Litchfield enquirer., 1881-12-22
THE REMARKABLE STORY OF M JOHN OSBORNE. ,.
WHO iWAsA BUCOANERR AND DIED A FASHION
 ABLE PHYSICIAN IN LONDON.


 ABLE PHYSICIAN IN LONDON.
 . It IS perfectly true, though can hardly realize it as sit here in my stately house in St. James ssquare, that when was poor lad land even when was older than lad, and ought to have known better-I was little, in- deed nothing, better than buccaneer on the high seas, that might, with law and justice have been hung up to the yard-arm of any of his Majesty's frigates. But really did not know, 80 to speak, my right hand from my left, and was engaged even in atrocious deeds with light heart, and almost with an; inno- cent conscience. And this has always made me very forbearing toward all young lads I cannot think that they would be really bad if 1t were not for their surroundings And so when my boy, Jem Rushton, who would have made very promising pirate if his lot had been cast in that line of life, stole my silver hagon, and might pretty well have filled it with loose silver which he stole besides, and the police runners were after him, made him a present of the whole concern rather than prove, as might easily be the case, his ruin both in body and soul And coming home to my own house last night after attending my Lady Marjoram fora fit of the megrims the result of bad temper and possibly strong wa- ters combined, when found a little scoundrel, the exact image of myself when was at his age, asleep on my doorstep. fixed a silver piece in his hand tbat he might make sure of a breakfast. That Summer night in the air would do him, nO harm; and l am sure he would sleep far more soundly than l, who sleep at the best times only indifferently Likewise our good curate, at St. Annes Church-in-the-Fields, did speak very well yes terday se'nnight on his fair text. "God bless the lads, ? to which. with all my soul, say Arno As,1 rhnr ff,oN NI,r;c fol It. London may one day take It into their heads that they ought to, in what way they can, bless the lads, and not let them run wild enough fo be sdEf sdEhfg Sp apl M shsy may be old Newgate. & sisz7t} 'sa@ 'Fi w
 For, going back as far as can remember, there was big fellow standing over me with a rope's end, belaboring me with it as hard as he could. while was roaring out lustily and small wonder thereat. He told me that he would give me logging that Ishould remem- Der as long as 1 lived. And therein spake he truly. For have forgotten many other things, but that logging do yet remember. It may be that have confused one logging with an- other-and such many of them might we'll cause confusion-but. anyhow, my first re- membrances of things were all of foggins. l used to console myself by thinking that when was man l. too, would fog the small boys, and promised them plenty of it in my own mind but now have learned to think very differently of the thrashlng business, and am, perhaps, now too pulling therein, for had I ex- ercised my cane on that boy Jem, he might not have stolen my silver goblet. The ship in which was cabin boy was slayer, and the negro slaves were whipped with pickled rods pretty often but think no nigger had caught it as much as dld. 1 was sorry for the little negro boys, too, who, as was told by the overseer, came away from vast meadows, or savannahs, and dark forests and rushing streams, to be cooped up in the hold of ves- sel and thus sent either to work or to sicken
 in a strange land. But the overseer, who, though morose, was godly man, told me executing the curse of Ham, 1 never thought that, like the little negro lad. should have an experience of rushing streams and dusky woods. Of my mother had no knowledge. They say that a sailor has 8 wife in every port, and have had reason to believe, from inqui- ries made in after life, that my mother was one of several such wives of my father It is not pleasant reflection certainly; but great many people have to swallow unpleasant re- factions. My father had been mate on this slayer but he died before even the bad char acter of the slayer was exchanged for some- thing worse. I do not say that had spent the WuOlC Ol ny fllC Oh UOoto tOi | BStuCul- Der going into port after port and being in strange places. and even going up bit into strange countries. But, generally speaking, even when in port I was the cabin boy, who had to stop on board and do the ships dirty work. Only had one companion, the faith, fullest of all companions, my dog Fid), the wagsing of whose tail was the kindest saluta- ton which had received for many a long day and 1 dare say that the angel who sits up aloft to take care of poor Jack has kindly glance for poor Jacks dog, who is often quite as good as poor Jack himself.
 How it was that our slayer became bucca- neer do uot know. Only l suppose that there is natural tendency of bad things to go on to worse. That slaving business was cruel and bad indeed, 1 do not know that piracy itself could be much worse. Captain Lacy was as hardened and kad a pirate as ever hoist ed the black flag on the high seas. rA And many comical and many woeful adventures were \ those which we had in those days One day we overlook merchant ship, whose crew con- sisted entirely of Quakers, their families, and dependents. They were on their way to some outlandish colony in the northern part of America, where one William Penn, the chief of that sect, had powerful lot of land, now called after him, as have heard tell. Penn sylvania. Certainly there never was such peaceable sort of gentry. The worst weapon ou board was the Captains umbrella. There ] was neither dirk nor pistol, gun nor cutlass, in 1 the whole ship. They threw open their all ltheir chests in the most oblgiEg way, and if | we gave them an occasional kick they appeared toNke it rather than otherwise. We put them all in long boat, with compass and plen- | ty of bread and water, and think their course 1 vas pretty straight one, and they would get a last to the mainland. e<9 ssH} .siL l Once we met a ship with fair cargo and Dne passengers, among them was man whom they called reverend and clergyman Captain Lucy was hugely pleased to make his acquaintance. Indeed, 80 mad humOr seiZed hiil that nothing would satisfy him but he would keep this person on board ship as his domestic chaplain. He explained to the rev efend gentiema that he would only have to read prayers to the ships company on Sum- lday morning and mix punch for .tthe crew Ievery night. This was the first time that lsvcry heard such queer words as s'prayers" and Sunday, 1" which to my young and de- praved mind conveyed no idea whatever. But he parson had prejudice agalnst the profes- lion of piracy, and refused to have anything Ito do with such goddess lot. This was an- other new. and unmeaning word to me. Cap lain Lacy was very angry, and declared that be should walk the plank but the chaplain hat was to have been said that of the two he would much prefer that. Whether itawas the lpoldness of the man or a sort of superstition with Captain Lacy I know not, but, like the lRuakers, the reverend gentleman, with some others, was allowed to make his escape, if on-- lly the winds and the waves would permit him. Once or twice have seen the ceremo- l hy performed or making people walk the plank. And, oh, miserable wretch thatsI was
 used to laugh at the people who had to do 10, At first thought it was the greatest fun imaginable. They brought out long plank.
 md put it over the side of the ship. Thenthe poor wretch walked along the plank. and had Io keep on walking until be-, walked himself into the sea. If he walked siowly-and some
 If them certainly took it leisurely touch-9 ed them up behind with a marline-pike. But 1ne day saw white face in the water. and | he arms thrown up with shriek. I used to l Fakeat night, seeing that ghastly upturned ace,, Captain Lacy said that it was all non-,
 ense all men were our enemies, and we were