The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-07-19
WELVE KILLED.
Wholesale Murder by a Negro on
Schooner Olympia.
ONE WOMAN ESCAPED
Miss Elsie Morgan, After Being Shot and
Beaten, Jumps Overheard and Swims
to the Shore. The Murderer
Captured and He May Be
Lynched by Crowd.


One OF the most shocking stories Of
murder with ro bbery as a motive in
the annals OF crime was brought to
New Orleans Wednesday by Capt.
Hans Holm of the Norwegian fruiter
Bratten, which plies between New
Orleans and Honduranean ports. 1t
vas subsequently confirmed by the
officers OF the fruit steamer Rosina,
which came in later in the evening
with additional details.
The little island OF Utilla, lying oil
the Honduranean coast, whose popu
lation is an indiscriminate mixture Of
white, Caymanites and Caribs, was
the scene Of the tragedy in which II
lives were sacrificed. The captain OF
the little trading schooner Olympia
was about to make trip to Ruatan,
Truxillo and Belize. She had about
I,400 to buy cattle at Truxillo
to sell at Belize. She carried crew
Of four and quite number Of passen.
gers, making the total list Of people
aboard number l3. Among these
were two women and two children.
The vessel left ths harbor OF Utilla
at II O'Clock Friday night, June 80,
and after she had been under way less
than an hour everybody was aroused
by shot and rushing on deck found
a negro armed with Winchester rife
shooting down the men, one after an
other. This negro was Robert Nc
Gill and, as it afterwards developed,
he had slowed himself away aboard
with the intention Of robbing the
captain and then swimming ashore.
After he had killed all tut one Of
them he ordered the last survivor to
90 below and scuttle the ship. When
the unfortunate reappearea on deck
and reported, the negro shot him to
death.
He then put the two women, Miss
Elsie Morgan and her sister, Mrs.
Walter Rose, in the dory with the
Mrs. Roses six. week. old infant and
left the boat, steering TOR the main
land. He changed bis mind about
allowing the women to live and killed
Mrs. Rose and her infant. Then he
began shooting at Miss Morgan and
wounded her in the arm. She jump
ed overheard and started to swim
back to the island. he fred at her
Intellectually, but his ammunition evil
IDENTIFY gave out, for ne promised her
immunity from harm If she would
come back to the dory.. She started
back and when within oars length he
struck her on the head with an oar
stunning her. Believing she Was dead
he rowed away towards the MAN.
land.
Miss Morgan swan back to the is
land, where she was thrown on the
beach by the waves in an exhausted
condition. She feared that the negro
would follow her, so she hid in the
bushes and for two days she suffered
from the heat and exposure, until
found by woman from her neighbor-
hood and rescued from starvation. In
the meantime the dory had been
washed ashore and there was excite
ment on the island, as 1t was believed
the Olympia had gone down with all
hands. When Miss Morgan told her
story an immediate search was instl
tuted for McGill and the authorities
On the mainland were notified.
They caught him at Ell Portvinir, q
little town on the road to Ceiba, and
there was quite a demonstration, but
he was protected. His life was saved
through the presence on th:> coast OF
President Bonilla, who was on an in
spection tour. The Honduranean
warship Ia Tumba, which has figured
in so many revolutions, was brought
into service and the murderer placed
aboard and sent back to the island.
Up to last Sunday he was still alive,
though it is firmly believed that he
will be tortured to death. The laws
OF Honduras prohibit capital punish
ment, but the people will take the
case into their own hands. Miss Elsie
Morgan, the only survivor Of the ter
riole experience. visited New Orleans
three years ago end is a well educated,
refined young woman Of rs years.
uDdarIock and Kew,