The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-02-16
Horrible Piracy on an ArnerI-
an Vessel.
Murder of the Captain and five Of the Grew.

The Hongkons Daily Press OF September 25th,
gives the following account of an attack on the
American brig Lubra. commanded by Capt. Ben
Jamin HOwes, Of Dennis. Mass. in the China
Seas. by pirates. aud the murder Of Capt, HOwes,
and several of the crew
The American brigantine LUbra. which left
this port on Saturday last, loaded chiefly with
arms and ammunition. bound 10 Yokohama, re-
turned at 6 p. NJ. last evening. havIn. been at
tackled by pirates and the Captain and FIVE of the
crew killed or missing.
The account Is that. about half-past six on on
Sunday, when about forty miles outside of PERIOD
Brance. a Junk was observed to windward on the
same tack as the Lubra, edging down toward
her. She came close to. asking where the vessel
was from, and where bound TO, and upon being
told by the chief mate . Japan an inquiry was
then made as to whether they did not want an
inland sea pilot. A negative answer was re-
turned and the junk told TO sheer of, instead Of
which she put her helm up and ian alongside
the brigantine. a stink pot was thrown on her
decks, and 4 number OF men jumped on board.
and the vessel was AT once in the hands Of the
pirates. IL appears that the Lubra carried no
cannon on deck and had but few small arms on
board. None on board appear to have had any sus-
piciOns a. To the character of the Junk until she
ran them aboard. and then Of course resistance
was useless. The captain had lis wife and Two
daughters on board, and lie went down below To
protect them the mate followed and told the
captain that if he liked they would resist all
entry 10 the cabin and fight side by side until
Ov~eTpOwered. The captain knew that this would
be useless and told the mate to look out for him
self, and not to litt his hand against any Of the
pirates. The crew had by this time taken refuge
aloit and were ordered down but refused 70
come. One, however. on his way down the
rigging was shot and fell overheard. They kept
popping 1T the men in the foretop. and when
asked why they did so, as they had the vessel aud
could take what they liked. one of them who
spoke English replied, You kill Chinaman We
makee kill you When the pirates first went
into the cabin they were told by the captain TO
take what they liked and 90. They did not
interfere with him at first but proceeded to plum
der the cargo and overhaul the cabin. literally
turning everything upside down. At 3 a. N,
yesterday morning they were apparently satisfied
with what they had taken (hayIng we'll loaded
their junk) and proceeded TO cast of before
going, however, they filed up the measure Of
their crimes by a deliberate murder. The cap
tain was 10 the cabin on a sofa, with one arm
around his wife's waist. holding one of bis chill
dren in the other. One Of the scoundrcls came
below, presented a pistol at him and deliberately
fired. The ball entered near the right eve and
death was almost instantaneous. On mastering
the crew, out of twelve men, the captain and one
of the seamen were found dead. and four more
missing. one who was seen 10 fall overheard after
being wounded. The chief mate, VINO was un-
hurt. although he had = narrow escape. then vut
the vessel round with the remainder of the crew,
and returned TO Hongkoug, arriving here at 6 r.
IL. yesterday evening.
There are some suspicious circumstances at
tached 10 the case. a. three Of the survivors swear
positively that while aloft they could distinctly
recognize the voice Of the steycdJre Of the vessel,
and again the Chinese cook. who was one of the
survivors. disappeared from the vessel about s p.
N, last night