Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-11-29
TROUBLE ABOARD.
BY AN OLD COASTER

Some years ago l ran an old schooner
out of Mobile. She was small craft
not more than 1870 tons burden-and had
originally come from some Northern port
l called her the Eutaw, and made many
profitable runs along the coasts Of the
gulf; and two or three times I doubled
the capes of Florida.
While we lay at Mobile taking in load
for New Orleans, two of the most desper-
ate villains in Alabama were apprehended.
Their names were Adolph Leroy and Matt
Vickers, and they had committed good
many robberies and more than one muir
der in the country between the big rivers.
They were lodged in the Jail at Mobile,
and as soon as they were thus secure the
evidence came in against them fast and
strong. the number of burglaries and high
way robberies they had committed was
almost beyond compute, and at least five
murders were fastened upon them. But
one morning it was found that the pris-
oners had escaped, and those who had
been so free to testify against them turned
pale when they received the information,
and turned away in mortal terror. A re-
ward of $4,000 was offered for their re-
capture, or 80, 600 for one of them But
they were not to be found No one had
seen them, and no traces Of them could
be discovered.
On the second day after the escape Of
these rascals 1 was ready to sail, and got
under weigh about 3 O'Clock in the
afternoon. My crew consisted of only
myself and my two sons, Stephen and
John. Stephen was twenty years old and
Jack eighteen, and they we're both Of
them stout, rugged boys. Our runs were
so short that l found this to be crew
enough; though very frequently took
one or two more hands But on this oc-
casion we had promise of quick, fair
passage, and we three concluded to run
her through. We had a fair wind for a
start, and run down the bay at good
rate, opening the passage between the
Dauphin and Mobile Point little after
6. We were just passing the light
house, and l had the helm, when I sung
out to the boys to stand by the sheets.
Stephen went to the main sheet, but I
didn't see Jack waited few minutes,
and then sang out again. Presently the
boy came up from the fore-peak, but in
stead of going to the sheet he came aft,
and I was just going to tell him to go
back to the fore-sheet when l discovered
that he looked kind O. startled and fear
full
What is it?n says I, forgetting the
sheets; for knew that when one Of my
boys showed a quivering lip there was
something more than ordinary to pay.
He put his fingers to his lips, and told
me to speak low. g For, " said he, "we've
got passengers aboard
Ha-runaway negroes!'' says l.
Not quite so simple, returned Jack,
with dubious shake Of the head
We've got two villains aboard"
2 What two2n
"Leroy and Vickersr'
''Get outl" said l. thinking he must
be joking.
Father" said he-and when he
spoke 9 father in that way knew there
was nothing but sober seriousness in what
was to come after it" tell you they're
aboard this schoonerl They're in the
hold, chock for'rd; and, what's more,
they mean to come out when we get well
outside I've heard it ALL"
steered straight out and listened to
Jack, for I knew it must be as he said.
We had no forecastle parted off from the
hold, as all Of us that ever wanted pas
sage had plenty of room in the cabin
but we had a fore peak parted off, chock
in between the bows, where we slowed
all rigging and tar buckets and such
kind of stuff. While we were running
down, Jack had gone into this place to
pick out some rope yarn, and as he found
an easy seat upon an old sail, he sat
down there, with his back against the
,.1l-Loo5 o,1 l.aora,, ~ ,,rIar a ,aiana nf
rope for the yarns. He had not been at
work a great while before he heard a
noise among the boxes in the hold, and
after listening few minutes he knew
that somebody was in there. He knew
itcould not be either or Stephen, for he
had heard us both on deck; SO he thought
it must be negro. Presently he
heard voice and then an answer. There
were two of them-and they were white
men. too. Jack sat as still as a mouse,
with his ear to the thin bulkhead, and
he could hear nearly all that was said.
He soon discovered that they were two
Williams who had escaped from the lock-
up in Mobile, and that they meant to
kin us and throw us overheard as soon as
we got outside and then make a run
across the gulf to Cuba.
As soon as | heard Jacks story knew
it was all just 50, for he could repeat the
very words they had spoken. They had
crawled into the hold two nights before,
and as we had commenced to Gil up for
ward before that, they had not been dis