
schooner Addie F. Snow had been built for him.
: when he went c%oasting. He left the Addie z.
Snow to Command the schooner Eugene Borda.
5 II granite coaster, and IL said to have
t made considerable money for her owner.
Charles +. Bicknell OF this city. One year ago
. last July he bought Of Capt. A. J. Hall g. "a OF
the schooner Olive Peckcr. paying 81. 900. Capt,
Hail retaining l-RI. The Olive Pecker was
. built in Belfast. On his very first voyage in
the Pecker Capt. Whitman had trouble with
his crew and put to sea with some OF them In
irons. His wife and daughter Bessie were with
him on that trip. and but for them II lie believed
that he would have Jared roughly then. Capt
Whitman. while n man of unqueationed honor
had the reputation among those who knew him
for being a stern disciplinariAn aboard ship and
1 80 AZ ~ N1nt AZ .IA