Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-10

~~esANN - LHO IdSO VI lIlC
corsalr was SO great with his captive, that
he had him tied to the mast, a circle of
powder strewn around him, train laid,
and match applied to it. The blaze
burst up, Tapped the unhappy man in its
embrace, and, his clothes all on fire, he
fell insensible. Recovering, he found
himself unable to move, both hands and
legs lacerated, and, in fact, the bones lay
bare, and large blisters on various parts
of his body.
Compassion was excited in the heart of
one of the crew, who showed kindness
and attention to the unfortunate prisoner.
The latter, in the pain he was, was made
to make sails, to act as surgeon, and even
to mount the rigging, by the cap
tain, whose brief fits of human
ity ended in bursts of ferocious
threats. About this time collision oc-
Cured between some survivors of the
"chief mates" gang (who lurked in the
woods near the harbor in which the
schooner constantly ma Gle her head-qar-
ters) and the crew. The friendly magis-
trate, before referred to-, was wounded,
and the multilated Smith was carried on
mattress two miles inland to the house
to dress the officials wounds. Here he
saw the charming daughter, Seraphlna,
again, and hopes of escape were INDUCED
in by both. To lull suspicion, he affect
ed reluctance to go ashore, which pro-
duced compulslon. One day, on his re-
turn, one of the ''gang" was captured by
the boats crew, exposed to the sand-f1ies,
half maddened, blindfolded, tied to a
| tree and shot, ere their return to their APP
proving captain and comrades.
Other unhappy traitors were made tar
gets of, tied to trees, and bets INDUCED
in as to hitting or missing them. All
these things Smith was compelled to
witness silently on peril of his life, while
his own manned, tortured limbs forcibly
reminded him of his captor's state OF
mind. A Dutch vessel was next captured
and her cargo taken, while Smith was
made to act as the surgeon. About this
time he met with Seraphina, on one Of
his visits to her father, and was overjoyed
to hear she had arranged matters for theil
flight. Some days elapsed, tae feverish
nope in the prisoners mind making him
unable to remain quiet. While thus on
tenter-hooks he witnessed another scene
of murder. The French cook of the
Dutch vessel, leased by his cap
tors, seized a Ratchet and wounded
one. The rest simultaneously plunged
their knives into his body, and flung him
still breathing, overheard. Again Smith
was to become the injured pirates sur
geon. Two more prizes were taken, anc
then the famous Rio grew too hot to hold
the pirates. Five gun-boats were ordered
down by the Governor of Havana, fac
of which the friendly magistrate duly in
formed the pirate captain. The corsai
eluded the tlotilla (Which seems to havt
shown little zeal to capture herr, and re
manned for three weeks off the Morilla
where a French vessel was captured b,
her.. The pirates plundered her, cut ava,
her mizZen-mast and starboard main rig
ging, and in this condition magnani
mously turned her adrift to pursue he
voyage.
Returned to the old anchorage-th,
storm having blown over-the schoone
lay inactive. The pirate captain (who
by the way, according to his crews &C
count, had murdered twenty men witt
his own handD, fell ILL., Smith, forced t.
prescribe, put an opiate into some arrow
root, and while the captain slumbereC
and the crew got drunk stole into tn
canoe of some fishermen who wer
abroad, cut her loose and steered for Ha
vana. Two nights and day in thu
frail cockle-shell he traversed the ocean
while, as he says, "the wind blew from
the southwest, and, what appeared to M
| RI no n oil II 4, i
so the whole day-a thing very unusua
in that climate" He reached Havana
and alter boarding ship commanded b.
an OLD acquaintance, went ashore. Rec
ognized by Spanish officer who hat
been a prisoner on board tn
schooner, the unfortunate man wa
seized and flung into a dungeon swarm
ing with vermln, and kept pris
oner for five weeks, though few com
forts were got for him by friendly Span
lard. He was then handed over to tn
British admiral, who, he bitterly com
, plains, had put him in double irons. FL
great severity. During the whole voyag
he was, although freed from letters, KEEP
with sentry over him to prevent hi
speaking to any one. On arrival HON
he was taken to London, committed 10
trial. indicted, tried and acquitted, tn
;; story of which we have given the outlin
, being so evidently true as to convince a.
that Aaron Smiths career of suffering an
, hardship was involuntary, and that hi
pirate adventures were as unavoidable a
, remarkable in the history of the seas.