Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-13
A Hunduran Negro Killed ALI
but One of Ships Crew for,
81, 400.
ATTEMPTED TO KILL MORE
Left Woman stunned In the watet
but She Wns Thrown on the beach
BY Waves-Sank the Ship-Has
ncen Captured and Pro.
tected from the Mob.

New Orleans, July Zone Of the most
shocking stories Of murder with robbery
as the motive in the annals Of crime was
brought to this city to-day by Captain
Hans Holm of the Norwegian fruiter
Eratten. which plies between New Orleans
and Honduras points. 1t was subsequently
confirmed bv the officers Of the fruit
steamer Rosina. which came later in the
evening with additional details.
Tie little island of Ctilla living of the
Htnduran coast. whose population is an
indiscriminate mixture of white, Cays
NANTES and Cnribs. was the scene Of tho
tragedy in which IL lives were sacrificed.
The captain of the little trading schooneS
Olympia was about to make a trip I'd
Ruatan. Trux!llo and Belize. She had
about siio0 on hoard and vas To huy
cattle at Truxillo to sell at Belize. ShG
carried crew of four and quite a nun1s
her "f passengers making the total list Of
people aboard number thirteen Among
these were two women and two children.
The vessel left the harhor OF Utilla al
eleven o'clock Friday night, June 30 and
after she had been Under way less than
an hour everybody was aroused by
shot and rushing on deck. found negro
armed With Winchester rife shooting
UoWU t'le ITSn one H!ter another, TliS
negro was Robert McC;ill and as it after.
ward developed. he had slowed himself
away aboard vita the intention Of rob.
bing the captain and then swimming
ashore.
After he had killed all but one Of
the men he ordered the last survivor
to go below and scuttle the ship. When
the unfortunate reappeared on deck
| q taI &1A
He then put the two women, Miss FL.
sic Morgan and her sister. Mrs. WAL
ter Rose. in the dory with Mrs Roses
six weeks old infant. and left the boat
steering for the mainland. Hc
changed his mind aboua allowing the
women to live and killed Mrs. Rose
and her infant. He then began shoot
ing at Miss Morgan and wounded her
in the arm. She jumped overheard and
started to swim back to the island.
| He fired at her Intellectually hut his am.
munition evidently gave out for he prom.
ised her immunity from harm il shs
would come back to the dory. She started
back and when with oars length he struck
her on the head with an oar. stunning
her. Believing she was dead he rowed
away towards the mainland. Miss Morgan
swan DdCk 10 the island 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 suffered from the
heat and exposure. until found by a
woman from the neighborhood and res
cued from starvation. In the meantime
the dory had been washed ashore and
there was excitement on the island. as It
was believed the Olympia had gone down
with all hands. When Miss Morgan told
lher story an immediate search was in.
lStituted for McGill and the authorities on
1.-THE mainland were notified. They caught
him at FL Portvinir. a little town on the
road to Ceiba. and there was quite a
demonstration. bur he was protected. His
life was saved through tho presence on the
coast of President Bonilla, who was on an
inspection tour The Honduran warship
La Tumbla which has figured in so many
revolutions was brought into service and
the murderer placed board 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 Hon.
duras prohibit capital punishment. but
it is believed the people will take the
: case into their own hands.
Miss Elsie Morgan, the only survivor
of the terrible experience. visited New
Orleans three years ago and is we'll
educated. refined young women OF u
years.