Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-09-04
PIRATES IN HE'LL GATE.
SIX Masked Men R, bling a Schooner-A
Quarrel Among Themselves.
INV York Sun.

NV York Sun.
"rhe wind was dead ahead t.
come through He'll Gate" sale
Capt. John F. Crittenden, "and 81
cast anchor TO come through
about midnight with tug tina
was to take some other vessel.
though
Capt. Crittenden commands q
small schooner usually employed
in the fruit trade, but on last Thurs
day evening she was returning
from a trip up Long island SounC
to Port Richmond, Staten Island,
where her Captain lives. AS the
evening wore on he sent the mate
the cook, and the two deck hands
below, while he stood watch. He
intended to call them at midnight
to be in readiness for the tug, ant
so he went below himself at ter
minutes before II o'clock, as he no.
ticed by aid of the pinnacle light
which shone upon the clock face in
the cabin through window made
for the purpose. He was tired and
lay down to rest for moment in
his birth, but fell asleep. How
many minutes he slept he does not
know. He was wakened by hear
| ing man in the cabin, and he
asked who it was. La an instant
| pistol was pressed against his head
and he was told 10 keep quiet.
"Our lives are in our hands, Cap
tain" said the intruder sternly,
-"and we can't trille. Be perfectly
still and we wont hurt youn
Capt. Crittenden then noticed
! that there were six other strangers
in the cabin, and he SAW n seventh
npon deck through the cabin door.
One of them lighted the cabin
lamp, which showed six young
men with handkerchiefs tied across
their faces so rs to leave only their
eyes and forebe.,ds visible, and
wearing 10 clothing but shirts and
trousers. Around the waist of each
was tied cloth haudage in lieu Of
a belt, through which was th:u-t Il
long-bladed knife.
If this doesn't serve yCu, Cap
iain,n said the man who stood over
him, pointing to the revolver,
"this (tapping his knife) will"
The mate and the cook were
guarded in like manner by two
others of the pirates. The two
deck hands were in the forecastle,
out of hearing. The three unem-
ployed men began to search the
cabin. They picked up all the
clothing of the Captain, mate, and
cook, and tied it up in the table
cloth.
''This," said Captain Crittenden,
yesterday, "showed me the kind of
thieves they were. They would
take anything"
Next they searched a bureau
aud a writing desk on top of it. In
the latter they found the Captains
pocketbook, containing SlS6. This
gave them great joy, and they at
once sat down at the table and
divided it. Then the leader pc
litely asked the Captain for his
watcn, large gold hunting case,
patent lever, numbered 81, l,0l4
made by Thomas Bussell g. Son
Liverpool, and valued at $500.
"Now you've got the money!
suggested the mate, "can't you
leave us our clothes?"
This request divided the band
Some were for keeping the clothes
and a quarrel arose. AT length the
leader said to the man who was
about to carry the bundle up the
cabin stairs:
"If you don't put it down, III
shoot you"
This settled it. The clothes wert
left.
"Have you got any grub for your
self for tomorrow evening, Cap
tain?" asked one of the band.
The Captain said he had not.
"Weli, then I'll leave you S.
said the pirate as he placed q note
bureau.
I "See there,n said he to his COM
, panions, "I've left the Captain So
You've got to pay me back you
share, each of you"
Each man counted out his re-
quired proportion OF Sc and handed
, it over. After they were gone
? Capt. Crittenden found that thu
, money left on the bureau consisted
of a ST. note and a Mexican silve
dollar, worth about eighty cents
When the pirates were ready to go
the leader said:
"Now, Captain, we don't wan
you to think hard of us. We've
got to make our living somehow
and this is the only way that is lef
, us.u
, They neither bound nor gagget
the three men before quitting the
I cabin. The last one to go walked
up the stairs backward, covering
the Captain with his revolver
Then they fastened the cabin dool
securely on the outside. They
were heard quarrelling on the deck
|, and Capt. Crittenden at one time
thought that they would get into 6
fight. They seemed to make anoth'
er division of the money on the
roof of the cabin. 1t was now ont
o'clock. After waiting short
time the three prisoners tried to & {
up on deck, but could not open the
cabin door. They were obliged tC
break down u petition between the
, cabin and the hold Of the vesse
and TO climb out on deck through
f the hatchway. They found thai
the door of the forecastie was secur'
, ely fastened from the inside, bu
|, that the sleeping deck hands hat
, not been disturbed. Nothing coulC