Philadelphia Inquirer – December 13, 1879
Arrest of Sailors on Suspicion of Killing their Officers
Baltimore, Dec. 12—Abraham Anneta, a West India negro, and Francis Adams, a Manilla man, sailors, were arrested this afternoon by Deputy United States Marshal Hamilton on warrants issued by United States Commissioner Rogers on charge of murder on the high seas, and attempting to destroy the schooner M. E. Henderson, of Philadelphia, bound to Baltimore with a cargo of phosphate from Bull river.
The vessel went ashore on the morning of November 30, near Kitty Hawk, N.C., and went to pieces. Anneta and Adams and another sailor not yet arrested were the only ones who escaped from the wreck, and as soon as they reached shore they started off without waiting for aid. The bodies of none of the officers have been found, which has led to the theory that they had probably been foully dealt with by Anetta, Adams and the other survivor, who then beached the vessel in order to conceal their crime.
The United States authorities deemed the case one that should be investigated, hence the arrest of the accused shortly after their arrival here from Norfolk.
The hearing will take place on the arrival of parties from Philadelphia.
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