The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-10
The Murderer Went Calmly to His
Fate.
UNKNOWN WHO PULLED ROPE,
The Crime Which Andersen Hung For
Was One of the Worst Ever Re-
corded on the High Seas-Every
Effort Made to Save Him from
Death - President De-
clined to Act.

NORFOLK, VA, December ESPECIAL.
There was an awful scene I'm the Nor
folk jail yard to-day when John Ander-
sen was hanged. At 3:l6 o'clock, when
the drop fell, the rope broke and Ander-
sen was precipitated upon tho stone
pavement below. His head struck the
rocks, and from cash upon his fore
head the blood streamed, dyeing the
hands OF the marshals assistants as they
carried him, unconscious, up the stairs
OF the scaffOl1, from which he was short
~ launched again, this time success
fully.
INEXPDICABLE ACCIDENT.
The rope which broke was tested this
morning with weight almost double
that OF the condemned. and It's breaking
later Is inexplicable. United States Mar
shal Treat, whose duty II was to super
intend the execution, exhibited the broken
rope to the reporter. 1t was apparently
sound and strong The break occurred
inside the knot. where 1t could not have
been seen, and il is believed that 1t was
strained under the test prior to the hang
ing. The accident was apparently an un-
ayoidable one.
FACED DEATH CALMLY.
Andersen, who seemed calmly resigned
to his fate, went bravely to his death.
His spiritual advisers. Rev. Mr..
Shenk, of the First English Luth-
eran church, and Rev. j. B. Merritt,
of the Seamens' Bethel. were with him;
Before he ascended the scaffold he said
that he was glad that his persecution was
at an end, that he had made his peace
with God and was ready to go. United
States Marshal Treat performed the, 10
him, distasteful duty OF experimenting
the hanging. He was assisted oy me
was sworn i'm for this occasion and Dep
uty Marshal j. Ewes.
40 one knows who pulled the fatal
moose since there were several ropes held
by various men, but one of which was at
tached to the trigger. the others being
dummies Those who held the ropes even
do not know whose hand launched An
dersen's body.
10 REPRIEVE.
At II O'Clock telegram was received
from the secretary Of the President at
Washington. II was in answer to one
inquiring whether the President would
interfere TO save Andersen, and was 10
the effect that decision in the case re-
ferred 10 had been reached. IL was sign
ed j. A. Porter. secretary to the Presl-
dent.
Representatives of the Anatomical So
ciety of Virginia made a proposition for
the body. Marshal Treat answered mo
sir: nothing less than an order from the
Attorney General of the United States will
get it,
Andersen's crime has attracted wide
spread attention, being a sea tragedy or
singular romance and atrocity. The
schooner Oliver Pecker sailed from Bos-
ton. laden with lumber for point on the
River Platte. Brazil. When $50 miles on
the coast of Brazil, Andersen, Swede,
had an alteration with the captain.
When the latter retired 10 the cabin An
dersen followed and shot the captain
dead. Then heavily arming hinseli went
on deck. where mounted on the iorecaste
he terrorized ali on board. The mate.
who was alOft, was called down. and
while pleading for his life was shot four
times. Then the crew were ordered 10
throw the dying mate overheard, ana on
protesting that he was not dead were as
sured that he was dead enough This
done, the crew were marched below az
the point os pistol and ordered 10 throw
the captains body overheard. Then An
dersen directed that OIL be thrown over
the lumber. after which the oil-s)aked
ship was set afire, and the murderous
crew took TO TO the boats. Andersen was
aDprehended at Bahia, Brazil, and sent
North on the Il. 5. gunboat Lancaster.
He was tried and stubborn night was
made up TO the Supreme Court, the con-
vlction being confirmed. The last move
was an application for writ OF haheas
corpus on the ground that Andersen's
constitutional rights. were invaded when
the lower court assigned him counsei IN
stead of giving him counsel. or his own
choice. Chief Justice Fuller IN anncun-
cling the courts opinion. said the Fec'id
of the case showed that no Fundamental
right had been denied Andersen, but that
he had been represented from 1rsf 10 last
Inv able counsel The time when COUNSEL
was not present was at preliminary
hearing OF Andersen. but this was nrt
used In the subsequent trial. The decis-
ion Of the lower court was aihrmei'