Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-08-24
FACTS ABOUT PICKER TRAGEDY.
As ELECTED at the Preliminary Hearing a
Bahia.

The Boston Globe prints the following
as; a special cable dispatch from Bahia
under date of Aug. "a:
The facts in connection with the mutiny
and murder on the American schooner
Olive Pecker, as ELECTED by a preliminary
examination conducted by United State:
Consul Mcdaniel, are as follows:
The ringleader of the mutiny was Johi
Andersen, a Swede, but a naturalizet
American citizen. the steward of the
Olive Pecker.
Andersen claims that he killed Capt
Whitman justifiably, the harsh and over
bearing conduct of his superior officer
provoking him to commit the deed.
Saunders. the mate. attempted to save
the life of the captain, and Andersen. t.
save his own life, was also forced to Kill
the mate.
The remainder of the crew do not ap.
pear to have made any attempt or al
best only a feeble one, to protect the lives
of their officers.
Andersen is very reticent. and has de.
clined to give the particulars of the cap
tain's harsh treatment or the particular
acts which led up to the killing.
After Capt. Whitman and Mate Sanders
had been killed. Andersen appears &c
have taken complete control of the vessel
ard to have intimidated the five other
members of the crew.
According to their stories, Andersen
suggested the firing of the vessel. evi.
conceal all traces of the crime. and that
it would be believed that the vessel had
foundered and the captain and mate hac
been washed overheard.
The crew were to represent themselves
as survivors and to pretend they had es-
capped in the small boats.
The vessel was accordingly fired and
TIE crew took to the boats about l2C
miles from the Brazilian coast.
They drew lots as to the way they, were
10. Ia, h..
the five members of the crew being anx-
ious to have the authorities here believe
that none of them was desirous to be An
dersens shipmate.
The lot fell to Joilml Lind. seaman. a
Swede, the four Others. William Hos
burgh. engineer. Juan Dios BARREL GU
mierrez. Andrew March and Martin Bar
stad, sailors. going in the other boat
When these four men reached the Bra
lillian coast. they Immediately went be-
fore the authorities and made a state
ment regarding the crime, placing all the
blame on Andersen and representing tina
they had no completely IN the affair. but
1t is not quite clear why they were un-
able to protect the lives of their captain
and mate.
Andersen and Lind attempted to ship
on two Norwegian vessels in Port Bahia.
but "a description of the men had been
given to the Brazilian authorities and
they We're promptly arrested.
Andersen freely admitted having killed
the captain and mate. but claimed tnat
he was justified, but it is believed that
Lind was his accomplice.
The entire crew are now prisoners in
the house of correction, and are being
held there until the arrival of an Ameri-
can war vessel to convey them to the
United States. No merchant steamer l.
willing to take the prisoners, who will be
held in confinement until the government
sends after them.
Consul Mcdaniel expresses great salts
faction at the cooperation given him by
the Brazilian authorities and the prompt
ness with which they arrested the alleged
murderers.
Hosburg, the engineer, is an English
man. Gumierrez is a Spaniard, March l.
an Englishman and Barstad is Norwe-
gian. Andersen is believed to be the only
naturalized American.
Consul Mcdaniel has received no In
structions from the state department re.
garding the disposition of the prisoners
and does not know when a naval vessel
will be sent to take them to the United
States.