The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-12-15
CHINESE PIRACY.
A STEAMER CAPTURED By CHINESE
PIRATES--TIlE CAPTAIN MURDER
ED md THE SHIP PLUM
DERED.

The British steamer Greyhound
of London was captured by Chinese
pirates on Oct. 18th when seventy
miles from Hongkong and about
thirty miles from the Ladrone
islands, the historical hunting
grounds of the Kwangtung pirates.
She sailed for Hoikow with gen.
eral cargo, 1870 Chinese passengers
and crew of thirty. The following
account is condensed from the China
Mail:
While the Chinese crew were ut
dinner in the forecastlc and the pas
sengcrs were between decks, num-
Der of Chinese who had been dis
guised as passengers suddenly came
on deck and began firing at the
white officers. The latter ran to-
ward the saloon amidships, where
their weapons were stored. AS they
ran forward they were fired at by
several of the men, and the second
officer received no less than seven
bullet wounds, and the chief engi-
neer two before he reached the fore
hold, where they took refuge.
The chief officer succeeded in
reaching the cabin below, where he
obtained revolver. The captain
was less fortunate. Before he could
reach the chartroom, where his re-
volver was, his ASSISTANTS poured
q volley into him. He was pinned
against the charthouse by one of the
pirates, while another drove a long
knife into his breast. Then they
lifted him up and threw him over
board, and fired at him even after
he was in the water. The second
engineer was forced to come out of
his room and run the engines, a
guard standing over him with q
cooked pistol. Four shots were fired
at the Chinese purser, but he made
his peace with the pirates by hand
ing over valuable judestone brace
let. The chief officer was requested
to give up the keys of the treasure
chest or he would be murdered.
The officer acceded to this request
and he was put in the fore hold with
the other passengers.
The pirates were now in full pos
session of the ship. Two men with
revolvers kept the bridge and COM
PEELED the regular quartermasters to
turn the ship about and steer in the
direction Of Hong kong. With
the greatest nonchalance they now
and then scanned the horizon with
the Captains binoculars, and once
when they saw passing steamer
and some junks they ordered the
Greyhound to be steered away from
them. Sometimes also, although
they did not seem to understand the
use of the telegraph" they would
order the engines to be stopped, to
go half-speed and so on, apparently
for sheer devilment. While these
two were thus employed on the
bridge the other members of the
band, which is estimated to have
numbered between thirty and forty,
were ransacking the Captain and
officers cabins, the saloon and
chartroom, taking everything Of
value and easily portable. Money
and jewelry were the most favored
articles. The drawers that were
locked were pricd open. Tho
treasure, amounting to $4,000, was
carried off, and they also had the
audacity to take away the watches
bangles and earrings from the pas
sengers, and even rifle them. The
only cargo taken was box Of
opium. Altogether the property
and money taken is valued at S10,
900, pretty fair haul for band o.
Chinese pirates.
All these articles were collected
together for transhipment, and abou
dusk, when the steamer had by this
time made her way back to within
forty miles of Hongkong, and wa
quite. near Man-san, one of TIN
Ladrones, three junks came along
side in answer to the pirates signals
The plumber was then transferred Il
the junks. During the time TIN
booty was being transferred som
of the leading spirits, aftc
having ordered the engine to b
stopped, went down into the engine
room, ordered all the steam to b
blown off, compelled the firemen t
draw the fires and then remove
some of the most necessary parts O
the engine, rendering the shi
utterly helpless. Among othe
things they took away the lever Q
the feed pump and number of tn
brasses and threw them overheard
They also stove in all the four boats
so that no one could leave the ship
To complete their work one c
them proposed that they should Sc
fire to the ship. Another, MOI
merciful, apparently, suggested thu
as they had got good deal of plul
der and the ship was helpless, the
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