Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-10
Was a Titled Young English
 man.
OWNER OF A VAST ESTATE
A Victim of Spanish Vngeance for Whipping as Thief to Death Poisoned at Dinner as
 Promised in an Anonymous Letter
New Orleans PIsayune.

ing American wife in this lonely and far away land. The death of the young Eng lshman is sensational in the extreme. The story as told by the foreigners in the towns along the Nicaraguan coast Is that Sir William whipped a Spaniard to death and he was marked by the friends of the dead laborer, and three months afterwards he was poisoned.
 Anderson went to Central America several years ago from California. He first purchased a plantation in Costa Rica, and after years time deserted the place. going back to England, and then journeying to the United States During 1892 and 1893 he went to Los An geles, Cal, and purchased a ranch at Pasadena where he lived in the height of fashion. Quarterly he received large sums of money from England, through the Bank of England, and for two years he was considered one of the richest Englishmen in America. During his stay he met and married Miss Jennie Bell daughter of Col. Horace Bell, a promi- nent California lawyer.
 A few months afterwards he left the Pacific coast and again drifted to the tropics. This time he purchased plan tation In Nicaragua, some twenty miles from San Juan del Norte, or Greytown. A handsome house was erected, and dur ing 1892 he and his wife arrived in that far-away republic from their California home. After considerable trouble the plantation was started and the couple went to live on the lonely river along the mountains
 short time ago numerous thefts were noticed about the house on the planta- ton and the owner set a trap for the thief He was rewarded with success, and the culprit was captured. In place of turning him over to the police, it is stated by the very best authority that Anderson tied the spaniard's hands and feet and whipped him unmercifully. Then the poor fellow was left in an out house to starve. For days he fingered and finally was taken sick and the sick ness ended his miserable existence
 There were several other Spaniards working on the place, and the actions of the owner did not seem to meet with their approval Like Spaniards, they said nothing, but plotted deeply. A few days after the laborer's death, Ander- son received an anonymous letter, tell ing him that within three months he would die. He paid but little attention to the threat, and the duties of the plan- tation went along as usual
 The three months dragged themselves out, and the last few days were nearing their end. There had not been the slight est outbreak, and no attempt at assassi- nation was discovered. The revengeful Spaniards, however, were not idle, and had woven network of plots, and one of them was a daring plan at poisoning.
 On the last day of the three months Sir William came in from the fields of the extensive plantation for dinner. He was tired and the day very warm-one of those truly hot days of the tropics. He seated himself at dinner about in the afternoon, and when he staggered to his feet after the ending of the meal, he realized that the Spaniard's warning had come true. The poison worked its deadly way rapidly, and that night the young English lord died in agony.
 A message was sent down the river to Greytown to friends and the English consul. A day or two later his body was brought down from the plantation, the residence was closed and the crop al- lowed to go to ruin. They buried the young scapegrace in Greytown, and the foreigners cared for his remains.
 At the time of his death he was abso- lutely alone, his wife having some months previously gone on a visit to her parents in Los Angeles. The Spaniard who committed the cowardly murder na- turally escaped and although the govern ment made a search in a way, he was nev- CT heard of
 There is mystery about the entire affair which baffied the police authorities and the foreigners who interested them selves.
 Sir William Anderson was one of the best known foreigners in the tropics and his charming young wife had friends all south of Yucatan. During their stay 1n NlcdTdBud the young lOTu DecdIne well acquainted with the government, and counted President Zelaya among his close friends. Sir William is connected with the famous Anderson family of England which is connected withth earl of Tar borough. He is a young son, and once not many years ago rode on the turf at the big meets of Australia. He always owned number of good horses and was true sportsman. He was about 50 years old at his death, and when a youth entered the English army and served as a commissioned officer in the Indian divi- sion.
 Sir William, or Capt. Anderson, as he was known to all Americans in Nicarau- qua. arrived in Bluefields during the trouble between the Spaniards and the Mosquito Indians, and. was present dur ing the fight which followed. He re- mained in that quaint town but few weeks, however, when he chartered a vessel to bring to Greytown his belong fngs. He brought from this city large and comfortable home, which. upon his arrival at the wild plantation on the trop- teal river was put together. Here he and his wife began the planting of cocoa. The country was almost wilderness when the party arrived but with the use of considerable money they soon made the plantation one of the finest in the tropicss
 Capt. Anderson was rather high-tem- pered Englishman and very selfish one For year or more his life on the San Juan river was to all purposes happy one. The plantation prospered ana IeW months ago his wife left for her home to visit her parents, leaving him alone.
 Frequently these robberies about the plantation occurred, and he made up his mind to capture the thief. His search was a careful one, and he was rewarded not much longer than three months ago. When the miserable creature was finally captured in the very act of robbing the house the English lord did not appeal to the pollce,-for 1t was a mile to the nearest town. He tied the. Spaniards hands and feet. and the story goes, left him in an outhouse. Daily he would thrash the miserable specimen of hu- manity. Exposed to the nights chilly air and the insects and like plague, the Spaniard was taken very i'll and died from the effects of exposure and the beatings he received. Then came the anonymous letter and the months of waiting. Captain Anderson paid but It, tie attention at first to the threats, but as the day of judgment neared, the for eigners say, he was somewhat worried