Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-07-10
BENITO DE SOTO,
The Pirote Of The Morning 6far.
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W ben the prates who boarded tho Moving Star
4Socccajed In cffcctually prostrsti5x all the peo-
pie on deck, they drove most of them below, and re-
served tho remainder in their operations Un-
less the circu instances be closely examined, il may
DC wondered how six men could have easily overs
Come crewoi Engiishscam supported BY about
wnh major at their head bot il will
- appear 60 surprising, when it J. considered that
Sths ss,lare were altogether unarmed, the soldiers
rate carried heavy long gun ready to sink horvic
un ~ shot. Maj. Logic was fully impressed wth
,tne holly OF opposing powerful and desperate
envy, and therefore advised submission tho only
coSc FOR the safety of those under hs chsfge; pre-
suing no doubt that something like humanity might
be found In the breasts Of the wofsl of men,
But, alas he was woully deceived in his estimate Of
the vains nature, and felt, when too late that even
death would have boon preferable to tho bsrbarous
treatment he Forced to endure
Beaten, bleeding. terrified, the men Law huddeA
together IN the hold. while the pirates proceeded in
thor work OF Piago and brutality. Every trunk
Was haui6d forth, every portable article of value hss
pedfov the plunde money, plate, charts, nautical in
s'runscf'ts. and seven parcels Of valuable Jewels,
winch formed part OF the cargo; these were carried
from below on the backs Of th,sc man whom the ri.
rates selected to assist them and for two hours they
We're thus employed, during which time Soto Stood
upon bus own deck directing tho operations, for the
Vessels were within a hundred yards Of each other
The srene which took place in the cabin cxhbiteJ
strs nisst liceniiouB brutality The sick officer, Mr.
Gibson was dragged from his bcrth the clothes of
stie other passengers stripped from their backe and
IN,
.the females whom they locked up the round housc
on dock, and the steward. who detained to serve
-tfe pirates with wine and eatabes This treatment
no doubt fastened the death of Mr. Gibson: the nm
fortunate gentleman did not long survive it. As the
passengers were forced up the cabn-Iadder the feel
inGs OF MaloT Logic, it may be well imagined were
G' the most hcart-rendiDg description In vaia did
De iotTsat 10 be allowed TO remain; he was hurr;ad A.
way from the chance of protecting bis defence
ssS Sif, and baened down with The rest in he hold
ttsa TO be rHcked with the fearful apprehension of
der almost certain doom.
Fbe labors of the robbers bejna nou con,i,Jei
they SAT down 70 regale themselves prepare ory 70
the ca ID ourre of their daLoioa enterprise and
mere terrible looking group of demi devils the stew
ara aec9reS could not be well imagined, than COM
manded has attentions at the cabin table. However
as he was Frrnchman. and naturally polite he nc
qul'cd himself IN the Office of cup-bearcr if not n.
gracefully, at least auxiousy, as ever did Gany
rnede himself. Yet, notwithstanding this readiness,
to serve the visitors in their gastYonomc desires tho
poor steward felt ilrequited he was twice friahen
ed INTO an icicle, and twice thawed back into CON
sc"ns horror by the rudeness of those he entertain
cd. In one instance. when he had filed out spark
hing glass Tor ruiian and believed that he had won
sthe heart Of the drnker by the act he found himself
grasped roughly and tightly by the throat and tho
p",nt Oh KNIFE staring him in the face II seems the
, fellow who thus seized him. had felt between his
eeth sharp bit of broken glass, and fancyng that
aething had been put into the wine to poison him
ne determined 10 prove his suspicious, BY making the
|sIq swallow what remained in the bottle from
winch toe liquor had been drawn, and thus uncero
TnorIcosly pr-faced his command: however ready and
iopc't Obedience averted farther bad consequences
ne tn-r instance of the Stewards jeopardy was
tris: when the repast was ended one Of the r.,tlo
men cooy requested HIM TO waive all aelcacy' and
point out the place in which the Captain money w.,
concealed. He might well have asked him TO nro
duce the philosophers stone However, plea ding the
truth was OF use his determined resu,site, -
ended the demand by swapping pistol at hs b,ass.
having missed fire, he recocked and again presented
our tne iatai weapon was struck aside by Barbazan
Nho rspfovsd tho rashness with threat and thus a.
Vsrted she Stewards impending fate 1t was then
With feelings Of satisfaction that he heard himself o.,
dered TO 90 down TO the held, and in a moment he
veg bolted in along with mis- fellow sufferers.
The ruftians INDUCED in the pleasures of the hot,
tie some time longer and then having ordered down
Inc females, treated them with less humantv
than characterised their conduct towards the Other:
Inc screams Of the helpless women were heard IN
the mold by those VINO unable to render then,
assistance, and agonizng, indeed must those
nave been to their ncarcerated hearers! How far
the brutality Of the pirates carried in this stage
OF tne horrd procet ding we can only surmse: for
tunoteiy, their lives were spared, although as il a
towards appeared the orders Of Soto were 10 butch
or every being on board and is thought that these
orders were not put into action, in conse ouence of
the villains having wasted too much lime in drinking
and o. herwise induging themselves; for it was moi
until the loud voice of their chief was heard 10 recall
them that they prepared to leave the ship the there
lore contented themselves with fastening the women
wi.hln the CABIN heapng heavy lumber the hal CHI
vessel below the surface the water 30 that by des
troylng the unhappy people at swoop they might
make up Tor lost time. They then LEFT the ship, sink .
ing fast to her apparently certain fate.
II nny be reasonably supposed, bad as their CON
uuct was toward the females, and pItiabe as vas the
suffering produced tina: the lives of the whole left
70 perish were preserved through is for the sho must
have gone down if the women bad either bean token
out other or murdered, and those in the hold neyn
ply have gone with her to the bottom. Bur BY GOOD
oItune, the females succeeded in forcing their way
out OF the cabin, and became the means of lbera,,ng
the men confined in the hold When they came on
dech Is was nearly dark yet they could see the pirate
snip considerable distance, with al her sails set
and bearing away from them They prudentIv wal,
60 concealed from the possibility Of being seen bv
tnen enemy and when the night fell they crept to the
ma chway. and called out the men below 10 endea
your 20 enect their liberation, informing them that
the pirate was away and out Of sight They then
united Their Efforts and the lumber being removed
the matches gave way 10 the force below so thar the
released caPuves breathcd Of hope sgain. The de 4
drHuDht. LxI