Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-06
MIR. SMITHS ADVENTURE.
Thrilling Story of Pirate Crew.

AVA PiAocy, WAASu cACllcu STcdC aCtcuClOn
IN London and elsewhere, took place be-
fore the High Court of Admiralty. The
prisoner who stood arraigned, and who
was liable, if convicted, to the penalty of
death, had passed through series OF
mishaps and adventures stranger than nc
ton, and only rivaled by the career of
the associate of a crew Of murderers and
buccaneers, whose deeds were such as to
strike terror into every merchant skip
per's heart, the prisoner, Aaron Smith,
now stood at a criminal bar, and had to
prove to a jury that his companionship
among pirates had been compulsory. On
that proof his life hung on that sharp
December day. TO nation like Eng
land, rich in merchant shipping, and de-
irving from it enormous wealth, the crime
of piracy was always heinous one. Far
back as the twentyeighth year of Henry
Wills reign, a statute had made robbery
on the high seas punishable with death
and loss Of lands. When to this robbery
murder, in its most cruel form, was add
ed, it is evident that to Englishmen the
crime and the criminals became so hate
full as to be hunted down on every chance.
The reports of the atrocities of the West
India thieves had come, ever and anon,
across the ocean to England, and had
reused the hate and fear and honest
wrath.
The risk which Aaron Smith ran was a
very dangerous one. He was acquitted,
however, for his story, which, during the
space of some hours, held court, jury and
public enthralled by its interest, was
marked by the 81 gns of truth. He called
twenty witnesses to testify to his humani-
ty and honesty. The girl to whom he
was betrothed, whose beauty attracted
general admiration, proved that their
marriage would have long taken place
had not the prisoner been detained
abroad. The tears of the young lady and
the emotion of the prisoner touched those
present as sincere tokens of grief, and
Aaron Smith was held a deeply-in jured
man and set free. He drew up little
volume called "The Atrocities of the
Pirates" containing a very simple and
very unvarnished record of his adventures,
and which was published in 1924 In
June, 1891, Aaron Smith left in the war
ship Harrington for the West Indies.
There he stayed, having left the ship for
some time, engaged in various pursuits,
when he. became engaged as first mate
of the brig Zephyr, a Mr.. Lumsden being
master. On the Goth of June the voyage
to England commenced. Some days
brought the brig off Cape st. Antonio,
whence she stood eastward.
On the next day, at 2 p. NJ, strange
schooner stood out from the coast of Cuba
toward the Zephyr. The master was in
formed Of this by Smith and one Captain
Cowper, passenger, but obstinately re-
fused to change his course, supposing 81
presume, on the ciuis-Romanus principle
that as he bore the English flag, none
would modest him. Mr.. Lumsden was
doomed to be harshly undeceived. The
grim schooner came on swiftly, her decks
full Of men and lowered boats. Next
came hoarse order to lay-to, enforced
by volley Of musketry, which increased
the rising terror Of the Zephyr's master
The brig was now boarded by the pirates
boats, which were filled with armed men.
The chief, feroclous fellow, staid in the
schooner, and had Lumsden, Cowper,
Smith and others brought before him on
his deck. His questions: in broken Eng
lish, as to cargo, ETC., were enforced by
threats of burning the Zephyr and every
soul belonging to her if the truth was not
told. Smith was informed by the pirate
captain that he would be kept to navigate
the schooner. The mate entreated to be
released, and drew narrowing picture
OF an imaginary wife and children long
ing for his return; but all in vain. Ulti-
mately he was forced to go aboard the
brig, collect his property and necessaries
for navigation, and return to his new mas
ter. In the interim Lumsden and Cow
per were dashed to the pumps, and COM
bustibles placed around them and fired,
to extort a confession as to hidden treas
ure. The pirates plundered the brig, and
Smith was driven at the point Of the
knife into the pirate schooner, and saw
the brig and his companions sail off, leav-
Ing him in captivity.
In due course, the schooner touched at
harbor-Rio Medias-where an evident
understanding existed between the pirates
and the Spanish magistrates, and where a
dance took place between the crew and
the fair ladies of the neig hbo1hood, at the
chief magistrates house. Our hero, COM
PEELED to share in the festivities, made the
acquaintance Of a young Spanish beauty,
Seraphina, who seems to have excited a
reciprocal attachment in his heart. These
Arcadian delights of music and dancing
and hobnobbing of Spanish Authorities
with corsairs were followed by the sale on
board the schooner of the briggs cargo, the
love-making on Smiths part to Seraphina,
and his promises of marriage if she would
aid his escape, and wound up by furious
tight between two of the pirates, one being
stabbed. Smith was ordered, despite his
protestations, to act as surgeon, the cap
tain admitting no plea of ignorance, and
the unhappy captive had to stanuch and
bandage as best he could. The cause of
the quarrel was investigated. One wound
ed man informed his captain that the 9th
er had formed plot to assassinate him.
The crew simultaneously rushed down,
cut off the poor wretch's legs and arms
with blunt Ratchet, and threw him over
board. Such was Smiths first experience
of pirate customs, and while he still shud-
dered the captain told him this would be
his fate if he concealed information from
him. .....,. ,. |
The schooner cruised out to sea, and at
last came back to harbor. Out to meet
her came the chief mate, with that por-
ton OF the crew who had been left behind
These were implicated in the assassina
ton plot. A white handkerchief was held
up to decoy them, and, when close, a vol
ley fired among them. But one man sur
vlved, and he was doomed by the cap
tain to die in the favorite fiend-like man
ner OF the Cuban pirates. For three hours
G. boats crew wa oocun;od IN ro,,;,, 80,