New-York tribune., 1905-07-13
NEGRO KILLS TWELVE.
MURDERS BY WHOLESALE.
StOwa1oay SIays Entire Cre7C and
Passengers ON Fruit Yessel.
lBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

lB1 TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE
New Orleans. July 12.-Captafn Hans Holmes
of the Norwegian fruiter Bratten, which plies
between New-Orleans and Honduras ports.
brought to this city to-day the story of twelve
persons. including a and an infant.
brutally murdered by negro. The officers of
the fruit steamer Rosina, which came in later
in the evening. brought additional details
The little island of Utilla, lying off the Hon
duTas coast, and whose population is an indis-
criminate mixture of whites. Caymanites and
Caribs. was the scene of the extraordinary
tragedy
The captain of the little schooner Olympia
was about to make trip to Ruatan, Truxillo
and Belize. He had about 400 sols and was
to buy cattle at TruxiIlo to sell at Belize. He
carried of four and some passengers.
making the total list of people aboard number
thirteen. Among these were two women and
two children.
The vessel left the harbor of UtiIla at IL
o'clock on Friday night June 60 and after she
had been under way less than an hour every
body was aroused by a shot. Rushing on deck.
they found negro. med with a Winchester
rifle shooting down the men, one after an
other. This negro was Robert McGiI. 1t after
ward developed that he had slowed himself
aboard, with the intention of robbing the cap
tain and then swimming ashore
After he had killed all but one of the men no
ordered the last survivor to go below and scut-
tie the ship. When the man reappeared on deck
and reported the negro shot him dead. He then
put the two women Miss Elsie Morgan and her
sister. Mrs. Walter Rose, with her six-weeks-
old infant, in the dOry As soon as they were
ahoat he changed his mind about allowing the
women to live, and killed Mrs. Rose and her in
FAINT
Then he began shooting 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, but his ammunition
evidently gave out. for he promised her i'm
munity from harm If she would come back TO
the dory. She started back and when within
reach he struck her on the head with oar.
stunning her. Believing she was dead. he rOwed
away toward the mainland
Miss Morgan swan back to the island, where
she was thrown on the beach by the waves
in exhausted condition. She feared that the
negro would follow her, so she hid in the bushes
and for days suffered from the heat and
exposure, until she found by a woman
from her neighborhOOd and rescued from starva-
tion.
In the mean time the dory had been washed
ashore. and there was excitement in the island,
as it was believed the Olympia had gone down
with all hands. When Miss Morgan told her
story immediate search instituted for
McGiu and the authorities the mainland
were informed of the tragedy. They caught the
murderer at FL POrvnir. little town the
road to Ceiba His life saved through the
presence on the coast of President BOnia who
was on an inspection tour. The Honduras war
ship. La Tumbla, which has figured in so many
revolutions. was brought into service. and the
murderer was placed aboard and sent back to
the island
Up to last Sunday he still alive though
it is firmly believed that he will be tortured to
death. The laws of Honduras prohibit the in
fiction of capital punishment. but the people
Will probably take the case in their own hands
Miss Elsie Morgan, the only survivor or the
al OrIoa
years ago. She is a we'll educated refined young
woman, twenty-five years old.