The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-07-12
i" Coo s,ru oter 5lattoe 1aarn.'
Half an hour had passed away. and

go 80. i'ouh i'o paSSSu umty, atlu
at the end of that time, as Mcclure
stood learning against the stancEeon at
the aftcr-corner Of the small square
room before mentioned, it appeared to
him that one Of tho bags, that had be-
fore been open to his present line of
vision, had been somehow moved fur
ther forward, rs it was now more than
half hidden by the intervening corner
lie knew that no living soul had de-
scended either of the ladders since the
officers of the first watch came down,
and that no one could have passed
along the deck. AS he stood and gazed
upon the bank as he saw it move.
In a moment Mcclure had guessed
the secret. lie sprang across the deck,
and found that the bag stood exactly ov-
cr the edge the hatch q position which
it must have assumed during the fifteen
minutes last passed He united the
lanyard, buts the mouth was full of
bread; and he gave the bottom of the
bag kick with his foot, and u sharp
cry came forth.s 1t was but the work
OF moment to throw the bag upon it's
side, and while Mcclure was STOPPING
down to examine the bottom, two Of
the l'cutenants, attracted by the noise,
had come from their rooms,
The bottom of the bag was already
Oft, and "a small boy, one of the ships
apprentices, named Quiglcy, was drag
ged out. There was!a little partition
in the mouth Of the bag, and while
that had been filled with bread the
main part had been occupied by the
boy.
The mystery was soon out, for the
boy was easily heightened into full
confession. One of tho mess-cooks.
named Walton,Sand both of the stew
ards assistants, Rele in the plot
Walton, an ingenious fellow, had made
key to fit the lock from an imprcs
$ Oil he had obtained 3of:he oFiginal.-
The bag he had prepared lsotllat the
boy could be concealed inside, and at
the sameitime easily lethimself. out
Several small holes ntiie sides served
him to SEQ when the attention Of the
sentry was dieas;sts him. The.
boy was easily smpggleds into the
bread-room by tho two assistants,
placed in the bag, and then set out in
the other bags: but as near as possible
to the hatch Of the specie.room, from
whence he found but little trouble in
making his way to the money. He
had taken but one bag at time, which
he hauled up after him into his narrow
quarters, atterwhich he would lace on
the bottom of the breadbag again, and
in the morning his cook would come
and carry him up to the berth.deck.-
During the two weeks previous. the
boy had been on the ''sick list" so he
was not of course expected in his watch
Oh deck at night.
The implicated men were secured.
and the money was found in Walton's
mess.cllcst. They had laid their plans
Tor dcscrting when the ship arrived ut
Gibraltar, and getting the money off
with them. They owned that they
had calculated upon securing five thou
sand dollars.
lhe three men were contaminated,
sentenced to two hundred lashes
apiece, and then to be set ON shore at
the first port made, while the boy was
subjected to such reformatory process
as shpboard afforded, he being only a
tool i'll the hands Of the older thieves.
The sentences were carried out to
the very letter, and the Purser felt
much easy after his moncy-bags were
secured, and the adroit thieves disposed
Of.